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Brianis RC, Lima RC, Moreira FA, Aguiar DC. Anti-aversive effect of 2-arachidonoylglycerol in the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray of male rats in contextual fear conditioning and Vogel tests. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:213-221. [PMID: 34074811 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system modulates the stress coping strategies in the dorsolateral periaqueductal grey (dlPAG). The most relevant endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) exert inhibitory control over defensive reactions mediated by the dlPAG. However, the protective role of anandamide is limited by its lack of effect in higher concentrations. Thus, the 2-AG emerges as a complementary target for developing new anxiolytic compounds. Nevertheless, the role of 2-AG on stress responsivity may vary according to the nature of the stimulus. In this study, we verified whether the dlPAG injection of 2-AG or inhibitors of its hydrolysis induce anxiolytic-like effects in male Wistar rats exposed to behavioral models in which physical stress (mild electric shock) is a critical component, namely the contextual fear conditioning test (CFC) and the Vogel conflict test (VCT). We also investigated the contribution of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2) in such effects. The facilitation of 2-AG signaling in the dlPAG reduced contextual fear expression and exhibited an anxiolytic-like effect in the VCT in a mechanism dependent on activation of CB1 and CB2. However, the VCT required a higher dose than CFC. Further, the monoacylglycerol inhibitors, which inhibit the hydrolysis of 2-AG, were effective only in the CFC. In conclusion, we confirmed the anti-aversive properties of 2-AG in the dlPAG through CB1 and CB2 mechanisms. However, these effects could vary according to the type of stressor and the anxiety model employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayssa C Brianis
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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2
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Godoi MM, Junior HZ, da Cunha JM, Zanoveli JM. Mu-opioid and CB1 cannabinoid receptors of the dorsal periaqueductal gray interplay in the regulation of fear response, but not antinociception. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 194:172938. [PMID: 32376258 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Evidence indicates that periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) plays an important role in defensive responses and pain control. The activation of cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) or mu-opioid (MOR) receptors in the dorsal region of this structure (dPAG) inhibits fear and facilitates antinociception induced by different aversive stimuli. However, it is still unknown whether these two receptors work cooperatively in order to achieve these inhibitory actions. This study investigated the involvement and a likely interplay between CB1 and MOR receptors localized into the dPAG on the regulation of fear-like defensive responses and antinociception (evaluated in tail-flick test) evoked by dPAG chemical stimulation with N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). Before the administration of NMDA, animals were first intra-dPAG injected with the CB1 agonist ACEA (0.5 pmol), or with the MOR agonist DAMGO (0.5 pmol) in combination with the respective antagonists AM251 (CB1 antagonist, 100 pmol) or CTOP (MOR antagonist, 1 nmol). To investigate the interplay between these receptors, microinjection of CTOP was combined with ACEA, or microinjection of AM251 was combined with DAMGO. Our results showed that both the intra-PAG treatments with ACEA or DAMGO inhibited NMDA-induced freezing expression, whereas only the treatment with DAMGO increased antinociception induced with NMDA, which are completely blocked by its respective antagonists. Interestingly, the inhibitory effects of ACEA or DAMGO on freezing was blocked by CTOP and AM251, respectively, indicating a functional interaction between these two receptors in the mediation of defensive behaviors. However, this cooperative interaction was not observed during the NMDA-induced antinociception. Our findings indicate that there is a cooperative action between the MOR and CB1 receptors within the dPAG and it is involved in the mediation of NMDA-induced defensive responses. Additionally, the MORs into the dPAG are involved in the modulation of the antinociceptive effects that follow a fear-like defense-reaction induced by dPAG chemical stimulation with NMDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuella Machado Godoi
- Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Building, Federal University of Paraná, Rua Coronel H. dos Santos S/N, P.O. Box 19031, Curitiba, Paraná 81540-990, Brazil
| | - Hélio Zangrossi Junior
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Joice Maria da Cunha
- Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Building, Federal University of Paraná, Rua Coronel H. dos Santos S/N, P.O. Box 19031, Curitiba, Paraná 81540-990, Brazil; Institute of Neurosciences and Behavior and Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology of Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Janaina Menezes Zanoveli
- Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Building, Federal University of Paraná, Rua Coronel H. dos Santos S/N, P.O. Box 19031, Curitiba, Paraná 81540-990, Brazil; Institute of Neurosciences and Behavior and Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology of Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-900, Brazil.
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3
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Navarrete F, García-Gutiérrez MS, Jurado-Barba R, Rubio G, Gasparyan A, Austrich-Olivares A, Manzanares J. Endocannabinoid System Components as Potential Biomarkers in Psychiatry. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:315. [PMID: 32395111 PMCID: PMC7197485 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The high heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders leads to a lack of diagnostic precision. Therefore, the search of biomarkers is a fundamental aspect in psychiatry to reach a more personalized medicine. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has gained increasing interest due to its involvement in many different functional processes in the brain, including the regulation of emotions, motivation, and cognition. This article reviews the role of the main components of the ECS as biomarkers in certain psychiatric disorders. Studies carried out in rodents evaluating the effects of pharmacological and genetic manipulation of cannabinoid receptors or endocannabinoids (eCBs) degrading enzymes were included. Likewise, the ECS-related alterations occurring at the molecular level in animal models reproducing some behavioral and/or neuropathological aspects of psychiatric disorders were reviewed. Furthermore, clinical studies evaluating gene or protein alterations in post-mortem brain tissue or in vivo blood, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were analyzed. Also, the results from neuroimaging studies using positron emission tomography (PET) or functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) were included. This review shows the close involvement of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1r) in stress regulation and the development of mood disorders [anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder (BD)], in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or eating disorders (i.e. anorexia and bulimia nervosa). On the other hand, recent results reveal the potential therapeutic action of the endocannabinoid tone manipulation by inhibition of eCBs degrading enzymes, as well as by the modulation of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2r) activity on anxiolytic, antidepressive, or antipsychotic associated effects. Further clinical research studies are needed; however, current evidence suggests that the components of the ECS may become promising biomarkers in psychiatry to improve, at least in part, the diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Navarrete
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Alicante, Spain.,Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Salud García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Alicante, Spain.,Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa Jurado-Barba
- Instituto de Investigación i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Educación y Salud, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gabriel Rubio
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Alicante, Spain.,Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Alicante, Spain.,Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
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Terpou BA, Harricharan S, McKinnon MC, Frewen P, Jetly R, Lanius RA. The effects of trauma on brain and body: A unifying role for the midbrain periaqueductal gray. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1110-1140. [PMID: 31254294 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a diagnosis that may follow the experience of trauma, has multiple symptomatic phenotypes. Generally, individuals with PTSD display symptoms of hyperarousal and of hyperemotionality in the presence of fearful stimuli. A subset of individuals with PTSD; however, elicit dissociative symptomatology (i.e., depersonalization, derealization) in the wake of a perceived threat. This pattern of response characterizes the dissociative subtype of the disorder, which is often associated with emotional numbing and hypoarousal. Both symptomatic phenotypes exhibit attentional threat biases, where threat stimuli are processed preferentially leading to a hypervigilant state that is thought to promote defensive behaviors during threat processing. Accordingly, PTSD and its dissociative subtype are thought to differ in their proclivity to elicit active (i.e., fight, flight) versus passive (i.e., tonic immobility, emotional shutdown) defensive responses, which are characterized by the increased and the decreased expression of the sympathetic nervous system, respectively. Moreover, active and passive defenses are accompanied by primarily endocannabinoid- and opioid-mediated analgesics, respectively. Through critical review of the literature, we apply the defense cascade model to better understand the pathological presentation of defensive responses in PTSD with a focus on the functioning of lower-level midbrain and extended brainstem systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braeden A Terpou
- Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul Frewen
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rakesh Jetly
- Canadian Forces, Health Services, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Hypothalamic endocannabinoid signalling modulates aversive responses related to panic attacks. Neuropharmacology 2019; 148:284-290. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Calvo F, Lobão-Soares B, de Freitas RL, Paschoalin-Maurin T, Dos Anjos-Garcia T, Medeiros P, da Silva JA, Lovick TA, Coimbra NC. The endogenous opioid system modulates defensive behavior evoked by Crotalus durissus terrificus: Panicolytic-like effect of intracollicular non-selective opioid receptors blockade. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:51-61. [PMID: 30407114 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118806301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a controversy regarding the key role played by opioid peptide neurotransmission in the modulation of panic-attack-related responses. AIMS Using a prey versus rattlesnakes paradigm, the present work investigated the involvement of the endogenous opioid peptide-mediated system of the inferior colliculus in the modulation of panic attack-related responses. METHODS Wistar rats were pretreated with intracollicular administration of either physiological saline or naloxone at different concentrations and confronted with rattlesnakes ( Crotalus durissus terrificus). The prey versus rattlesnake confrontations were performed in a polygonal arena for snakes. The defensive behaviors displayed by prey (defensive attention, defensive immobility, escape response, flat back approach and startle) were recorded twice: firstly, over a period of 15 min the presence of the predator and a re-exposure was performed 24 h after the confrontation, when animals were exposed to the experimental enclosure without the rattlesnake. RESULTS The intramesencephalic non-specific blockade of opioid receptors with microinjections of naloxone at higher doses decreased both anxiety- (defensive attention and flat back approach) and panic attack-like (defensive immobility and escape) behaviors, evoked in the presence of rattlesnakes and increased non-defensive responses. During the exposure to the experimental context, there was a decrease in duration of defensive attention. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a panicolytic-like effect of endogenous opioid receptors antagonism in the inferior colliculus on innate (panic attack) and conditioned (anticipatory anxiety) fear in rats threatened by rattlesnakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrício Calvo
- 1 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,3 Department of Pharmacology, São Lucas College, Porto Velho (RO), Brazil.,4 Aparício Carvalho Integrative College, Porto Velho (RO), Brazil.,9 Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil
| | - Bruno Lobão-Soares
- 1 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,5 Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal (RN), Brazil.,6 Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,9 Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil
| | - Renato Leonardo de Freitas
- 1 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,7 Laboratory of Neurobiology of Pain and Emotions and Multi-User Centre of Neuroelectrophysiology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,10 Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Alfenas (MG), Brazil
| | - Tatiana Paschoalin-Maurin
- 1 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,6 Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,9 Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil
| | - Tayllon Dos Anjos-Garcia
- 1 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,9 Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil
| | - Priscila Medeiros
- 1 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,9 Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil
| | - Juliana Almeida da Silva
- 1 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,9 Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil
| | - Thelma Anderson Lovick
- 2 School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,6 Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil
| | - Norberto Cysne Coimbra
- 1 Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,6 Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,7 Laboratory of Neurobiology of Pain and Emotions and Multi-User Centre of Neuroelectrophysiology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,8 NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.,9 Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil
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7
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Back FP, Carobrez AP. Periaqueductal gray glutamatergic, cannabinoid and vanilloid receptor interplay in defensive behavior and aversive memory formation. Neuropharmacology 2018; 135:399-411. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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8
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Monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition alters social behavior in male and female rats after post-weaning social isolation. Behav Brain Res 2017; 341:146-153. [PMID: 29292159 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 12/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Post-weaning social isolation (PSI) has been shown to increase aggressive behavior and alter medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) function in rats. The present study sought to determine whether this phenotype would be normalized by increasing levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) using pharmacological inhibition of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to either 4 weeks of PSI or social rearing (SR) starting on postnatal day 21, then underwent a 15 min trial of social interaction with a novel, same-sex juvenile rat. Rats were administered an acute injection of the MAGL inhibitor MJN110 or vehicle prior to the social interaction. Rats received either 0 mg/kg (vehicle), 1 mg/kg, or 5 mg/kg of MJN110. Both doses of MJN110 decreased aggressive grooming, a measure of agonistic behavior, in both males and females, largely driven by decreased aggressive grooming in PSI rats. There were no effects of MJN110 on overall social behavior or play behavior, while modest effects were observed on locomotor activity in SR rats only. While social interaction increased c-Fos expression in the mPFC of both males and females, MJN110 reduced c-Fos preferentially in females. These results suggest that 2-AG can modulate specific social behaviors during adolescence, and may affect mPFC function differentially in males and females.
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Leonard MZ, Alapafuja SO, Ji L, Shukla VG, Liu Y, Nikas SP, Makriyannis A, Bergman J, Kangas BD. Cannabinoid CB 1 Discrimination: Effects of Endocannabinoids and Catabolic Enzyme Inhibitors. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2017; 363:314-323. [PMID: 28947487 PMCID: PMC5683067 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.117.244392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
An improved understanding of the endocannabinoid system has provided new avenues of drug discovery and development toward the management of pain and other behavioral maladies. Exogenous cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor agonists such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol are increasingly used for their medicinal actions; however, their utility is constrained by concern regarding abuse-related subjective effects. This has led to growing interest in the clinical benefit of indirectly enhancing the activity of the highly labile endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine [AEA (or anandamide)] and/or 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) via catabolic enzyme inhibition. The present studies were conducted to determine whether such actions can lead to CB1 agonist-like subjective effects, as reflected in CB1-related discriminative stimulus effects in laboratory subjects. Squirrel monkeys (n = 8) that discriminated the CB1 full agonist AM4054 (0.01 mg/kg) from vehicle were used to study, first, the inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) or monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) alone or in combination [FAAH (URB597, AM4303); MGL (AM4301); FAAH/MGL (JZL195, AM4302)] and, second, the ability of the endocannabinoids AEA and 2-AG to produce CB1 agonist-like effects when administered alone or after enzyme inhibition. Results indicate that CB1-related discriminative stimulus effects were produced by combined, but not selective, inhibition of FAAH and MGL, and that these effects were nonsurmountably antagonized by low doses of rimonabant. Additionally, FAAH or MGL inhibition revealed CB1-like subjective effects produced by AEA but not by 2-AG. Taken together, the present data suggest that therapeutic effects of combined, but not selective, enhancement of AEA or 2-AG activity via enzyme inhibition may be accompanied by CB1 receptor-mediated subjective effects.
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MESH Headings
- Adamantane/administration & dosage
- Adamantane/adverse effects
- Adamantane/analogs & derivatives
- Adamantane/pharmacology
- Amidohydrolases/antagonists & inhibitors
- Amidohydrolases/metabolism
- Animals
- Arachidonic Acids/administration & dosage
- Arachidonic Acids/agonists
- Arachidonic Acids/antagonists & inhibitors
- Arachidonic Acids/pharmacology
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists/administration & dosage
- Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists/adverse effects
- Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists/pharmacology
- Cannabinol/administration & dosage
- Cannabinol/adverse effects
- Cannabinol/analogs & derivatives
- Cannabinol/pharmacology
- Discrimination Learning/drug effects
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Agonism
- Drug Antagonism
- Drugs, Investigational/administration & dosage
- Drugs, Investigational/adverse effects
- Drugs, Investigational/pharmacology
- Endocannabinoids/administration & dosage
- Endocannabinoids/agonists
- Endocannabinoids/antagonists & inhibitors
- Endocannabinoids/pharmacology
- Enzyme Inhibitors/administration & dosage
- Enzyme Inhibitors/adverse effects
- Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Glycerides/administration & dosage
- Glycerides/agonists
- Glycerides/antagonists & inhibitors
- Glycerides/pharmacology
- Injections, Intramuscular
- Injections, Intravenous
- Ligands
- Male
- Monoacylglycerol Lipases/antagonists & inhibitors
- Monoacylglycerol Lipases/metabolism
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/agonists
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Polyunsaturated Alkamides
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Saimiri
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Z Leonard
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
| | - Shakiru O Alapafuja
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
| | - Lipin Ji
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
| | - Vidyanand G Shukla
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
| | - Yingpeng Liu
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
| | - Spyros P Nikas
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
| | - Alexandros Makriyannis
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
| | - Jack Bergman
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
| | - Brian D Kangas
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts (J.B., B.D.K.); McLean Hospital, Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, Belmont, Massachusetts (M.Z.L., J.B., B.D.K.); MakScientific LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts (S.O.A.); and Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (L.J., V.G.S., Y.L., S.P.N., A.M.)
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10
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Almeida-Santos AF, Moreira FA, Guimaraes FS, Aguiar DC. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol endocannabinoid signaling coupled to metabotropic glutamate receptor type-5 modulates anxiety-like behavior in the rat ventromedial prefrontal cortex. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:740-749. [PMID: 28440729 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117704986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
2-Arachidonoylglycerol and anandamide are the main endocannabinoids, which act through cannabinoid type-1 and type-2 receptors. Among its many functions, anandamide modulates anxiety-like behaviors in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. The role of 2-arachidonoylglycerol in this region, however, has remained unclear. Here, we verified whether intra- ventromedial prefrontal cortex injection of 2-arachidonoylglycerol or URB602, a monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor (responsible for 2-arachidonoylglycerol hydrolysis), induce anxiolytic-like effects in Wistar rats. Since activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 promotes diacylglycerol lipase-α-mediated 2-arachidonoylglycerol synthesis, we also verified if the blockade of this receptor impairs the anxiolytic-like effect induced by URB 602. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol reduced anxiety-like response in rats exposed to the Elevated Plus Maze test, an effect mimicked by URB602. Cannabinoid type-1 and type-2 receptor antagonists prevented these effects. The pre-treatment with an ineffective dose of MPEP, a metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 antagonist, also attenuated the anxiolytic-like effect of URB602. Moreover, immunofluorescence microscopy revealed co-expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 and diacylglycerol lipase-α in several neurons in slices from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Altogether, our results implicate 2-arachidonoylglycerol and both cannabinoid receptors on anxiety-related behaviors mediated by ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Further, these data support a role for the coupling between metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 activation and 2-arachidonoylglycerol signalling as a mechanism modulating aversive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana F Almeida-Santos
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Fabricio A Moreira
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Francisco S Guimaraes
- 2 Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,3 Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Daniele C Aguiar
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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11
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Corroon JM, Mischley LK, Sexton M. Cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs - a cross-sectional study. J Pain Res 2017; 10:989-998. [PMID: 28496355 PMCID: PMC5422566 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s134330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The use of medical cannabis is increasing, most commonly for pain, anxiety and depression. Emerging data suggest that use and abuse of prescription drugs may be decreasing in states where medical cannabis is legal. The aim of this study was to survey cannabis users to determine whether they had intentionally substituted cannabis for prescription drugs. Methods A total of 2,774 individuals were a self-selected convenience sample who reported having used cannabis at least once in the previous 90 days. Subjects were surveyed via an online anonymous questionnaire on cannabis substitution effects. Participants were recruited through social media and cannabis dispensaries in Washington State. Results A total of 1,248 (46%) respondents reported using cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs. The most common classes of drugs substituted were narcotics/opioids (35.8%), anxiolytics/benzodiazepines (13.6%) and antidepressants (12.7%). A total of 2,473 substitutions were reported or approximately two drug substitutions per affirmative respondent. The odds of reporting substituting were 4.59 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.87–5.43) greater among medical cannabis users compared with non-medical users and 1.66 (95% CI, 1.27–2.16) greater among those reporting use for managing the comorbidities of pain, anxiety and depression. A slightly higher percentage of those who reported substituting resided in states where medical cannabis was legal at the time of the survey (47% vs. 45%, p=0.58), but this difference was not statistically significant. Discussion These patient-reported outcomes support prior research that individuals are using cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs, particularly, narcotics/opioids, and independent of whether they identify themselves as medical or non-medical users. This is especially true if they suffer from pain, anxiety and depression. Additionally, this study suggests that state laws allowing access to, and use of, medical cannabis may not be influencing individual decision-making in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michelle Sexton
- Department of Medical Research, Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy, Seattle, WA, USA
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12
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Sexton M, Cuttler C, Finnell JS, Mischley LK. A Cross-Sectional Survey of Medical Cannabis Users: Patterns of Use and Perceived Efficacy. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2016; 1:131-138. [PMID: 28861489 PMCID: PMC5549439 DOI: 10.1089/can.2016.0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The political climate around Cannabis as a medicine is rapidly changing. Legislators are adopting policies regarding appropriate medical applications, while the paucity of research may make policy decisions around conditions for which Cannabis is an effective medicine difficult. Methods: An anonymous online survey was developed to query medical Cannabis users about the conditions they use Cannabis to treat, their use patterns, perception of efficacy, and physical and mental health. Participants were recruited through social media and Cannabis dispensaries in Washington State. Results: A total of 1429 participants identified as medical Cannabis users. The most frequently reported conditions for which they used Cannabis were pain (61.2%), anxiety (58.1%), depression (50.3%), headache/migraine (35.5%), nausea (27.4%), and muscle spasticity (18.4%). On average, participants reported an 86% reduction in symptoms as a result of Cannabis use; 59.8% of medical users reported using Cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceutical prescriptions. Global health scores were on par with the general population for mental health and physical health. Conclusions: While patient-reported outcomes favor strong efficacy for a broad range of symptoms, many medical users are using Cannabis without physician supervision and for conditions for which there is no formal research to support the use of Cannabis (e.g., depression and anxiety). Future research and public policy should attempt to reduce the incongruence between approved and actual use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Sexton
- Department of Medical Research, Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy, Seattle, Washington
| | - Carrie Cuttler
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - John S. Finnell
- Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, AOMA, Austin, Texas
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