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Kudara M, Kato-Ishikura E, Ikegaya Y, Matsumoto N. Ramelteon administration enhances novel object recognition and spatial working memory in mice. J Pharmacol Sci 2023; 152:128-135. [PMID: 37169477 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Ramelteon is used to ameliorate sleep disorders that negatively affect memory performance; however, it remains unknown whether ramelteon strengthens neutral memories, which do not involve reward or punishment. To address this, we monitored behavior of mice treated with vehicle/ramelteon while they performed a novel object recognition task and a spontaneous alternation task. Object memory performance in the novel object recognition task was improved only if ramelteon was injected before training, suggesting that ramelteon specifically enhances the acquisition of object recognition memory. Ramelteon also enhanced spatial working memory in the spontaneous alternation task. Altogether, acute ramelteon treatment enhances memory in quasi-natural contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikuru Kudara
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Eriko Kato-Ishikura
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Matsumoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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Dexter TD, Palmer D, Hashad AM, Saksida LM, Bussey TJ. Decision Making in Mice During an Optimized Touchscreen Spatial Working Memory Task Sensitive to Medial Prefrontal Cortex Inactivation and NMDA Receptor Hypofunction. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:905736. [PMID: 35655752 PMCID: PMC9152442 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.905736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory is a fundamental cognitive process for decision-making and is a hallmark impairment in a variety of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Spatial working memory paradigms are a valuable tool to assess these processes in rodents and dissect the neurobiology underlying working memory. The trial unique non-match to location (TUNL) task is an automated touchscreen paradigm used to study spatial working memory and pattern separation processes in rodents. Here, animals must remember the spatial location of a stimulus presented on the screen over a delay period; and use this representation to respond to the novel location when the two are presented together. Because stimuli can be presented in a variety of spatial configurations, TUNL offers a trial-unique paradigm, which can aid in combating the development of unwanted mediating strategies. Here, we have optimized the TUNL protocol for mice to reduce training time and further reduce the potential development of mediating strategies. As a result, mice are able to accurately perform an enhanced trial-unique paradigm, where the locations of the sample and choice stimuli can be presented in any configuration on the screen during a single session. We also aimed to pharmacologically characterize this updated protocol, by assessing the roles of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAr) functioning during TUNL. Temporary inactivation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was accomplished by directly infusing a mixture of GABA agonists muscimol and baclofen into the mPFC. We found that mPFC inactivation significantly impaired TUNL performance in a delay-dependent manner. In addition, mPFC inactivation significantly increased the susceptibility of mice to proactive interference. Mice were then challenged with acute systemic injections of the NMDAr antagonist ketamine, which resulted in a dose-dependent, delay-dependent working memory impairment. Together, we describe an optimized automated touchscreen task of working memory, which is dependent on the intact functioning of the mPFC and sensitive to acute NMDAr hypofunction. With the vast genetic toolbox available for modeling disease and probing neural circuit functioning in mice, the TUNL task offers a valuable paradigm to pair with these technologies to further investigate the processes underlying spatial working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler D. Dexter
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel Palmer
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ahmed M. Hashad
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- BrainsCAN, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa M. Saksida
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Tim J. Bussey
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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NLX-101, a cortical 5-HT 1A receptor biased agonist, reverses scopolamine-induced deficit in the delayed non-matching to position model of cognition. Brain Res 2021; 1765:147493. [PMID: 33887253 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
NLX-101 is a selective, high efficacy, biased agonist at post-synaptic cortical 5-HT1A receptors. We have previously shown that it opposes deficits produced by blockade of NMDA receptors and has pro-cognitive activity of its own. Based on the strong interaction between 5-HT1A receptors and the central cholinergic system, we tested NLX-101 on scopolamine-induced impairment of cognition in a delayed non-matching to position (DNMTP) model. The cholinesterase inhibitor, tacrine, was used as a comparator. In operant chambers with two retractable levers, male rats were trained to press one randomly presented lever during a "sample" phase. Following a time delay of either 1, 5 or 10 s, both levers were then presented, the rat being required to press the correct lever (i.e. the one not previously presented) to receive a food pellet reward. Scopolamine (0.16 mg/kg i.p.) significantly impaired accuracy (i.e. choice of correct lever) at 5 and 10 s delays. In contrast, NLX-101 (0.04, 0.16, 0.63 mg/kg i.p.) did not worsen accuracy, except at 0.63 mg/kg. Moreover, NLX-101 (0.04 and 0.16 mg/kg) dose-dependently and significantly opposed scopolamine-induced impairment for 5 and 10 s delays, with near-total reversal at 10 s. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, tacrine, also opposed scopolamine-induced impairment but was less potent and efficacious, with a single significant effect at 2.5 mg/kg and 5 s delay only. The present data suggest that biased agonism at post-synaptic, cortical 5-HT1A receptors could prove useful in neurological or neuropsychiatric pathologies characterized by cognitive deficits consecutive to a reduced central cholinergic tone.
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Alarcon TA, Areal LB, Herlinger AL, Paiva KK, Cicilini MA, Martins-Silva C, Pires RGW. The cannabinoid agonist WIN-2 affects acquisition but not consolidation of a spatial information in training and retraining processes: Relation with transcriptional regulation of the endocannabinoid system? Behav Brain Res 2020; 377:112231. [PMID: 31526770 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system is capable of modulating multiple physiological brain functions including learning and memory. Moreover, there is evidence that the processes of acquisition and consolidation have distinct biological basis. We used the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN-2) to investigate whether chronic CB1 activation affects acquisition and consolidation differently by evaluating gene expression in the hippocampus (HIP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Swiss mice were treated with WIN-2 (2 mg/kg) and submitted to the Morris water maze to evaluate different aspects of memory. We observed short-term memory impairment in acquisition of the spatial task while consolidation remained unchanged. In the PFC, animals that received WIN-2 prior to the task exhibited increased expression of the 2-AG synthesis enzyme diacylglycerol lipase and decreased levels of the degradation enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase, while mice that were treated after the task for the evaluation of consolidation exhibited the opposite profile. With respect to genes related to AEA metabolism, no correlation between the molecular and behavioral data could be established. In this sense, the cognitive impairment in the acquisition promoted by WIN-2 treatment may be related to a possible increase in the concentration of 2-AG in the PFC. Overall, this study confirms the relevance of the endocannabinoid system in the modulation of cognitive processes. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying endocannabinoids roles in cognition could provide guidance for the development of treatments to reduce the cognitive deficits caused by drug abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A Alarcon
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neurobiology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil
| | - L B Areal
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neurobiology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil
| | - A L Herlinger
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neurobiology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil; Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil
| | - K K Paiva
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil
| | - M A Cicilini
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil
| | - C Martins-Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neurobiology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil; Department of Physiological Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil
| | - R G W Pires
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neurobiology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil; Department of Physiological Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria-ES, Brazil.
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Enhancing effects of acute exposure to cannabis smoke on working memory performance. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 157:151-162. [PMID: 30521850 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Numerous preclinical studies show that acute cannabinoid administration impairs cognitive performance. Almost all of this research has employed cannabinoid injections, however, whereas smoking is the preferred route of cannabis administration in humans. The goal of these experiments was to systematically determine how acute exposure to cannabis smoke affects working memory performance in a rat model. Adult male (n = 15) and female (n = 16) Long-Evans rats were trained in a food-motivated delayed response working memory task. Prior to test sessions, rats were exposed to smoke generated by burning different numbers of cannabis or placebo cigarettes, using a within-subjects design. Exposure to cannabis smoke had no effect on male rats' performance, but surprisingly, enhanced working memory accuracy in females, which tended to perform less accurately than males under baseline conditions. In addition, cannabis smoke enhanced working memory accuracy in a subgroup of male rats that performed comparably to the worst-performing females. Exposure to placebo smoke had no effect on performance, suggesting that the cannabinoid content of cannabis smoke was critical for its effects on working memory. Follow-up experiments showed that acute administration of either Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (0.0, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg) or the cannabinoid receptor type 1 antagonist rimonabant (0.0, 0.2, 0.6, 2.0 mg/kg) impaired working memory performance. These results indicate that differences in the route, timing, or dose of cannabinoid administration can yield distinct cognitive outcomes, and highlight the need for further investigation of this topic.
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Panlilio LV, Thorndike EB, Nikas SP, Alapafuja SO, Bandiera T, Cravatt BF, Makriyannis A, Piomelli D, Goldberg SR, Justinova Z. Effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors on working memory in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:1879-88. [PMID: 26558620 PMCID: PMC4846548 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4140-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Manipulations of the endocannabinoid system could potentially produce therapeutic effects with minimal risk of adverse cannabis-like side effects. Inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) increase endogenous levels of the cannabinoid-receptor agonist, anandamide, and show promise for treating a wide range of disorders. However, their effects on learning and memory have not been fully characterized. OBJECTIVES We determined the effects of five structurally different FAAH inhibitors in an animal model of working memory known to be sensitive to impairment by delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). METHODS A delayed nonmatching-to-position procedure was used in rats. Illuminated nosepoke holes were used to provide sample cues (left versus right) and record responses (correct versus incorrect) after delays ranging from 0 to 28 s. Various test drugs were given acutely up to two times per week before daily sessions. RESULTS One FAAH inhibitor, AM3506 (3 mg/kg), decreased accuracy in the memory task. Four other FAAH inhibitors (URB597, URB694, PF-04457845, and ARN14633) and a monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor (JZL184, which blocks the degradation of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol) had no effect. Testing of AM3506 in combination with antagonists for receptors known to be affected by anandamide and other fatty acid amides indicated that the impairment induced by AM3506 was mediated by cannabinoid CB1 receptors, and not by alpha-type peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR-alpha) or vanilloid transient receptor potential cation channels (TRPV1). CONCLUSIONS FAAH inhibitors differ with respect to their potential for memory impairment, abuse liability, and probably other cannabis-like effects, and they should be evaluated individually for specific therapeutic and adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh V. Panlilio
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Eric B. Thorndike
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Spyros P. Nikas
- Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Tiziano Bandiera
- Drug Discovery and Development, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Benjamin F. Cravatt
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA; Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Alexandros Makriyannis
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Drug Discovery and Development, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Steven R. Goldberg
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Zuzana Justinova
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
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Developmentally vitamin D-deficient rats show enhanced prepulse inhibition after acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Behav Pharmacol 2014; 25:236-44. [PMID: 24776491 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency has been proposed as a risk factor for schizophrenia. DVD-deficient rats show selective cognitive deficits and novelty-induced hyperlocomotion and enhanced locomotor responses from acute treatment with psychomimetic drugs, such as amphetamine and MK-801. Here we aimed to examine the effect of a drug from a different class of psychomimetic/psychoactive compounds, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), on tasks of relevance to the cognitive and positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DVD deficiency modulates the behavioural effects of THC on tests of delay-dependent memory, sensorimotor gating and locomotion. Adult control and DVD-deficient rats were injected with THC (0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.25, 2.5 mg/kg) 15 min before a delay match to sample (DMTS) task using variable delays (0-24 s). A separate group of rats was injected with either 2.5 mg/kg THC or vehicle before tests of either prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response or in the open field. Control and DVD-deficient rats showed a similar dose-dependent impairment in performance on the DMTS. The greatest impairment was observed at 2.5 mg/kg for all delays (0-24 s). DVD-deficient rats showed THC-induced enhancement of PPI, which was not observed in control rats. There was no effect of maternal diet on acoustic startle response or locomotor responses in the open field. This study reports the novel findings that DVD-deficient rats were more sensitive to the acute effects of THC on PPI. It appears that prenatal vitamin D deficiency has long-term effects on sensitivity to the behavioural effects of cannabinoids.
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Chelonis JJ, Cox AR, Karr MJ, Prunty PK, Baldwin RL, Paule MG. Comparison of delayed matching-to-sample performance in monkeys and children. Behav Processes 2014; 103:261-8. [PMID: 24440984 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although research has consistently demonstrated that accuracy on a variety of memory tasks decreases as delay increases, relatively little research has been conducted to quantify this relationship across development in humans or directly compare rates of forgetting between humans and monkeys. This study utilized a delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) task to compare the relative contributions of proactive interference and attention on the rate of forgetting in monkeys and children. The performance of 1125 children from four to fourteen years of age and 10 adult rhesus monkeys was compared. For this DMTS task, a shape was displayed on the center one of three press-plates. After a delay, the subjects were required to match the original shape with one of three choice shapes to receive a banana-flavored food pellet for monkeys, or a nickel for children. A modified power function provided an excellent fit for the data for monkeys and children. The forgetting rates in children decreased with age, and the forgetting rates for monkeys were most comparable to those of younger children. The data also suggest that proactive interference did not significantly contribute to the forgetting rates for monkeys or younger children. Further, the monkeys appeared to attend to the task at a level similar to that of younger children as evidenced by the similarities in response latencies. The results from this study indicate that the rate of forgetting in monkeys, as well as the mechanisms underlying this rate, appears to share more similarities with that of younger children than of older children.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Chelonis
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - Arkansas Children's Hospital, United States.
| | - Andrew R Cox
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - Arkansas Children's Hospital, United States
| | - Michael J Karr
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - Arkansas Children's Hospital, United States; Department of Psychology, Hendrix College, United States
| | - Patricia K Prunty
- Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University-Belleville, United States
| | - Ronald L Baldwin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - Arkansas Children's Hospital, United States
| | - Merle G Paule
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, United States; Department of Psychology, Hendrix College, United States
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Justinova Z, Mascia P, Wu HQ, Secci ME, Redhi GH, Panlilio LV, Scherma M, Barnes C, Parashos A, Zara T, Fratta W, Solinas M, Pistis M, Bergman J, Kangas BD, Ferré S, Tanda G, Schwarcz R, Goldberg SR. Reducing cannabinoid abuse and preventing relapse by enhancing endogenous brain levels of kynurenic acid. Nat Neurosci 2013; 16:1652-61. [PMID: 24121737 PMCID: PMC3835353 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the reward circuitry of the brain, α-7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs) modulate effects of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient. Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is an endogenous negative allosteric modulator of α7nAChRs. Here we report that the kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) inhibitor Ro 61-8048 increases brain KYNA levels and attenuates cannabinoid-induced increases in extracellular dopamine in reward-related brain areas. In the self-administration model of drug abuse, Ro 61-8048 reduced the rewarding effects of THC and the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 in squirrel monkeys and rats, respectively, and it also prevented relapse to drug-seeking induced by reexposure to cannabinoids or cannabinoid-associated cues. The effects of enhancing endogenous KYNA levels with Ro 61-8048 were prevented by positive allosteric modulators of α7nAChRs. Despite a clear need, there are no medications approved for treatment of marijuana dependence. Modulation of KYNA offers a pharmacological strategy for achieving abstinence from marijuana and preventing relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Justinova
- 1] Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. [2] Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. [3]
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Panlilio LV, Ferré S, Yasar S, Thorndike EB, Schindler CW, Goldberg SR. Combined effects of THC and caffeine on working memory in rats. Br J Pharmacol 2012; 165:2529-38. [PMID: 21699509 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01554.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cannabis and caffeine are two of the most widely used psychoactive substances. Δ(9) -Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, induces deficits in short-term memory. Caffeine, a non-selective adenosine receptor antagonist, attenuates some memory deficits, but there have been few studies addressing the effects of caffeine and THC in combination. Here, we evaluate the effects of these drugs using a rodent model of working memory. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Rats were given THC (0, 1 and 3 mg·kg(-1) , i.p.) along with caffeine (0, 1, 3 and 10 mg·kg(-1) , i.p.), the selective adenosine A(1) -receptor antagonist CPT (0, 3 and 10 mg·kg(-1) ) or the selective adenosine A(2A) -receptor antagonist SCH58261 (0 and 5 mg·kg(-1) ) and were tested with a delayed non-matching-to-position procedure in which behaviour during the delay was automatically recorded as a model of memory rehearsal. KEY RESULTS THC alone produced memory deficits at 3 mg·kg(-1) . The initial exposure to caffeine (10 mg·kg(-1) ) disrupted the established pattern of rehearsal-like behaviour, but tolerance developed rapidly to this effect. CPT and SCH58261 alone had no significant effects on rehearsal or memory. When a subthreshold dose of THC (1 mg·kg(-1) ) was combined with caffeine (10 mg·kg(-1) ) or CPT (10 mg·kg(-1) ), memory performance was significantly impaired, even though performance of the rehearsal-like pattern was not significantly altered. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Caffeine did not counteract memory deficits induced by THC but actually exacerbated them. These results are consistent with recent findings that adenosine A(1) receptors modulate cannabinoid signalling in the hippocampus. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.165.issue-8. To view Part I of Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.163.issue-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh V Panlilio
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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Zanettini C, Panlilio LV, Alicki M, Goldberg SR, Haller J, Yasar S. Effects of endocannabinoid system modulation on cognitive and emotional behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2011; 5:57. [PMID: 21949506 PMCID: PMC3171696 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2011.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2011] [Accepted: 08/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis has long been known to produce cognitive and emotional effects. Research has shown that cannabinoid drugs produce these effects by driving the brain’s endogenous cannabinoid system and that this system plays a modulatory role in many cognitive and emotional processes. This review focuses on the effects of endocannabinoid system modulation in animal models of cognition (learning and memory) and emotion (anxiety and depression). We review studies in which natural or synthetic cannabinoid agonists were administered to directly stimulate cannabinoid receptors or, conversely, where cannabinoid antagonists were administered to inhibit the activity of cannabinoid receptors. In addition, studies are reviewed that involved genetic disruption of cannabinoid receptors or genetic or pharmacological manipulation of the endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Endocannabinoids affect the function of many neurotransmitter systems, some of which play opposing roles. The diversity of cannabinoid roles and the complexity of task-dependent activation of neuronal circuits may lead to the effects of endocannabinoid system modulation being strongly dependent on environmental conditions. Recent findings are reviewed that raise the possibility that endocannabinoid signaling may change the impact of environmental influences on emotional and cognitive behavior rather than selectively affecting any specific behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Zanettini
- Department of Health and Human Services, Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neurosciences Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health Baltimore, MD, USA
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