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Lorenzetti V, McTavish E, Broyd S, van Hell H, Thomson D, Ganella E, Kottaram AR, Beale C, Martin J, Galettis P, Solowij N, Greenwood LM. Daily Cannabidiol Administration for 10 Weeks Modulates Hippocampal and Amygdalar Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Cannabis Users: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Open-Label Clinical Trial. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:e1108-e1121. [PMID: 37603080 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cannabis use is associated with brain functional changes in regions implicated in prominent neuroscientific theories of addiction. Emerging evidence suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) is neuroprotective and may reverse structural brain changes associated with prolonged heavy cannabis use. In this study, we examine how an ∼10-week exposure of CBD in cannabis users affected resting-state functional connectivity in brain regions functionally altered by cannabis use. Materials and Methods: Eighteen people who use cannabis took part in a ∼10 weeks open-label pragmatic trial of self-administered daily 200 mg CBD in capsules. They were not required to change their cannabis exposure patterns. Participants were assessed at baseline and post-CBD exposure with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a functional MRI resting-state task (eyes closed). Seed-based connectivity analyses were run to examine changes in the functional connectivity of a priori regions-the hippocampus and the amygdala. We explored if connectivity changes were associated with cannabinoid exposure (i.e., cumulative cannabis dosage over trial, and plasma CBD concentrations and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) plasma metabolites postexposure), and mental health (i.e., severity of anxiety, depression, and positive psychotic symptom scores), accounting for cigarette exposure in the past month, alcohol standard drinks in the past month and cumulative CBD dose during the trial. Results: Functional connectivity significantly decreased pre-to-post the CBD trial between the anterior hippocampus and precentral gyrus, with a strong effect size (d=1.73). Functional connectivity increased between the amygdala and the lingual gyrus pre-to-post the CBD trial, with a strong effect size (d=1.19). There were no correlations with cannabinoids or mental health symptom scores. Discussion: Prolonged CBD exposure may restore/reduce functional connectivity differences reported in cannabis users. These new findings warrant replication in a larger sample, using robust methodologies-double-blind and placebo-controlled-and in the most vulnerable people who use cannabis, including those with more severe forms of Cannabis Use Disorder and experiencing worse mental health outcomes (e.g., psychosis, depression).
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Center, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eugene McTavish
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Center, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samantha Broyd
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hendrika van Hell
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Diny Thomson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Australia
| | - Eleni Ganella
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
- Orygen, the National Center of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Akhil Raja Kottaram
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Center, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
| | - Camilla Beale
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jennifer Martin
- John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
- Center for Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research, University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
- The Australian Center for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Galettis
- Center for Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research, University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
- The Australian Center for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- The Australian Center for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lisa-Marie Greenwood
- The Australian Center for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Oliva HNP, Prudente TP, Nunes EJ, Cosgrove KP, Radhakrishnan R, Potenza MN, Angarita GA. Substance use and spine density: a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02519-3. [PMID: 38561468 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The elucidation of synaptic density changes provides valuable insights into the underlying brain mechanisms of substance use. In preclinical studies, synaptic density markers, like spine density, are altered by substances of abuse (e.g., alcohol, amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, opioids, nicotine). These changes could be linked to phenomena including behavioral sensitization and drug self-administration in rodents. However, studies have produced heterogeneous results for spine density across substances and brain regions. Identifying patterns will inform translational studies given tools that now exist to measure in vivo synaptic density in humans. We performed a meta-analysis of preclinical studies to identify consistent findings across studies. PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and EBSCO were searched between September 2022 and September 2023, based on a protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42022354006). We screened 6083 publications and included 70 for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed drug-specific patterns in spine density changes. Hippocampal spine density increased after amphetamine. Amphetamine, cocaine, and nicotine increased spine density in the nucleus accumbens. Alcohol and amphetamine increased, and cannabis reduced, spine density in the prefrontal cortex. There was no convergence of findings for morphine's effects. The effects of cocaine on the prefrontal cortex presented contrasting results compared to human studies, warranting further investigation. Publication bias was small for alcohol or morphine and substantial for the other substances. Heterogeneity was moderate-to-high across all substances. Nonetheless, these findings inform current translational efforts examining spine density in humans with substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Nunes Pereira Oliva
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tiago Paiva Prudente
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Eric J Nunes
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kelly P Cosgrove
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rajiv Radhakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gustavo A Angarita
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA.
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3
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Mohammadpanah M, Farrokhi S, Sani M, Moghaddam MH, Bayat AH, Boroujeni ME, Abdollahifar MA, Fathi M, Vakili K, Nikpour F, Omran HS, Ahmadirad H, Ghorbani Z, Peyvandi AA, Aliaghaei A. Exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol leads to a rise in caspase-3, morphological changes in microglial, and astrocyte reactivity in the cerebellum of rats. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2023; 12:1077-1094. [PMID: 38145099 PMCID: PMC10734605 DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfad098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to elucidate the effect of 10 mg/kg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on cerebellar neuronal and glial morphology, apoptosis and inflammatory gene expression using a series of histological assays including stereology, Sholl analysis, immunofluorescence and real-time qPCR in male Wistar rats. A decrease in the number of Purkinje neurons and the thickness of the granular layer in the cerebellum was reported in THC-treated rats. Increased expression of Iba-1 and arborization of microglial processes were evidence of microgliosis and morphological changes in microglia. In addition, astrogliosis and changes in astrocyte morphology were other findings associated with THC administration. THC also led to an increase in caspase-3 positive cells and a decrease in autophagy and inflammatory gene expression such as mTOR, BECN1 and LAMP2. However, there were no significant changes in the volume of molecular layers and white matter, the spatial arrangement of granular layers and white matter, or the spatial arrangement of granular layers and white matter in the cerebellum. Taken together, our data showed both neuroprotective and neurodegenerative properties of THC in the cerebellum, which require further study in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Mohammadpanah
- Hearing Disorders Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sheida Farrokhi
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Sani
- Department of Educational Neuroscience, Aras International Campus, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Meysam Hassani Moghaddam
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Hossein Bayat
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Sciences and Advanced Technology in Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mahdi Eskandarian Boroujeni
- Laboratory of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mobina Fathi
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kimia Vakili
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Nikpour
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Salehi Omran
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Ahmadirad
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeynab Ghorbani
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Asghar Peyvandi
- Hearing Disorders Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Aliaghaei
- Hearing Disorders Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Ganesh S, Lam TT, Garcia-Milian R, D’Souza D, Nairn AC, Elgert K, Eitan E, Ranganathan M. Peripheral signature of altered synaptic integrity in young onset cannabis use disorder: A proteomic study of circulating extracellular vesicles. World J Biol Psychiatry 2023; 24:603-613. [PMID: 36994633 PMCID: PMC10471733 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2023.2197039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rates of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) are highest amongst young adults. Paucity of brain tissue samples limits the ability to examine the molecular basis of cannabis related neuropathology. Proteomic studies of neuron-derived extracellular vesicles (NDEs) isolated from the biofluids may reveal markers of neuropathology in CUD. METHODS NDEs were extracted using ExoSORT, an immunoaffinity method to enrich NDEs from plasma samples from patients with young onset CUD and matched controls. Differential proteomic profiles were explored with Label Free Quantification (LFQ) mass spectrometry. Selected proteins were validated using orthogonal methods. RESULTS A total of 231 (±10) proteins were identified in NDE preparations from CUD and controls of which 28 were differentially abundant between groups. The difference in abundance of properdin (CFP gene) was statistically significant. SHANK1 (SHANK1 gene), an adapter protein at the post-synaptic density, was nominally depleted in the CUD NDE preparations. CONCLUSION In this pilot study, we noted a decrease in SHANK1 protein, involved in the structural and functional integrity of glutamatergic post-synapse, a potential peripheral signature of CUD neuropathology. The study shows that LFQ mass spectrometry proteomic analysis of NDEs derived from plasma may yield important insights into the synaptic pathology associated with CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhas Ganesh
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520
| | - TuKiet T. Lam
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520
- Keck Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics Resource, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510
| | - Rolando Garcia-Milian
- Bioinformatics Support Program, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510
| | - Deepak D’Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520
| | - Angus C. Nairn
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520
| | | | | | - Mohini Ranganathan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520
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Pintori N, Caria F, De Luca MA, Miliano C. THC and CBD: Villain versus Hero? Insights into Adolescent Exposure. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065251. [PMID: 36982327 PMCID: PMC10048857 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis is the most used drug of abuse worldwide. It is well established that the most abundant phytocannabinoids in this plant are Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). These two compounds have remarkably similar chemical structures yet vastly different effects in the brain. By binding to the same receptors, THC is psychoactive, while CBD has anxiolytic and antipsychotic properties. Lately, a variety of hemp-based products, including CBD and THC, have become widely available in the food and health industry, and medical and recreational use of cannabis has been legalized in many states/countries. As a result, people, including youths, are consuming CBD because it is considered “safe”. An extensive literature exists evaluating the harmful effects of THC in both adults and adolescents, but little is known about the long-term effects of CBD exposure, especially in adolescence. The aim of this review is to collect preclinical and clinical evidence about the effects of cannabidiol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Pintori
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Francesca Caria
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta De Luca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-070-6758633
| | - Cristina Miliano
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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Xu H, Li D, Yin B. Aberrant hippocampal shape development in young adults with heavy cannabis use: Evidence from a longitudinal study. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 152:343-351. [PMID: 35785577 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs globally. Mounting evidence indicates that cannabis use, particularly consumption during young adulthood, is related to adverse mental and behavioral outcomes and an increased risk of the onset and relapse of psychosis. However, the neuromechanism underpinnings of heavy cannabis use (HCU) in young adults remain largely unknown, and no study has yet investigated the development of hippocampal shape in young adults with HCU. Twenty young adults with HCU and 22 matched non-cannabis-use healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Neuroimaging scanning and clinical assessments for all participants were performed at baseline (BL) and 3-year follow-up (FU). The vertex-wise shape analysis was conducted to investigate aberrant hippocampal shape development in young adults with HCU. Aberrant shape development pattern of the hippocampus was observed in young adults with HCU. There was no significant difference in hippocampal shape between the groups at BL, but young adults with HCU at FU exhibited significant shape atrophy of the right dorsal anterior hippocampus related to HCs. In addition, there was a significantly lower growth rate of the right hippocampal shape. Furthermore, there were significant associations of heavy cannabis use, as indicated by the age at onset first and frequent cannabis use, with the growth rate of hippocampal shape in young adults with HCU. The aberrant hippocampal shape development may reflect the effect of heavy cannabis use on young adults and it may be a potential target for heavy cannabis use treatment for young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325027, China; Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University/St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, ON L8N 3K7, Canada.
| | - Dandong Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325027, China
| | - Bo Yin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325027, China.
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D'Souza DC, Radhakrishnan R, Naganawa M, Ganesh S, Nabulsi N, Najafzadeh S, Ropchan J, Ranganathan M, Cortes-Briones J, Huang Y, Carson RE, Skosnik P. Preliminary in vivo evidence of lower hippocampal synaptic density in cannabis use disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3192-3200. [PMID: 32973170 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00891-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is one of the most commonly and widely used psychoactive drugs. The rates of cannabis misuse have been increasing. Therefore, understanding the effects of cannabis use on the brain is important. Adolescent and adult rodents exposed to repeated administration of cannabinoids show persistent microstructural changes in the hippocampus both pre- and post-synaptically. Whether similar alterations exist in human cannabis users, has not yet been demonstrated in vivo. Positron emission tomography (PET) and [11C]UCB-J, a radioligand for the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), were used to study hippocampal synaptic integrity in vivo in an equal number (n = 12) of subjects with DSM-5 cannabis use disorder (CUD) and matched healthy controls (HC). Arterial sampling was used to measure plasma input function. [11C]UCB-J binding potential (BPND) was estimated using a one-tissue (1T) compartment model with centrum semiovale as the reference region. Hippocampal function was assessed using a verbal memory task. Relative to HCs, CUDs showed significantly lower [11C]UCB-J BPND in the hippocampus (~10%, p = 0.008, effect size 1.2) and also performed worse on the verbal memory task. These group differences in hippocampal BPND persisted after correction for volume differences (p = 0.013), and correction for both age and volume (p = 0.03). We demonstrate, for the first time, in vivo evidence of lower hippocampal synaptic density in cannabis use disorder. These results are consistent with the microstructural findings from experimental studies with cannabinoids in animals, and studies of hippocampal macrostructure in human with CUD. Whether the lower hippocampal synaptic density resolves with abstinence warrants further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Cyril D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. .,Psychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA. .,Schizophrenia Neuropharmacology Research Group at Yale (SNRGY), New Haven, CT, USA. .,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Rajiv Radhakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Psychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.,Schizophrenia Neuropharmacology Research Group at Yale (SNRGY), New Haven, CT, USA.,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Suhas Ganesh
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nabeel Nabulsi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Soheila Najafzadeh
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jim Ropchan
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mohini Ranganathan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Psychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.,Schizophrenia Neuropharmacology Research Group at Yale (SNRGY), New Haven, CT, USA.,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jose Cortes-Briones
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Psychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.,Schizophrenia Neuropharmacology Research Group at Yale (SNRGY), New Haven, CT, USA.,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Patrick Skosnik
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Psychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.,Schizophrenia Neuropharmacology Research Group at Yale (SNRGY), New Haven, CT, USA.,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA
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8
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Lorenzetti V, Takagi M, van Dalen Y, Yücel M, Solowij N. Investigating the Residual Effects of Chronic Cannabis Use and Abstinence on Verbal and Visuospatial Learning. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:663701. [PMID: 34220577 PMCID: PMC8247947 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.663701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Regular cannabis users have been shown to differ from non-using controls in learning performance. It is unclear if these differences are specific to distinct domains of learning (verbal, visuospatial), exacerbate with extent of cannabis exposure and dissipate with sustained abstinence. Objective: This study examines different domains of learning (verbal, visuospatial) in current and abstaining cannabis users, and the role of chronicity of use. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, we examined 127 psychiatrically healthy participants (65 female) with mean aged of 34 years. Of these, 69 individuals were current regular cannabis users (mean 15 years use), 12 were former cannabis users abstinent for ~2.5 yrs (after a mean of 16 years use), and 46 were non-cannabis using controls. Groups were compared on verbal learning performance assessed via the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-II) and for visuospatial learning measured with the Brown Location Test (BLT). We explored the association between CVLT/BLT performance and cannabis use levels in current and former users. Results: Current cannabis use compared to non-use was associated with worse performance on select aspects of verbal learning (Long Delay Cued Recall) and of visuospatial learning (Retroactive Interference and LD Rotated Recall). Prolonged abstinence was associated with altered verbal learning but intact visuospatial learning. There were non-significant correlations between distinct cannabis use measures, age and learning in both current and former users. Conclusions: Our findings suggest cannabis use status (current use, former use) affects different domains of learning (verbal and visuospatial) in a distinct fashion. These findings might be accounted for in the design of cognitive interventions aimed to support abstinence in cannabis users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael Takagi
- Child Neuropsychology Unit, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Yvonne van Dalen
- Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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9
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Blest‐Hopley G, O'Neill A, Wilson R, Giampietro V, Lythgoe D, Egerton A, Bhattacharyya S. Adolescent-onset heavy cannabis use associated with significantly reduced glial but not neuronal markers and glutamate levels in the hippocampus. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12827. [PMID: 31478302 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes, the neurochemical underpinnings of which are poorly understood. Although preclinical evidence suggests glutamatergic dysfunction following cannabis exposure in several brain regions including the hippocampus, evidence from human studies have been inconsistent. We investigated the effect of persistent cannabis use on the brain levels of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and myoinositol, the metabolite markers of neurons and glia, the site of the main central cannabinoid CB1 receptor, and the levels of glutamate, the neurotransmitter directly affected by CB1 modulation. We investigated cannabis users (CUs) who started using during adolescence, the period of greatest vulnerability to cannabis effects and focused on the hippocampus, where type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CBR1) are expressed in high density and have been linked to altered glutamatergic neurotransmission. Twenty-two adolescent-onset CUs and 21 nonusing controls (NU), completed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, to measure hippocampal metabolite concentrations. Glutamate, NAA, and myoinositol levels were compared between CU and NU using separate analyses of covariance. CU had significantly lower myoinositol but not glutamate or NAA levels in the hippocampus compared with NU. Myoinositol levels in CU positively correlated with glutamate levels, whereas this association was absent in NU. Altered myoinositol levels may be a marker of glia dysfunction and is consistent with experimental preclinical evidence that cannabinoid-induced glial dysfunction may underlie cannabinoid-induced memory impairments. Future studies using appropriate imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography should investigate whether glial dysfunction associated with cannabis use underlies hippocampal dysfunction and memory impairment in CUs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Blest‐Hopley
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Aisling O'Neill
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Robin Wilson
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - David Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Alice Egerton
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust London UK
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10
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Kallianpur KJ, Birn R, Ndhlovu LC, Souza SA, Mitchell B, Paul R, Chow DC, Kohorn L, Shikuma CM. Impact of Cannabis Use on Brain Structure and Function in Suppressed HIV Infection. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCE 2020; 10:344-370. [PMID: 32968547 DOI: 10.4236/jbbs.2020.108022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain atrophy and cognitive deficits persist among individuals with suppressed HIV disease. The impact of cannabis use is unknown. METHODS HIV+ and HIV- participants underwent cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological testing. Lifetime frequency, duration (years), and recency of cannabis use were self-reported. Relationships of cannabis use to resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and to 9 regional brain volumes were assessed with corrections for multiple comparisons. Peripheral blood cytokines and monocyte subsets were measured in the HIV+ group and examined in relation to cannabis exposure. RESULTS We evaluated 52 HIV+ [50.8 ± 7.1 years old; 100% on antiretroviral therapy ≥ 3 months; 83% with plasma viral load < 50 copies/mL] and 55 HIV- [54.0 ± 7.5 years old] individuals. Among HIV+ participants, recent cannabis use (within 12 months) was associated with diminished RSFC, including of occipital cortex, controlling for age. Duration of use correlated negatively with volumes of all regions (most strikingly the nucleus accumbens) independently of recent use and intracranial volume. Recent use was associated with larger caudate and white matter volumes and lower soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 concentrations. Duration of use correlated positively with psychomotor speed. Use > 10 times/lifetime was linked to more somatic symptoms, better executive function, and lower CD14+CD16++ monocyte count. CONCLUSION HIV+ individuals demonstrated opposing associations with cannabis. Recent use may weaken RSFC and prolonged consumption may exacerbate atrophy of the accumbens and other brain regions. More frequent or recent cannabis use may reduce the inflammation and CD14+CD16++ monocytes that facilitate HIV neuroinvasion. HIV-specific cannabis studies are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalpana J Kallianpur
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Center for Translational Research on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Rasmus Birn
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lishomwa C Ndhlovu
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Scott A Souza
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- The Queen's Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Brooks Mitchell
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Robert Paul
- Missouri Institute of Mental Health, University of Missouri-St Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Dominic C Chow
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Lindsay Kohorn
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Cecilia M Shikuma
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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11
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Chye Y, Kirkham R, Lorenzetti V, McTavish E, Solowij N, Yücel M. Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Brain Morphology: A Review of the Evidence. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:627-635. [PMID: 32948510 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis and cannabinoid-based products are increasingly being accepted and commodified globally. Yet there is currently limited understanding of the effect of the varied cannabinoid compounds on the brain. Exogenous cannabinoids interact with the endogenous cannabinoid system that underpins vital functions in the brain and body, and they are thought to perturb key brain and cognitive function. However, much neuroimaging research has been confined to observational studies of cannabis users, without examining the specific role of the various cannabinoids (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, etc.). This review summarizes the brain structural imaging evidence to date associated with cannabis use, its major cannabinoids (e.g., Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol), and synthetic cannabinoid products that have emerged as recreational drugs. In doing so, we seek to highlight some of the key issues to consider in understanding cannabinoid-related brain effects, emphasizing the dual neurotoxic and neuroprotective role of cannabinoids, and the need to consider the distinct role of the varied cannabinoids in establishing their effect on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Chye
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebecca Kirkham
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eugene McTavish
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia; Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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12
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Gibula-Tarlowska E, Wydra K, Kotlinska JH. Deleterious Effects of Ethanol, Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Their Combination on the Spatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility in Adolescent and Adult Male Rats in the Barnes Maze Task. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12070654. [PMID: 32660138 PMCID: PMC7407502 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12070654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Research demonstrates that adolescents differ from adults in their response to drugs of abuse. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of ethanol, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol hydrochloride (THC), and a combination of these drugs given during adolescence on spatial memory in adolescent and adult rats. Thus, adolescent rats (postnatal day (PND) 30) were subjected to the following groups: 0.9% NaCl; 1.5 g/kg ethanol; 1.0 mg/kg THC; 1.5 g/kg ethanol + 1.0 mg/kg THC. Rats received drug injection four times at three-day intervals. One day after the last injection, half of the treated animals were tested in the Barnes maze task, whereas the remaining animals were tested on PND 70. Results show that there was a significant age effect on spatial memory in the Barnes maze task after these drug administrations. Adolescent animals demonstrated more potent deficits in the spatial learning and memory (probe trial) and in cognitive flexibility (reversal learning) than did adults. However, in adult rats that received these drugs in adolescence, memory decline was observed only after ethanol and ethanol + THC administration. Thus, our results are important in understanding the deleterious impact of THC and/or ethanol abuse during adolescence on memory function across the lifespan (adolescent versus adult).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Gibula-Tarlowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Karolina Wydra
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
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13
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A Systematic Review of Human Neuroimaging Evidence of Memory-Related Functional Alterations Associated with Cannabis Use Complemented with Preclinical and Human Evidence of Memory Performance Alterations. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10020102. [PMID: 32069958 PMCID: PMC7071506 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10020102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis has been associated with deficits in memory performance. However, the neural correlates that may underpin impairments remain unclear. We carried out a systematic review of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating brain functional alterations in cannabis users (CU) compared to nonusing controls while performing memory tasks, complemented with focused narrative reviews of relevant preclinical and human studies. Twelve studies employing fMRI were identified finding functional brain activation during memory tasks altered in CU. Memory performance studies showed CU performed worse particularly during verbal memory tasks. Longitudinal studies suggest that cannabis use may have a causal role in memory deficits. Preclinical studies have not provided conclusive evidence of memory deficits following cannabinoid exposure, although they have shown evidence of cannabinoid-induced structural and histological alteration. Memory performance deficits may be related to cannabis use, with lower performance possibly underpinned by altered functional activation. Memory impairments may be associated with the level of cannabis exposure and use of cannabis during developmentally sensitive periods, with possible improvement following cessation of cannabis use.
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14
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Dellazizzo L, Potvin S, Athanassiou M, Dumais A. Violence and Cannabis Use: A Focused Review of a Forgotten Aspect in the Era of Liberalizing Cannabis. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:567887. [PMID: 33192691 PMCID: PMC7525024 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.567887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been a shift surrounding societal and legal perspectives on cannabis reflecting changing public attitudes towards the perceived safety and social acceptability of cannabis use. With cannabis liberalization internationally, the focus of most cannabis-related harms has been on effects with users themselves. Harm-to-others including injuries from violence have nevertheless been unfortunately largely overlooked. While studies remain heterogeneous, there is meta-analytical evidence pointing towards an association. The aims of this focused review are two-fold: (I) review the evidence from meta-analyses on the association between cannabis and violence; and (II) provide an overview of possible mechanisms relating cannabis use to violence. First, evidence from meta-analytical studies in youths, intimate partners, and individuals with severe mental disorders have shown that there is a global moderate association between cannabis use and violence, which is stronger in the latter more at-risk population. Preliminary data has even highlighted a potential dose-response relationship with larger effects in more frequent users. Although of importance, this subject has remained essentially forgotten as a public health concern. While literature remains inconclusive, data has suggested potential increases in cannabis use following liberalization policies. This may increase violent outcomes if the effect is directly related to the use of cannabis by means of its psychophysiological modifications. However, for the moment, the mechanisms associating cannabis use and violence remain to be clearly resolved. Considering the recency of policy changes on cannabis, further methodologically sound research using longitudinal designs should examine the effects that cannabis use may have on different forms of violence and the trends that emerge, while evaluating the effects of possible confounding factors (e.g. other substance use). In addition, as evidence-based research from meta-analyses have shown that cannabis use is associated with violence, measures must be taken to mitigate the risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Dellazizzo
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Stéphane Potvin
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maria Athanassiou
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandre Dumais
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Institut national de psychiatrie légale Philippe-Pinel, Montreal, QC, Canada
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15
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Burggren AC, Siddarth P, Mahmood Z, London ED, Harrison TM, Merrill DA, Small GW, Bookheimer SY. Subregional Hippocampal Thickness Abnormalities in Older Adults with a History of Heavy Cannabis Use. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2018; 3:242-251. [PMID: 30547094 PMCID: PMC6290479 DOI: 10.1089/can.2018.0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims: Legalization of cannabis (CB) for both medicinal and, in some states, recreational use, has given rise to increasing usage rates across the country. Of particular concern are indications that frequent CB use may be selectively harmful to the developing adolescent brain compared with adult-onset usage. However, the long-term effects of heavy, adolescent CB use on brain structure and cognitive performance in late-life remain unknown. A critical brain region is the hippocampus (HC), where there is a striking intersection between high concentrations of cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors and age-related pathology. Design: We investigated whether older adults (average age=66.6+7.2 years old) with a history of early life CB use show morphological differences in hippocampal subregions compared with older, nonusers. Methods: We performed high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging combined with computational techniques to assess cortical thickness of the medial temporal lobe, neuropsychological testing, and extensive drug use histories on 50 subjects (24 formerly heavy cannabis users [CB+ group] abstinent for an average of 28.7 years, 26 nonusers [CB− group]). We investigated group differences in hippocampal subregions, controlling for age, sex, and intelligence (as measured by the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading), years of education, and cigarette use. Results: The CB+ subjects exhibited thinner cortices in subfields cornu ammonis 1 [CA1; F(1,42)=9.96, p=0.0003], and CA2, 3, and the dentate gyrus [CA23DG; F(1,42)=23.17, p<0.0001], and in the entire HC averaged over all subregions [F(1,42)=8.49, p=0.006]. Conclusions: Negative effects of chronic adolescent CB use on hippocampal structure are maintained well into late life. Because hippocampal cortical loss underlies and exacerbates age-related cognitive decline, these findings have profound implications for aging adults with a history of early life usage. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT01874886.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison C Burggren
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Center for Cognitive Neurosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Prabha Siddarth
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zanjbeel Mahmood
- San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Edythe D London
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Theresa M Harrison
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California
| | - David A Merrill
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Gary W Small
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Center for Cognitive Neurosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California
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16
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Setién-Suero E, Martínez-García O, de la Foz VOG, Vázquez-Bourgon J, Correa-Ghisays P, Ferro A, Crespo-Facorro B, Ayesa-Arriola R. Age of onset of Cannabis use and cognitive function in first-episode non-affective psychosis patients: Outcome at three-year follow-up. Schizophr Res 2018; 201:159-166. [PMID: 29861266 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, the effects of cannabis use on cognitive functions in patients with psychosis have been widely studied. Recently, special emphasis has been placed on the impact of age at the onset of consumption on cognition in these patients. METHOD 349 patients with a first episode of non-affective psychosis were studied. Patients were classified as cannabis users and non-users. Users were divided, according to their age when they began using cannabis, into: early-onset (age < 16) and late-onset (age ≥ 16) users. Differences between groups at baseline were studied based on sociodemographic, clinical, and cognitive variables. The groups were longitudinally (3-year) compared on cognitive variables. RESULTS Out of the 349 patients included in this study, 38.7% (N = 135) were cannabis users. Of them, 39.3% (N = 53) were early-onset and 60.7% (N = 82) were late-onset cannabis users. No baseline differences were found between the early-onset and late-onset groups on cognitive domains. Longitudinally, only patients who had withdrawn from cannabis use during follow-up showed a significant improvement in verbal memory. CONCLUSION Our results did not show differences between the early-onset group and the other two groups in long-term cognitive performance, even if they kept consuming cannabis during the first three years of disease progression. Further studies are needed to elucidate the true relationship between early-onset cannabis use and cognitive function in patients with a first episode of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Setién-Suero
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain; CIBERSAM, Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health Area, Madrid, Spain; IDIVAL, Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute, Santander, Spain.
| | - Obdulia Martínez-García
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain; CIBERSAM, Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health Area, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor Ortiz-García de la Foz
- CIBERSAM, Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health Area, Madrid, Spain; IDIVAL, Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute, Santander, Spain
| | - Javier Vázquez-Bourgon
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain; CIBERSAM, Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health Area, Madrid, Spain; IDIVAL, Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute, Santander, Spain
| | - Patricia Correa-Ghisays
- CIBERSAM, Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health Area, Madrid, Spain; Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Adele Ferro
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain; CIBERSAM, Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health Area, Madrid, Spain; IDIVAL, Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute, Santander, Spain
| | - Rosa Ayesa-Arriola
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain; CIBERSAM, Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health Area, Madrid, Spain; IDIVAL, Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute, Santander, Spain
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17
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Bloomfield MAP, Hindocha C, Green SF, Wall MB, Lees R, Petrilli K, Costello H, Ogunbiyi MO, Bossong MG, Freeman TP. The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies. Pharmacol Ther 2018; 195:132-161. [PMID: 30347211 PMCID: PMC6416743 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The laws governing cannabis are evolving worldwide and associated with changing patterns of use. The main psychoactive drug in cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a partial agonist at the endocannabinoid CB1 receptor. Acutely, cannabis and THC produce a range of effects on several neurocognitive and pharmacological systems. These include effects on executive, emotional, reward and memory processing via direct interactions with the endocannabinoid system and indirect effects on the glutamatergic, GABAergic and dopaminergic systems. Cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating cannabinoid found in some forms of cannabis, may offset some of these acute effects. Heavy repeated cannabis use, particularly during adolescence, has been associated with adverse effects on these systems, which increase the risk of mental illnesses including addiction and psychosis. Here, we provide a comprehensive state of the art review on the acute and chronic neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis by synthesizing the available neuroimaging research in humans. We describe the effects of drug exposure during development, implications for understanding psychosis and cannabis use disorder, and methodological considerations. Greater understanding of the precise mechanisms underlying the effects of cannabis may also give rise to new treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A P Bloomfield
- Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom; NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Chandni Hindocha
- Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian F Green
- Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew B Wall
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom; Invicro UK, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Lees
- Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Petrilli
- Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Harry Costello
- Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - M Olabisi Ogunbiyi
- Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthijs G Bossong
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Tom P Freeman
- Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Bath, United Kingdom; National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
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18
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Gorzkiewicz A, Szemraj J. Brain endocannabinoid signaling exhibits remarkable complexity. Brain Res Bull 2018; 142:33-46. [PMID: 29953913 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling system is one of the most extensive of the mammalian brain. Despite the involvement of only few specific ligands and receptors, the system encompasses a vast diversity of triggered mechanisms and driven effects. It mediates a wide range of phenomena, including the regulation of transmitter release, neural excitability, synaptic plasticity, impulse spread, long-term neuronal potentiation, neurogenesis, cell death, lineage segregation, cell migration, inflammation, oxidative stress, nociception and the sleep cycle. It is also known to be involved in the processes of learning and memory formation. This extensive scope of action is attained by combining numerous variables. In a properly functioning brain, the correlations of these variables are kept in a strictly controlled balance; however, this balance is disrupted in many pathological conditions. However, while this balance is known to be disrupted by drugs in the case of addicts, the stimuli and mechanisms influencing the neurodegenerating brain remain elusive. This review examines the multiple factors and phenomena affecting the eCB signaling system in the brain. It evaluates techniques of controlling the eCB system to identify the obstacles in their applications and highlights the crucial interdependent variables that may influence biomedical research outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gorzkiewicz
- Medical University of Lodz, ul.Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Janusz Szemraj
- Medical University of Lodz, ul.Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215, Lodz, Poland
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Beale C, Broyd SJ, Chye Y, Suo C, Schira M, Galettis P, Martin JH, Yücel M, Solowij N. Prolonged Cannabidiol Treatment Effects on Hippocampal Subfield Volumes in Current Cannabis Users. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2018; 3:94-107. [PMID: 29682609 PMCID: PMC5908414 DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic cannabis use is associated with neuroanatomical alterations in the hippocampus. While adverse impacts of cannabis use are generally attributed to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, emerging naturalistic evidence suggests cannabidiol (CBD) is neuroprotective and may ameliorate brain harms associated with cannabis use, including protection from hippocampal volume loss. This study examined whether prolonged administration of CBD to regular cannabis users within the community could reverse or reduce the characteristic hippocampal harms associated with chronic cannabis use. Materials and Methods: Eighteen regular cannabis users participated in an ∼10-week open-label pragmatic trial involving daily oral administration of 200 mg CBD, with no change to their ongoing cannabis use requested. Participants were assessed at baseline and post-CBD treatment using structural magnetic resonance imaging. Automated longitudinal hippocampal segmentation was performed to assess volumetric change over the whole hippocampus and within 12 subfields. Results: No change was observed in left or right hippocampus as a whole. However, left subicular complex (parasubiculum, presubiculum, and subiculum) volume significantly increased from baseline to post-treatment (p=0.017 uncorrected) by 1.58% (Cohen's d=0.63; 2.83% in parasubiculum). Heavy cannabis users demonstrated marked growth in the left subicular complex, predominantly within the presubiculum, and right cornu ammonis (CA)1 compared to lighter users. Associations between greater right subicular complex and total hippocampal volume and higher plasma CBD concentration were evident, particularly in heavy users. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a restorative effect of CBD on the subicular and CA1 subfields in current cannabis users, especially those with greater lifetime exposure to cannabis. While replication is required in a larger, placebo-controlled trial, these findings support a protective role of CBD against brain structural harms conferred by chronic cannabis use. Furthermore, these outcomes suggest that CBD may be a useful adjunct in treatments for cannabis dependence and may be therapeutic for a range of clinical disorders characterized by hippocampal pathology (e.g., schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and major depressive disorder).
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Beale
- School of Psychology, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Samantha J Broyd
- School of Psychology, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Yann Chye
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Mark Schira
- School of Psychology, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Peter Galettis
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.,The Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, Australia
| | - Jennifer H Martin
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.,The Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,The Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, Australia
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Blest-Hopley G, Giampietro V, Bhattacharyya S. Residual effects of cannabis use in adolescent and adult brains - A meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018. [PMID: 29535069 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
While numerous studies have investigated the residual effects of cannabis use on human brain function, results of these studies have been inconsistent. Using meta-analytic approaches we summarize the effects of prolonged cannabis exposure on human brain function as measured using task-based functional MRI (fMRI) across studies employing a range of cognitive activation tasks comparing regular cannabis users with non-users. Separate meta-analyses were carried out for studies investigating adult and adolescent cannabis users. Systematic literature search identified 20 manuscripts (13 adult and 7 adolescent studies) meeting study inclusion criteria. Adult analyses compared 530 cannabis users to 580 healthy controls while adolescent analyses compared 219 cannabis users to 224 healthy controls. In adult cannabis users brain activation was increased in the superior and posterior transverse temporal and inferior frontal gyri and decreased in the striate area, insula and middle temporal gyrus. In adolescent cannabis users, activation was increased in the inferior parietal gyrus and putamen compared to healthy controls. Functional alteration in these areas may reflect compensatory neuroadaptive changes in cannabis users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Blest-Hopley
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, PO Box 089, UK
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, Camberwell, London, UK.
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21
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Abulseoud OA, Zuccoli ML, Zhang L, Barnes A, Huestis MA, Lin DT. The acute effect of cannabis on plasma, liver and brain ammonia dynamics, a translational study. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:679-690. [PMID: 28456476 PMCID: PMC6091863 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent reports of ammonia released during cannabis smoking raise concerns about putative neurotoxic effects. Cannabis (54mg) was administered in a double-blind, placebo-controlled design to healthy cannabis users (n=15) either orally, or through smoking (6.9%THC cigarette) or inhalation of vaporized cannabis (Volcano®). Serial assay of plasma ammonia concentrations at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 30, and 90min from onset of cannabis administration showed significant time (P=0.016), and treatment (P=0.0004) effects with robust differences between placebo and edible at 30 (P=0.002), and 90min (P=0.007) and between placebo and vaporized (P=0.02) and smoking routes (P=0.01) at 90min. Furthermore, plasma ammonia positively correlated with blood THC concentrations (P=0.03). To test the hypothesis that this delayed increase in plasma ammonia originates from the brain we administered THC (3 and 10mg/kg) to mice and measured plasma, liver, and brain ammonia concentrations at 1, 3, 5 and 30min post-injection. Administration of THC to mice did not cause significant change in plasma ammonia concentrations within the first 5min, but significantly reduced striatal glutamine-synthetase (GS) activity (P=0.046) and increased striatal ammonia concentration (P=0.016). Furthermore, plasma THC correlated positively with striatal ammonia concentration (P<0.001) and negatively with striatal GS activity (P=0.030). At 30min, we found marked increase in striatal ammonia (P<0.0001) associated with significant increase in plasma ammonia (P=0.042) concentration. In conclusion, the results of these studies demonstrate that cannabis intake caused time and route-dependent increases in plasma ammonia concentrations in human cannabis users and reduced brain GS activity and increased brain and plasma ammonia concentrations in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama A Abulseoud
- Chemistry and Drug Metabolism Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Maria Laura Zuccoli
- Chemistry and Drug Metabolism Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, University of Genoa, Italy
| | - Lifeng Zhang
- Neural Engineering Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Allan Barnes
- Chemistry and Drug Metabolism Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marilyn A Huestis
- Chemistry and Drug Metabolism Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Da-Ting Lin
- Neural Engineering Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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22
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Hill SY, Sharma V, Jones BL. Lifetime use of cannabis from longitudinal assessments, cannabinoid receptor (CNR1) variation, and reduced volume of the right anterior cingulate. Psychiatry Res 2016; 255:24-34. [PMID: 27500453 PMCID: PMC5025865 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Lifetime measures of cannabis use and co-occurring exposures were obtained from a longitudinal cohort followed an average of 13 years at the time they received a structural MRI scan. MRI scans were analyzed for 88 participants (mean age=25.9 years), 34 of whom were regular users of cannabis. Whole brain voxel based morphometry analyses (SPM8) were conducted using 50 voxel clusters at p=0.005. Controlling for age, familial risk, and gender, we found reduced volume in Regular Users compared to Non-Users, in the lingual gyrus, anterior cingulum (right and left), and the rolandic operculum (right). The right anterior cingulum reached family-wise error statistical significance at p=0.001, controlling for personal lifetime use of alcohol and cigarettes and any prenatal exposures. CNR1 haplotypes were formed from four CNR1 SNPs (rs806368, rs1049353, rs2023239, and rs6454674) and tested with level of cannabis exposure to assess their interactive effects on the lingual gyrus, cingulum (right and left) and rolandic operculum, regions showing cannabis exposure effects in the SPM8 analyses. These analyses used mixed model analyses (SPSS) to control for multiple potentially confounding variables. Level of cannabis exposure was associated with decreased volume of the right anterior cingulum and showed interaction effects with haplotype variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Y Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Vinod Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bobby L Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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23
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McCann UD, Lowe KA, Ricaurte GA. REVIEW ■ : Long-lasting Effects of Recreational Drugs of Abuse on the Central Nervous System. Neuroscientist 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/107385849700300613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although a wealth of knowledge exists regarding the acute pharmacological effects of recreational drugs on the CNS, much less is known about the long-term toxic effects of recreational drugs on the CNS. Recent findings in nonhuman primates treated with amphetamine analogs, such as ±3,4-methylenedioxymetham phetamine (MDMA), indicate that these drugs can produce long-lasting, probably permanent, changes in brain serotonin innervation. Similarly, animals treated with phencyclidine (PCP) and related drugs develop neurodegenerative changes in selected brain regions. It seems clear, then, that some psychoactive drugs have the potential to produce persistent changes in CNS structure and, possibly, function. The goal of this article is to summarize current knowledge regarding the long-term effects of several popular recreational drugs, including MDMA and related amphetamine analogs, cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, PCP, lysergic acid (LSD), and opiates. Gaps in the current knowledge base are identified, and areas ripe for future research efforts are suggested. NEUROSCIENTIST 3:399-411, 1997
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Affiliation(s)
- Una D. McCann
- Biological Psychiatry Branch NIMH-IRP Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kelly A. Lowe
- Department of Neurology Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Baltimore, Maryland
| | - George A. Ricaurte
- Department of Neurology Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Baltimore, Maryland
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24
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Boorman E, Zajkowska Z, Ahmed R, Pariante CM, Zunszain PA. Crosstalk between endocannabinoid and immune systems: a potential dysregulation in depression? Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:1591-604. [PMID: 26483037 PMCID: PMC4828487 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4105-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The endocannabinoid (eCB) system, an endogenous lipid signaling system, appears to be dysregulated in depression. The role of endocannabinoids (eCBs) as potent immunomodulators, together with the accumulating support for a chronic low-grade inflammatory profile in depression, suggests a compelling hypothesis for a fundamental impairment in their intercommunication, in depression. OBJECTIVE We aim to review previous literature on individual associations between the immune and eCB systems and depression. It will focus on peripheral and central mechanisms of crosstalk between the eCB and immune systems. A potential dysregulation in this crosstalk will be discussed in the context of depression. RESULTS Investigations largely report a hypoactivity of the eCB system and increased inflammatory markers in individuals with depression. Findings depict a multifaceted communication whereby immunocompetent and eCB-related cells can both influence the suppression and enhancement of the other's activity in both the periphery and central nervous system. A dysregulation of the eCB system, as seen in depression, appears to be associated with central and peripheral concentrations of inflammatory agents implicated in the pathophysiology of this illness. CONCLUSION The eCB and immune systems have been individually associated with and implicated in pathogenic mechanisms of depression. Both systems tightly regulate the other's activity. As such, a dysregulation in this crosstalk has potential to influence the onset and maintenance of this neuropsychiatric illness. However, few studies have investigated both systems and depression conjointly. This review highlights the demand to consider joint eCB-immune interactions in the pathoetiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Boorman
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Zuzanna Zajkowska
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rumsha Ahmed
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Patricia A Zunszain
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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25
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26
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Lorenzetti V, Solowij N, Yücel M. The Role of Cannabinoids in Neuroanatomic Alterations in Cannabis Users. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 79:e17-31. [PMID: 26858212 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The past few decades have seen a marked change in the composition of commonly smoked cannabis. These changes primarily involve an increase of the psychoactive compound ∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and a decrease of the potentially therapeutic compound cannabidiol (CBD). This altered composition of cannabis may be linked to persistent neuroanatomic alterations typically seen in regular cannabis users. In this review, we summarize recent findings from human structural neuroimaging investigations. We examine whether neuroanatomic alterations are 1) consistently observed in samples of regular cannabis users, particularly in cannabinoid receptor-high areas, which are vulnerable to the effects of high circulating levels of THC, and 2) associated either with greater levels of cannabis use (e.g., higher dosage, longer duration, and earlier age of onset) or with distinct cannabinoid compounds (i.e., THC and CBD). Across the 31 studies selected for inclusion in this review, neuroanatomic alterations emerged across regions that are high in cannabinoid receptors (i.e., hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, cerebellum). Greater dose and earlier age of onset were associated with these alterations. Preliminary evidence shows that THC exacerbates, whereas CBD protects from, such harmful effects. Methodologic differences in the quantification of levels of cannabis use prevent accurate assessment of cannabis exposure and direct comparison of findings across studies. Consequently, the field lacks large "consortium-style" data sets that can be used to develop reliable neurobiological models of cannabis-related harm, recovery, and protection. To move the field forward, we encourage a coordinated approach and suggest the urgent development of consensus-based guidelines to accurately and comprehensively quantify cannabis use and exposure in human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology, Centre for Health Initiatives and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne.
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Pagliaccio D, Barch DM, Bogdan R, Wood PK, Lynskey MT, Heath AC, Agrawal A. Shared Predisposition in the Association Between Cannabis Use and Subcortical Brain Structure. JAMA Psychiatry 2015; 72:994-1001. [PMID: 26308883 PMCID: PMC4624286 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.1054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Prior neuroimaging studies have suggested that alterations in brain structure may be a consequence of cannabis use. Siblings discordant for cannabis use offer an opportunity to use cross-sectional data to disentangle such causal hypotheses from shared effects of genetics and familial environment on brain structure and cannabis use. OBJECTIVES To determine whether cannabis use is associated with differences in brain structure in a large sample of twins/siblings and to examine sibling pairs discordant for cannabis use to separate potential causal and predispositional factors linking lifetime cannabis exposure to volumetric alterations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional diagnostic interview, behavioral, and neuroimaging data were collected from community sampling and established family registries from August 2012 to September 2014. This study included data from 483 participants (22-35 years old) enrolled in the ongoing Human Connectome Project, with 262 participants reporting cannabis exposure (ie, ever used cannabis in their lifetime). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Cannabis exposure was measured with the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism. Whole-brain, hippocampus, amygdala, ventral striatum, and orbitofrontal cortex volumes were related to lifetime cannabis use (ever used, age at onset, and frequency of use) using linear regressions. Genetic (ρg) and environmental (ρe) correlations between cannabis use and brain volumes were estimated. Linear mixed models were used to examine volume differences in sex-matched concordant unexposed (n = 71 pairs), exposed (n = 81 pairs), or exposure discordant (n = 89 pairs) sibling pairs. RESULTS Among 483 study participants, cannabis exposure was related to smaller left amygdala (approximately 2.3%; P = .007) and right ventral striatum (approximately 3.5%; P < .005) volumes. These volumetric differences were within the range of normal variation. The association between left amygdala volume and cannabis use was largely owing to shared genetic factors (ρg = -0.43; P = .004), while the origin of the association with right ventral striatum volumes was unclear. Importantly, brain volumes did not differ between sex-matched siblings discordant for use (fixed effect = -7.43; t = -0.93, P = .35). Both the exposed and unexposed siblings in pairs discordant for cannabis exposure showed reduced amygdala volumes relative to members of concordant unexposed pairs (fixed effect = 12.56; t = 2.97; P = .003). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, differences in amygdala volume in cannabis users were attributable to common predispositional factors, genetic or environmental in origin, with little support for causal influences. Causal influences, in isolation or in conjunction with predispositional factors, may exist for other brain regions (eg, ventral striatum) or at more severe levels of cannabis involvement and deserve further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pagliaccio
- The Program in Neuroscience Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
,Corresponding author: Washington University in St Louis, Campus Box 1125, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130, USA,
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
,Department of Psychology Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
,Department of Radiology Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Ryan Bogdan
- Department of Psychology Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | | | - Michael T. Lynskey
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Addictions, Kings College, London, UK
| | - Andrew C. Heath
- Department of Psychiatry Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Filbey FM, McQueeny T, Kadamangudi S, Bice C, Ketcherside A. Combined effects of marijuana and nicotine on memory performance and hippocampal volume. Behav Brain Res 2015; 293:46-53. [PMID: 26187691 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Combined use of marijuana (MJ) and tobacco is highly prevalent in today's population. Individual use of either substance is linked to structural brain changes and altered cognitive function, especially with consistent reports of hippocampal volume deficits and poorer memory performance. However, the combined effects of MJ and tobacco on hippocampal structure and on learning and memory processes remain unknown. In this study, we examined both the individual and combined effects of MJ and tobacco on hippocampal volumes and memory performance in four groups of adults taken from two larger studies: MJ-only users (n=36), nicotine-only (Nic-only, n=19), combined marijuana and nicotine users (MJ+Nic, n=19) and non-using healthy controls (n=16). Total bilateral hippocampal volumes and memory performance (WMS-III logical memory) were compared across groups controlling for total brain size and recent alcohol use. Results found MJ and MJ+Nic groups had smaller total hippocampal volumes compared to Nic-only and controls. No significant difference between groups was found between immediate and delayed story recall. However, the controls showed a trend for larger hippocampal volumes being associated with better memory scores, while MJ+Nic users showed a unique inversion, whereby smaller hippocampal volume was associated with better memory. Overall, results suggest abnormalities in the brain-behavior relationships underlying memory processes with combined use of marijuana and nicotine use. Further research will need to address these complex interactions between MJ and nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca M Filbey
- The Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, United States.
| | - Tim McQueeny
- The Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Shrinath Kadamangudi
- The Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Collette Bice
- The Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Ariel Ketcherside
- The Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
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Winsauer PJ, Filipeanu CM, Weed PF, Sutton JL. Hormonal status and age differentially affect tolerance to the disruptive effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC) on learning in female rats. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:133. [PMID: 26191005 PMCID: PMC4488627 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of hormone status and age on the development of tolerance to Δ(9)-THC were assessed in sham-operated (intact) or ovariectomized (OVX) female rats that received either intraperitoneal saline or 5.6 mg/kg of Δ(9)-THC daily from postnatal day (PD) 75-180 (early adulthood onward) or PD 35-140 (adolescence onward). During this time, the four groups for each age (i.e., intact/saline, intact/THC, OVX/saline, and OVX/THC) were trained in a learning and performance procedure and dose-effect curves were established for Δ(9)-THC (0.56-56 mg/kg) and the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R) antagonist rimonabant (0.32-10 mg/kg). Despite the persistence of small rate-decreasing and error-increasing effects in intact and OVX females from both ages during chronic Δ(9)-THC, all of the Δ(9)-THC groups developed tolerance. However, the magnitude of tolerance, as well as the effect of hormone status, varied with the age at which chronic Δ(9)-THC was initiated. There was no evidence of dependence in any of the groups. Hippocampal protein expression of CB1R, AHA1 (a co-chaperone of CB1R) and HSP90β (a molecular chaperone modulated by AHA-1) was affected more by OVX than chronic Δ(9)-THC; striatal protein expression was not consistently affected by either manipulation. Hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression varied with age, hormone status, and chronic treatment. Thus, hormonal status differentially affects the development of tolerance to the disruptive effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC) on learning and performance behavior in adolescent, but not adult, female rats. These factors and their interactions also differentially affect cannabinoid signaling proteins in the hippocampus and striatum, and ultimately, neural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Winsauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New OrleansNew Orleans, LA, USA
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New OrleansNew Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Catalin M. Filipeanu
- Department of Pharmacology, Howard University College of MedicineWashington, DC, USA
| | - Peter F. Weed
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New OrleansNew Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jessie L. Sutton
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New OrleansNew Orleans, LA, USA
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Molina PE, Amedee AM, Winsauer P, Nelson S, Bagby G, Simon L. Behavioral, Metabolic, and Immune Consequences of Chronic Alcohol or Cannabinoids on HIV/AIDs: Studies in the Non-Human Primate SIV Model. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2015; 10:217-32. [PMID: 25795088 PMCID: PMC4470723 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-015-9599-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
HIV-associated mortality has been significantly reduced with antiretroviral therapy (ART), and HIV infection has become a chronic disease that frequently coexists with many disorders, including substance abuse (Azar et al. Drug Alcohol Depend 112:178-193, 2010; Phillips et al. J Gen Int Med 16:165, 2001). Alcohol and drugs of abuse may modify host-pathogen interactions at various levels including behavioral, metabolic, and immune consequences of HIV infection, as well as the ability of the virus to integrate into the genome and replicate in host cells. Identifying mechanisms responsible for these interactions is complicated by many factors, such as the tissue specific responses to viral infection, multiple cellular mechanisms involved in inflammatory responses, neuroendocrine and localized responses to infection, and kinetics of viral replication. An integrated physiological analysis of the biomedical consequences of chronic alcohol and drug use or abuse on disease progression is possible using rhesus macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a relevant model of HIV infection. This review will provide an overview of the data gathered using this model to show that chronic administration of two of the most commonly abused substances, alcohol and cannabinoids (Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol; THC), affect host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia E Molina
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, 1901 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA,
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Lorenzetti V, Solowij N, Whittle S, Fornito A, Lubman DI, Pantelis C, Yücel M. Gross morphological brain changes with chronic, heavy cannabis use. Br J Psychiatry 2015; 206:77-8. [PMID: 25431432 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.151407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the morphology of multiple brain regions in a rare sample of 15 very heavy cannabis users with minimal psychiatric comorbidity or significant exposure to other substances (compared with 15 age- and IQ-matched non-cannabis-using controls) using manual techniques. Heavy cannabis users demonstrated smaller hippocampus and amygdala volumes, but no alterations of the orbitofrontal and anterior- and paracingulate cortices, or the pituitary gland. These findings indicate that chronic cannabis use has a selective and detrimental impact on the morphology of the mediotemporal lobe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alex Fornito
- Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dan I Lubman
- Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Lubman DI, Cheetham A, Yücel M. Cannabis and adolescent brain development. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 148:1-16. [PMID: 25460036 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Heavy cannabis use has been frequently associated with increased rates of mental illness and cognitive impairment, particularly amongst adolescent users. However, the neurobiological processes that underlie these associations are still not well understood. In this review, we discuss the findings of studies examining the acute and chronic effects of cannabis use on the brain, with a particular focus on the impact of commencing use during adolescence. Accumulating evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that regular heavy use during this period is associated with more severe and persistent negative outcomes than use during adulthood, suggesting that the adolescent brain may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of cannabis exposure. As the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in brain development, it is plausible that prolonged use during adolescence results in a disruption in the normative neuromaturational processes that occur during this period. We identify synaptic pruning and white matter development as two processes that may be adversely impacted by cannabis exposure during adolescence. Potentially, alterations in these processes may underlie the cognitive and emotional deficits that have been associated with regular use commencing during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan I Lubman
- Turning Point, Eastern Health and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Ali Cheetham
- Turning Point, Eastern Health and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia; Monash Clinical & Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Batalla A, Soriano-Mas C, López-Solà M, Torrens M, Crippa JA, Bhattacharyya S, Blanco-Hinojo L, Fagundo AB, Harrison BJ, Nogué S, de la Torre R, Farré M, Pujol J, Martín-Santos R. Modulation of brain structure by catechol-O-methyltransferase Val(158) Met polymorphism in chronic cannabis users. Addict Biol 2014; 19:722-32. [PMID: 23311613 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have shown that chronic consumption of cannabis may result in alterations in brain morphology. Recent work focusing on the relationship between brain structure and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphism suggests that functional COMT variants may affect brain volume in healthy individuals and in schizophrenia patients. We measured the influence of COMT genotype on the volume of four key regions: the prefrontal cortex, neostriatum (caudate-putamen), anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus-amygdala complex, in chronic early-onset cannabis users and healthy control subjects. We selected 29 chronic cannabis users who began using cannabis before 16 years of age and matched them to 28 healthy volunteers in terms of age, educational level and IQ. Participants were male, Caucasians aged between 18 and 30 years. All were assessed by a structured psychiatric interview (PRISM) to exclude any lifetime Axis-I disorder according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition. COMT genotyping was performed and structural magnetic resonance imaging data was analyzed by voxel-based morphometry. The results showed that the COMT polymorphism influenced the volume of the bilateral ventral caudate nucleus in both groups, but in an opposite direction: more copies of val allele led to lesser volume in chronic cannabis users and more volume in controls. The opposite pattern was found in left amygdala. There were no effects of COMT genotype on volumes of the whole brain or the other selected regions. Our findings support recent reports of neuroanatomical changes associated with cannabis use and, for the first time, reveal that these changes may be influenced by the COMT genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry; Clinical Institute of Neuroscience; Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM; Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology; University of Barcelona; Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- CRC Mar; Hospital del Mar; Spain
- Department of Psychiatry; Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, CIBERSAM; Spain
| | | | - Marta Torrens
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
- Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RETIC); IMIM-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar; Spain
| | - José A. Crippa
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Behavior Department; University of Sao Paulo; Brazil
- INCT Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq); Brazil
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies; King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry; UK
| | | | - Ana B. Fagundo
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
| | - Ben J. Harrison
- CRC Mar; Hospital del Mar; Spain
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre; Department of Psychiatry; The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health; Australia
| | - Santiago Nogué
- Clinical Toxicology Unit; Emergency Department; Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona; Spain
| | - Rafael de la Torre
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
- CIBEROBN; Spain
| | - Magí Farré
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
- Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RETIC); IMIM-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar; Spain
| | | | - Rocío Martín-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry; Clinical Institute of Neuroscience; Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM; Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology; University of Barcelona; Spain
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Behavior Department; University of Sao Paulo; Brazil
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Cadet JL, Bisagno V, Milroy CM. Neuropathology of substance use disorders. Acta Neuropathol 2014; 127:91-107. [PMID: 24292887 PMCID: PMC7453825 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-013-1221-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Addictions to licit and illicit drugs are chronic relapsing brain disorders that affect circuits that regulate reward, motivation, memory, and decision-making. Drug-induced pathological changes in these brain regions are associated with characteristic enduring behaviors that continue despite adverse biopsychosocial consequences. Repeated exposure to these substances leads to egocentric behaviors that focus on obtaining the drug by any means and on taking the drug under adverse psychosocial and medical conditions. Addiction also includes craving for the substances and, in some cases, involvement in risky behaviors that can cause death. These patterns of behaviors are associated with specific cognitive disturbances and neuroimaging evidence for brain dysfunctions in a diverse population of drug addicts. Postmortem studies have also revealed significant biochemical and/or structural abnormalities in some addicted individuals. The present review provides a summary of the evidence that has accumulated over the past few years to implicate brain dysfunctions in the varied manifestations of drug addiction. We thus review data on cerebrovascular alterations, brain structural abnormalities, and postmortem studies of patients who abuse cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, and "bath salts". We also discuss potential molecular, biochemical, and cellular bases for the varied clinical presentations of these patients. Elucidation of the biological bases of addiction will help to develop better therapeutic approaches to these patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Lud Cadet
- NIDA Intramural Research Program, Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA/NIH/DHHS, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA,
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Hillard CJ, Liu QS. Endocannabinoid signaling in the etiology and treatment of major depressive illness. Curr Pharm Des 2014; 20:3795-811. [PMID: 24180398 PMCID: PMC4002665 DOI: 10.2174/13816128113196660735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to examine human and preclinical data that are relevant to the following hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that deficient CB1R-mediated signaling results in symptoms that mimic those seen in depression. The second hypothesis is that activation of CB1R-mediated signaling results in behavioral, endocrine and other effects that are similar to those produced by currently used antidepressants. The third hypothesis is that conventional antidepressant therapies act through enhanced CB1R mediated signaling. Together the available data indicate that activators of CB1R signaling, particularly inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase, should be considered for clinical trials for the treatment of depression.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology
- Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/enzymology
- Brain/metabolism
- Brain/pathology
- Cannabis
- Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy
- Depressive Disorder, Major/etiology
- Depressive Disorder, Major/genetics
- Depressive Disorder, Major/pathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Endocannabinoids/genetics
- Endocannabinoids/metabolism
- Humans
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Neurogenesis/drug effects
- Polymorphism, Genetic
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qing-song Liu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226.
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Cannabis use and brain structural alterations of the cingulate cortex in early psychosis. Psychiatry Res 2013; 214:102-8. [PMID: 24054726 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
As cannabis use is more frequent in patients with psychosis than in the general population and is known to be a risk factor for psychosis, the question arises whether cannabis contributes to recently detected brain volume reductions in schizophrenic psychoses. This study is the first to investigate how cannabis use is related to the cingulum volume, a brain region involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, in a sample of both at-risk mental state (ARMS) and first episode psychosis (FEP) subjects. A cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of manually traced cingulum in 23 FEP and 37 ARMS subjects was performed. Cannabis use was assessed with the Basel Interview for Psychosis. By using repeated measures analyses of covariance, we investigated whether current cannabis use is associated with the cingulum volume, correcting for age, gender, alcohol consumption, whole brain volume and antipsychotic medication. There was a significant three-way interaction between region (anterior/posterior cingulum), hemisphere (left/right cingulum) and cannabis use (yes/no). Post-hoc analyses revealed that this was due to a significant negative effect of cannabis use on the volume of the posterior cingulum which was independent of the hemisphere and diagnostic group and all other covariates we controlled for. In the anterior cingulum, we found a significant negative effect only for the left hemisphere, which was again independent of the diagnostic group. Overall, we found negative associations of current cannabis use with grey matter volume of the cingulate cortex, a region rich in cannabinoid CB1 receptors. As this finding has not been consistently found in healthy controls, it might suggest that both ARMS and FEP subjects are particularly sensitive to exogenous activation of these receptors.
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Cannabis use is associated with increased CCL11 plasma levels in young healthy volunteers. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2013; 46:25-8. [PMID: 23820464 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is a widely used recreational drug. Its effect on human health and psychosis remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to explore the possibility that cannabis use influenced CCL11 plasma levels. Increased CCL11 chemokine has been reported in schizophrenia and cannabis is a known trigger of schizophrenia. Additionally, plasma levels of the chemokine CCL11 have recently been shown to increase with age and with cognitive deficits and hippocampal neurogenesis. For this study, a total of 87 healthy volunteers (68% men, age range 18-35 years) completed the Cannabis Experience Questionnaire that included information on sociodemographic and morphometric data and provided a blood sample for CCL11 measurement. 'Current users' of cannabis (n=18) had significantly higher CCL11 plasma levels compared to 'past users' (n=33) and 'never users' (n=36) [F(3,84)=3.649; p=0.030]. The latter two groups had similar CCL11 levels. Higher CCL11 plasma levels could not be attributed to gender, age, body mass index, physical activity or use of other legal/illegal drugs. These results suggest that cannabis use increases CCL11 plasma levels and the effects are reversible when cannabis use ceases.
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Batalla A, Bhattacharyya S, Yücel M, Fusar-Poli P, Crippa JA, Nogué S, Torrens M, Pujol J, Farré M, Martin-Santos R. Structural and functional imaging studies in chronic cannabis users: a systematic review of adolescent and adult findings. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55821. [PMID: 23390554 PMCID: PMC3563634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 267] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The growing concern about cannabis use, the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide, has led to a significant increase in the number of human studies using neuroimaging techniques to determine the effect of cannabis on brain structure and function. We conducted a systematic review to assess the evidence of the impact of chronic cannabis use on brain structure and function in adults and adolescents. Methods Papers published until August 2012 were included from EMBASE, Medline, PubMed and LILACS databases following a comprehensive search strategy and pre-determined set of criteria for article selection. Only neuroimaging studies involving chronic cannabis users with a matched control group were considered. Results One hundred and forty-two studies were identified, of which 43 met the established criteria. Eight studies were in adolescent population. Neuroimaging studies provide evidence of morphological brain alterations in both population groups, particularly in the medial temporal and frontal cortices, as well as the cerebellum. These effects may be related to the amount of cannabis exposure. Functional neuroimaging studies suggest different patterns of resting global and brain activity during the performance of several cognitive tasks both in adolescents and adults, which may indicate compensatory effects in response to chronic cannabis exposure. Limitations However, the results pointed out methodological limitations of the work conducted to date and considerable heterogeneity in the findings. Conclusion Chronic cannabis use may alter brain structure and function in adult and adolescent population. Further studies should consider the use of convergent methodology, prospective large samples involving adolescent to adulthood subjects, and data-sharing initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Batalla
- Psychiatry, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Murat Yücel
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Department of Psychosis Studies, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jose Alexandre Crippa
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Behavior Department, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq), Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Santiago Nogué
- Clinical Toxicology Unit, Emergency Department, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Torrens
- Neuroscience Program, Pharmacology Unit and Drug Addiction Unit, IMIM-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RETIC), IMIM-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Pujol
- Institut d’Alta Tecnologia-PRBB, CRC Mar, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Magí Farré
- Neuroscience Program, Pharmacology Unit and Drug Addiction Unit, IMIM-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RETIC), IMIM-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Psychiatry, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq), Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Wright MJ, Vandewater SA, Parsons LH, Taffe MA. Δ(9)Tetrahydrocannabinol impairs reversal learning but not extra-dimensional shifts in rhesus macaques. Neuroscience 2013; 235:51-8. [PMID: 23333671 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Revised: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of medical marijuana use in the US and the recently successful decriminalization of recreational marijuana in two States elevates interest in the specific cognitive effects of Δ(9)tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)THC), the major psychoactive constituent of marijuana. Controlled laboratory studies in nonhuman primates provide mixed evidence for specific effects of Δ(9)THC in learning and memory tasks, with a suggestion that frontal-mediated tasks may be the most sensitive. In this study, adult male rhesus monkeys were trained on tasks which assess reversal learning, extradimensional attentional shift learning and spatial delayed-response. Subjects were challenged with 0.1-0.5mg/kg Δ(9)THC, i.m., in randomized order and evaluated on the behavioral measures. Peak plasma levels of Δ(9)THC were observed 30min after 0.2mg/kg (69±29ng/ml) and 60min after 0.5mg/kg (121±23ng/ml) was administered and behavioral effects on a bimanual motor task persisted for up to 2h after injection. An increase in errors-to-criterion (ETC) associated with reversal learning was further increased by Δ(9)THC in a dose-dependent manner. The increase in ETC associated with extradimensional shifts was not affected by Δ(9)THC. Spatial delayed-response performance was impaired by Δ(9)THC in a retention-interval-dependent manner. Overall the pattern of results suggests a more profound effect of Δ(9)THC on tasks mediated by orbitofrontal (reversal learning) versus dorsolateral (extradimensional shifts) prefrontal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Wright
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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40
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Zogopoulos P, Vasileiou I, Patsouris E, Theocharis S. The neuroprotective role of endocannabinoids against chemical-induced injury and other adverse effects. J Appl Toxicol 2013; 33:246-64. [DOI: 10.1002/jat.2828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Zogopoulos
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Ioanna Vasileiou
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Efstratios Patsouris
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
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Zogopoulos P, Vasileiou I, Patsouris E, Theocharis SE. The role of endocannabinoids in pain modulation. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2013; 27:64-80. [PMID: 23278562 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Revised: 09/03/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ES) is comprised of cannabinoid (CB) receptors, their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids), and proteins responsible for their metabolism. Endocannabinoids serve as retrograde signaling messengers in GABAergic and glutamatergic synapses, as well as modulators of postsynaptic transmission, that interact with other neurotransmitters. Physiological stimuli and pathological conditions lead to differential increases in brain endocannabinoids that regulate distinct biological functions. Furthermore, endocannabinoids modulate neuronal, glial, and endothelial cell function and exert neuromodulatory, anti-excitotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects. Analgesia is one of the principal therapeutic targets of cannabinoids. Cannabinoid analgesia is based on the suppression of spinal and thalamic nociceptive neurons, but peripheral sites of action have also been identified. The chronic pain that occasionally follows peripheral nerve injury differs fundamentally from inflammatory pain and is an area of considerable unmet therapeutic need. Over the last years, considerable progress has been made in understanding the role of the ES in the modulation of pain. Endocannabinoids have been shown to behave as analgesics in models of both acute nociception and clinical pain such as inflammation and painful neuropathy. The framework for such analgesic effects exists in the CB receptors, which are found in areas of the nervous system important for pain processing and in immune cells that regulate the neuro-immune interactions that mediate the inflammatory hyperalgesia. The purpose of this review is to present the available research and clinical data, up to date, regarding the ES and its role in pain modulation, as well as its possible therapeutic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Zogopoulos
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Goudi, Athens, Greece
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Schacht JP, Hutchison KE, Filbey FM. Associations between cannabinoid receptor-1 (CNR1) variation and hippocampus and amygdala volumes in heavy cannabis users. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:2368-76. [PMID: 22669173 PMCID: PMC3442352 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2012.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Heavy cannabis users display smaller amygdalae and hippocampi than controls, and genetic variation accounts for a large proportion of variance in liability to cannabis dependence (CD). A single nucleotide polymorphism in the cannabis receptor-1 gene (CNR1), rs2023239, has been associated with CD diagnosis and intermediate phenotypes, including abstinence-induced withdrawal, cue-elicited craving, and parahippocampal activation to cannabis cues. This study compared hippocampal and amygdalar volumes (potential CD intermediate phenotypes) between heavy cannabis users and healthy controls, and analyzed interactions between group, rs2023239 variation, and the volumes of these structures. Ninety-four heavy cannabis users participated, of whom 37 (14 men, 23 women; mean age=27.8) were matched to 37 healthy controls (14 men, 23 women; mean age=27.3) for case-control analyses. Controlling for total intracranial volume and other confounding variables, matched cannabis users had smaller bilateral hippocampi (left, p=0.002; right, p=0.001) and left amygdalae (p=0.01) than controls. When genotype was considered in the case-control analyses, there was a group by genotype interaction, such that the rs2023239 G allele predicted lower volume of bilateral hippocampi among cannabis users relative to controls (both p<0.001). This interaction persisted when all 94 cannabis users were compared to controls. There were no group by genotype interactions on amygdalar volume. These data replicate previous findings of reduced hippocampal and amygdalar volume among heavy cannabis users, and suggest that CNR1 rs2023239 variation may predispose smaller hippocampal volume after heavy cannabis use. This association should be tested in future studies of brain volume differences in CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Schacht
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Kent E Hutchison
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- School of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
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Long-term behavioral and biochemical effects of an ultra-low dose of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): neuroprotection and ERK signaling. Exp Brain Res 2012; 221:437-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-012-3186-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Sarne Y, Asaf F, Fishbein M, Gafni M, Keren O. The dual neuroprotective-neurotoxic profile of cannabinoid drugs. Br J Pharmacol 2012; 163:1391-401. [PMID: 21323910 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01280.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that cannabinoid drugs have neuroprotective properties and suggested that the endocannabinoid system may be involved in endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms. On the other hand, neurotoxic effects of cannabinoids in vitro and in vivo were also described. Several possible explanations for these dual, opposite effects of cannabinoids on cellular fate were suggested, and it is conceivable that various factors may determine the final outcome of the cannabinoid effect in vivo. In the current review, we focus on one of the possible reasons for the dual neuroprotective/neurotoxic effects of cannabinoids in vivo, namely, the opposite effects of low versus high doses of cannabinoids. While many studies reported neuroprotective effects of the conventional doses of cannabinoids in various experimental models for acute brain injuries, we have shown that a single administration of an extremely low dose of Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3-4 orders of magnitude lower than the conventional doses) to mice induced long-lasting mild cognitive deficits that affected various aspects of memory and learning. These findings led to the idea that this low dose of THC, which induces minor damage to the brain, may activate preconditioning and/or postconditioning mechanisms and thus will protect the brain from more severe insults. Indeed, our recent findings support this assumption and show that a pre- or a postconditioning treatment with extremely low doses of THC, several days before or after brain injury, provides effective long-term cognitive neuroprotection. The future therapeutical potential of these findings is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Sarne
- The Adelson Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases and The Mauerberger Chair in Neuropharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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Palermo L, Bianchini F, Iaria G, Tanzilli A, Guariglia C. Assessing topographical orientation skills in cannabis users. ScientificWorldJournal 2012; 2012:137071. [PMID: 22272167 PMCID: PMC3259701 DOI: 10.1100/2012/137071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 11/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The long-term effects of cannabis on human cognition are still unclear, but, considering that cannabis is a widely used substance and, overall, its potential use in therapeutic interventions, it is important to evaluate them. We hypothesize that the discrepancies among studies could be attributed to the specific cognitive function investigated and that skills subserved by the hippocampus, such as the spatial orientation abilities and, specifically, the ability to form and use cognitive maps, should be more compromised than others. Indeed it has been showed that cannabis users have a reduced hippocampus and that the hippocampus is the brain region in which cannabis has the greatest effect since it contains the highest concentration of cannabinoid receptors. To test this hypothesis we asked 15 heavy cannabis users and 19 nonusers to perform a virtual navigational test, the CMT, that assesses the ability to form and use cognitive maps. We found that using cannabis has no effect on these hippocampus-dependent orientation skills. We discuss the implications of our findings and how they relate to evidence reported in the literature that the intervention of functional reorganization mechanisms in cannabis user allows them to cope with the cognitive demands of navigational tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Palermo
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Ashtari M, Avants B, Cyckowski L, Cervellione KL, Roofeh D, Cook P, Gee J, Sevy S, Kumra S. Medial temporal structures and memory functions in adolescents with heavy cannabis use. J Psychiatr Res 2011; 45:1055-66. [PMID: 21296361 PMCID: PMC3303223 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2010] [Revised: 01/04/2011] [Accepted: 01/06/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Converging lines of evidence suggest an adverse effect of heavy cannabis use on adolescent brain development, particularly on the hippocampus. In this preliminary study, we compared hippocampal morphology in 14 "treatment-seeking" adolescents (aged 18-20) with a history of prior heavy cannabis use (5.8 joints/day) after an average of 6.7 months of drug abstinence, and 14 demographically matched normal controls. Participants underwent a high-resolution 3D MRI as well as cognitive testing including the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Heavy-cannabis users showed significantly smaller volumes of the right (p < 0.04) and left (p < 0.02) hippocampus, but no significant differences in the amygdala region compared to controls. In controls, larger hippocampus volumes were observed to be significantly correlated with higher CVLT verbal learning and memory scores, but these relationships were not observed in cannabis users. In cannabis users, a smaller right hippocampus volume was correlated with a higher amount of cannabis use (r = -0.57, p < 0.03). These data support a hypothesis that heavy cannabis use may have an adverse effect on hippocampus development. These findings, after an average 6.7 month of supervised abstinence, lend support to a theory that cannabis use may impart long-term structural and functional damage. Alternatively, the observed hippocampal volumetric abnormalities may represent a risk factor for cannabis dependence. These data have potential significance for understanding the observed relationship between early cannabis exposure during adolescence and subsequent development of adult psychopathology reported in the literature for schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manzar Ashtari
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, Corresponding author: Manzar Ashtari Department of Radiology Room 2115, 2nd Floor, Wood Building Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 34th and Civic Center Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19102 Tel: 267-426-5690 Fax: 215-590-1345
| | - Brian Avants
- Penn Image and Computing Science Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Laura Cyckowski
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - David Roofeh
- Department of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Glen Oaks, NY
| | - Philip Cook
- Penn Image and Computing Science Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - James Gee
- Penn Image and Computing Science Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Serge Sevy
- Department of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Glen Oaks, NY
| | - Sanjiv Kumra
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
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Hermann D. Wirkung von Cannabinoiden auf das Gehirn: Ein Überblick über MRI Befunde. SUCHT-ZEITSCHRIFT FUR WISSENSCHAFT UND PRAXIS 2011. [DOI: 10.1024/0939-5911.a000108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Ziel: Übersicht über aktuelle Magnetresonanztomographie (MRI) Studien zur Wirkung von Cannabis auf das Gehirn. Methodik: Systematische Literaturrecherche mit Pubmed. Ergebnisse: Es wurden 37 Originalarbeiten gefunden, von denen 97 % zwischen 2004 und 2010 publiziert wurden. Je sechs Studien zur Volumetrie und Konnektivität beschreiben minimale Veränderungen der Hirnstrukturen, vor allem in Hippocampus und Amygdala, sowie die Integrität der weißen Substanz betreffend. Zwei neurometabolische Studien mit 1H-MR-Spektroskopie zeigen Veränderungen im dorsolateralen präfrontalen Cortex (DLPFC) und den Basalganglien. In vier placebo-kontrollierten funktionellen MRI Studien (fMRI) verminderte THC die Aktivierung in Hirnregionen, die zur Inhibition und zum Lernen benötigt werden, und CBD hemmte die Angst-assoziierte Aktivierung der Amygdala. Weitere 19 fMRI-Studien an chronischen Cannabiskonsumenten ergaben widersprüchliche Ergebnisse bzgl. Arbeitsgedächtnis, hippocampalem Gedächtnis, Gewinn/Verlust-Erwartung, Cannabis Cues, Emotionen, Inhibition, Motorik und Aufmerksamkeit. Schlussfolgerungen: Ein belastbarer Informationszuwachs wurde vor allem durch die getrennte, plazebo-kontrollierte Verabreichung von THC oder CBD in fMRI-Studien erreicht. Die widersprüchlichen Ergebnisse in fMRI Hirnaktivierungs-Mustern von Cannabiskonsumenten zeigen eine veränderte neuronale Plastizität, ohne dass eine Aussage getroffen werden kann, ob dies günstige oder ungünstige Auswirkungen hat. Für zukünftige Studien ist eine Bestimmung von CBD und THC z. B. durch Haaranalyse dringend anzuraten.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derik Hermann
- Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Klinik für Abhängiges Verhalten und Suchtmedizin, Mannheim
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48
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Winsauer PJ, Molina PE, Amedee AM, Filipeanu CM, McGoey RR, Troxclair DA, Walker EM, Birke LL, Stouwe CV, Howard JM, Leonard ST, Moerschbaecher JM, Lewis PB. Tolerance to chronic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC) in rhesus macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2011; 19:154-72. [PMID: 21463073 PMCID: PMC3140653 DOI: 10.1037/a0023000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although Δ⁹-THC has been approved to treat anorexia and weight loss associated with AIDS, it may also reduce well-being by disrupting complex behavioral processes or enhancing HIV replication. To investigate these possibilities, four groups of male rhesus macaques were trained to respond under an operant acquisition and performance procedure, and administered vehicle or Δ⁹-THC before and after inoculation with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV(mac251), 100 TCID₅₀/ml, i.v.). Prior to chronic Δ⁹-THC and SIV inoculation, 0.032-0.32 mg/kg of Δ⁹-THC produced dose-dependent rate-decreasing effects and small, sporadic error-increasing effects in the acquisition and performance components in each subject. Following 28 days of chronic Δ⁹-THC (0.32 mg/kg, i.m.) or vehicle twice daily, delta-9-THC-treated subjects developed tolerance to the rate-decreasing effects, and this tolerance was maintained during the initial 7-12 months irrespective of SIV infection (i.e., +THC/-SIV, +THC/+SIV). Full necropsy was performed on all SIV subjects an average of 329 days post-SIV inoculation, with postmortem histopathology suggestive of a reduced frequency of CNS pathology as well as opportunistic infections in delta-9-THC-treated subjects. Chronic Δ⁹-THC also significantly reduced CB-1 and CB-2 receptor levels in the hippocampus, attenuated the expression of a proinflammatory cytokine (MCP-1), and did not increase viral load in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, or brain tissue compared to vehicle-treated subjects with SIV. Together, these data indicate that chronic Δ⁹-THC produces tolerance to its behaviorally disruptive effects on complex tasks while not adversely affecting viral load or other markers of disease progression during the early stages of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Winsauer
- Department of Pharmacology, and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Patricia E. Molina
- Department of Physiology, and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center
| | - Angela M. Amedee
- Department of Microbiology Immunology and Parasitology, LSU Health Sciences Center
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Winsauer PJ, Daniel JM, Filipeanu CM, Leonard ST, Hulst JL, Rodgers SP, Lassen-Greene CL, Sutton JL. Long-term behavioral and pharmacodynamic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in female rats depend on ovarian hormone status. Addict Biol 2011; 16:64-81. [PMID: 21158010 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2010.00227.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Abuse of Δ⁹-THC by females during adolescence may produce long-term deficits in complex behavioral processes such as learning, and these deficits may be affected by the presence of ovarian hormones. To assess this possibility, 40 injections of saline or 5.6 mg/kg of Δ⁹-THC were administered i.p. daily during adolescence to gonadally intact or ovariectomized (OVX) female rats, yielding four treatment groups (intact/saline, intact/THC, OVX/saline, and OVX/ THC). Δ⁹-THC (0.56-10 mg/kg) was then re-administered to each of the four groups during adulthood to examine their sensitivity to its disruptive effects. The behavioral task required adult subjects to both learn (acquisition component) different response sequences and repeat a known response sequence (performance component) daily. During baseline (no injection) and control (saline injection) sessions, OVX subjects had significantly higher response rates and lower percentages of error in both behavioral components than the intact groups irrespective of saline or Δ⁹-THC administration during adolescence; the intact group that received Δ⁹-THC had the lowest response rates in each component. Upon re-administration of Δ⁹-THC, the groups that received adolescent ovariectomy alone, adolescent Δ⁹-THC administration alone, or both treatments were found to be less sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects, and more sensitive to the error-increasing effects of Δ⁹-THC than the control group (i.e. intact subjects that received saline during adolescence). Neurochemical analyses of the brains from each adolescent-treated group indicated that there were also persistent effects on cannabinoid type-1 (CB-1) receptor levels in the hippocampus and striatum that depended on the brain region and the presence of ovarian hormones. In addition, autoradiographic analyses of the brains from adolescent-treated, but behaviorally naïve, subjects indicated that ovariectomy and Δ⁹-THC administration produced effects on receptor coupling in some of the same brain regions. In summary, chronic administration of Δ⁹-THC during adolescence in female rats produced long-term effects on operant learning and performance tasks and on the cannabinoid system that were mediated by the presence of ovarian hormones, and that altered their sensitivity to Δ⁹-THC as adults.
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MESH Headings
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Association Learning/drug effects
- Association Learning/physiology
- Autoradiography
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/physiopathology
- Conditioning, Operant/drug effects
- Conditioning, Operant/physiology
- Corpus Striatum/drug effects
- Corpus Striatum/metabolism
- Dronabinol/toxicity
- Estrogens/physiology
- Female
- Hallucinogens/toxicity
- Hippocampus/drug effects
- Hippocampus/metabolism
- Injections, Intraperitoneal
- Marijuana Abuse/physiopathology
- Ovariectomy
- Progesterone/physiology
- Psychomotor Performance/drug effects
- Psychomotor Performance/physiology
- Rats
- Rats, Long-Evans
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Reinforcement Schedule
- Reinforcement, Psychology
- Retention, Psychology/drug effects
- Retention, Psychology/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Winsauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, 70112, USA.
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50
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Landucci E, Scartabelli T, Gerace E, Moroni F, Pellegrini-Giampietro DE. CB1 receptors and post-ischemic brain damage: studies on the toxic and neuroprotective effects of cannabinoids in rat organotypic hippocampal slices. Neuropharmacology 2010; 60:674-82. [PMID: 21130785 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2010] [Revised: 11/24/2010] [Accepted: 11/26/2010] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoids (CBs) are implicated in a number of physiological and pathological mechanisms in the central nervous system, but their exact role in post-ischemic brain injury is unclear. The toxic and neuroprotective effects of synthetic and endogenous CBs were evaluated in rat organotypic hippocampal slices exposed to 20 min oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and in gerbils subjected to bilateral carotid occlusion for 5 min. When present in the incubation medium, the synthetic CB agonists WIN 55212-2 and CP 55940 (1-30 μM) and the CB1 agonist ACEA exacerbated CA1 injury induced by OGD, whereas the CB1 receptor antagonists AM 251 and LY 320135 were neuroprotective with maximal activity at 1 μM. AM 251 (at 3 mg/kg, i.p.) also attenuated CA1 pyramidal cell death in gerbils in vivo. The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) reduced OGD injury in hippocampal slices at 0.1-1 μM, whereas anandamide (AEA) was neurotoxic at the same concentrations. The effects of WIN 55212-2, AEA and 2-AG in slices were all dependent on the activation of CB1 but not CB2 receptors, except for the toxic effects of AEA that were also dependent on vanilloid TRPV1 receptors. Our results suggest that exogenous administration of CB1 agonists and the production of endocannabinoids "on demand" may produce different, if not opposite, effects on the fate of neurons following cerebral ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Landucci
- Dipartimento di Farmacologia Preclinica e Clinica, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
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