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Kabeiseman E, Paulsen RT, Burrell BD. Characterization of a Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) in Hirudo Verbana. Neurochem Res 2024:10.1007/s11064-024-04216-7. [PMID: 39093361 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-024-04216-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system plays a critical role in modulating both peripheral and central nervous system function. Despite being present throughout the animal kingdom, there has been relatively little investigation of the endocannabinoid system beyond traditional animal models. In this study, we report on the identification and characterization of a putative fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in the medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana. FAAH is the primary enzyme responsible for metabolizing the endocannabinoid signaling molecule arachidonoyl ethanolamide (anandamide or AEA) and therefore plays a critical role in regulating AEA levels in the nervous system. mRNA encoding Hirudo FAAH (HirFAAH) is expressed in the leech central nervous system (CNS) and sequence analysis suggests that this is an orthologue of FAAH-2 observed in vertebrates. Functionally, HirFAAH has serine hydrolase activity based on activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) studies using the fluorophosphonate probe TAMRA-FP. HirFAAH also hydrolyzes arachidonyl 7-amino, 4-methyl coumarin amide (AAMCA), a substrate specific to FAAH. Hydrolase activity during both the ABPP and AAMCA assays was eliminated by a mutation at a conserved catalytic serine. Activity was also blocked by the known FAAH inhibitor, URB597. Treatment of Hirudo ganglia with URB597 potentiated synapses made by the pressure-sensitive mechanosensory neuron (P cell), mimicking the effects of exogenously applied AEA. The Hirudo CNS has been a useful system in which to study properties of endocannabinoid modulation of nociception relevant to vertebrates. Therefore, this characterization of HirFAAH is an important contribution to comparative studies of the endocannabinoid system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Kabeiseman
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Center for Brain and Behavior Research (CBBRe), Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Riley T Paulsen
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Center for Brain and Behavior Research (CBBRe), Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Brian D Burrell
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Center for Brain and Behavior Research (CBBRe), Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA.
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2
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Carrascosa AJ, Navarrete F, Saldaña R, García-Gutiérrez MS, Montalbán B, Navarro D, Gómez-Guijarro FM, Gasparyan A, Murcia-Sánchez E, Torregrosa AB, Pérez-Doblado P, Gutiérrez L, Manzanares J. Cannabinoid Analgesia in Postoperative Pain Management: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Reality. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6268. [PMID: 38892456 PMCID: PMC11172912 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Postoperative pain (POP) is a challenging clinical phenomenon that affects the majority of surgical patients and demands effective management to mitigate adverse outcomes such as persistent pain. The primary goal of POP management is to alleviate suffering and facilitate a seamless return to normal function for the patient. Despite compelling evidence of its drawbacks, opioid analgesia remains the basis of POP treatment. Novel therapeutic approaches rely on multimodal analgesia, integrating different pharmacological strategies to optimize efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. The recognition of the imperative role of the endocannabinoid system in pain regulation has prompted the investigation of cannabinoid compounds as a new therapeutic avenue. Cannabinoids may serve as adjuvants, enhancing the analgesic effects of other drugs and potentially replacing or at least reducing the dependence on other long-term analgesics in pain management. This narrative review succinctly summarizes pertinent information on the molecular mechanisms, clinical therapeutic benefits, and considerations associated with the plausible use of various cannabinoid compounds in treating POP. According to the available evidence, cannabinoid compounds modulate specific molecular mechanisms intimately involved in POP. However, only two of the eleven clinical trials that evaluated the efficacy of different cannabinoid interventions showed positive results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J. Carrascosa
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Francisco Navarrete
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Raquel Saldaña
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - María S. García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Belinda Montalbán
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Daniela Navarro
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Fernando M. Gómez-Guijarro
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Elena Murcia-Sánchez
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Abraham B. Torregrosa
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Paloma Pérez-Doblado
- Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (A.J.C.); (R.S.); (B.M.); (F.M.G.-G.); (E.M.-S.); (P.P.-D.)
| | - Luisa Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (D.N.); (A.G.); (A.B.T.); (L.G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
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3
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Jaiswal S, Akhilesh, Tiwari V, Ayyannan SR. Anti-nociceptive potential of an isatin-derived dual fatty acid amide hydrolase-monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor. Pharmacol Rep 2023; 75:737-745. [PMID: 36913176 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-023-00468-2] [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] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, we have reported an isatin-derived carbohydrazone, 5-chloro-N'-(6-chloro-2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)-2-hydroxybenzohydrazide (SIH 3) as dual nanomolar FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase)-MAGL (monoacylglycerol lipase) inhibitor with good CNS penetration and neuroprotective activity profile. In this study, we further investigated the pharmacological profile of compound SIH 3 in the neuropathic pain model along with acute toxicity and ex vivo studies. METHODS Chronic constrictive injury (CCI) was used to induce neuropathic pain in male Sprague-Dawley rats and the anti-nociceptive activity of the compound SIH 3 was investigated at 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg ip. Subsequently, locomotor activity was measured by rotarod and actophotometer experiments. The acute oral toxicity of the compound was assessed as per the OECD guidelines 423. RESULTS Compound SIH 3 showed significant anti-nociceptive activity in the CCI-induced neuropathic pain model without altering the locomotor activity. Furthermore, compound SIH 3 showed an excellent safety profile (up to 2000 mg/kg, po) in the acute oral toxicity study and was also non-hepatotoxic. Further, ex vivo studies revealed that the compound SIH 3 produces a significant antioxidant effect in oxidative stress induced by CCI. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the investigated compound SIH 3 has the potential to be developed as an anti-nociceptive agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Jaiswal
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory II, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, UP, 221005, India
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura, UP, 281406, India
| | - Akhilesh
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, UP, 221005, India
| | - Vinod Tiwari
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, UP, 221005, India
| | - Senthil Raja Ayyannan
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory II, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, UP, 221005, India.
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4
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Morgan A, Adank D, Johnson K, Butler E, Patel S. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol-mediated endocannabinoid signaling modulates mechanical hypersensitivity associated with alcohol withdrawal in mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:2010-2024. [PMID: 36125319 PMCID: PMC10091740 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly occurs in patients with chronic pain, and a major barrier to achieving abstinence and preventing relapse is the emergence of hyperalgesia during alcohol withdrawal. Elucidating novel therapeutic approaches to target hyperalgesia associated with alcohol withdrawal could have important implications for treating AUD. Here, we examined the role of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)-mediated endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling in the regulation of hyperalgesia associated with alcohol withdrawal in mice. We tested the hypothesis that pharmacological augmentation of 2-AG signaling could reduce hyperalgesia during withdrawal. METHODS Male and female C57BL/6J mice were tested during withdrawal from a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) paradigm to investigate how eCB signaling modulates mechanical and thermal sensitivity during withdrawal. Mice were pretreated with the monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibitor JZL184 to elevate levels of 2-AG. Rimonabant or AM630 were given to block CB1 and CB2 receptor activity, respectively. DO34 was given to reduce 2-AG by inhibiting the 2-AG synthetic enzyme diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL). RESULTS After 72 h of withdrawal, male and female mice exhibited increased mechanical, but not thermal, hypersensitivity, which normalized by 7 days. This effect was reversed by pretreatment with JZL184. The effects of JZL184 were prevented by coadministration of either the CB1 or the CB2 antagonist. DO34, Rimonabant, and AM630 exacerbated mechanical hypersensitivity during alcohol withdrawal, causing an earlier onset and persistent hypersensitivity even 1 week into withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate the critical role of 2-AG signaling in the bidirectional regulation of mechanical sensitivity during alcohol withdrawal, with enhancement of 2-AG levels reducing sensitivity, and inhibition of 2-AG signaling exacerbating sensitivity. These data suggest that 2-AG augmentation represents a novel approach to the treatment of alcohol withdrawal-associated hyperalgesia and AUD in patients with comorbid pain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Danielle Adank
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Keenan Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Emily Butler
- Interdisciplinary Program in NeuroscienceVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
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5
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Deli SB, Bonab SI, Khakpay R, Khakpai F, Feyzi MH. An interaction between basolateral amygdala orexinergic and endocannabinoid systems in inducing anti-nociception in the rat formalin test. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3171-3184. [PMID: 35918531 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06199-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala has emerged as the main brain center for the emotional affective dimension of pain and pain modulation. In the amygdala, orexin and cannabinoid receptors are expressed in relatively high concentrations. To investigate the possible interaction between the amygdala orexin and cannabinoid systems on the modulation of inflammatory pain, we conducted formalin, rotarod, and plethysmometer tests, as well as analyzing mRNA expression of orexin and cannabinoid receptors in male rats. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) was unilaterally implanted by a guide cannula. Our results showed that, compared to saline and DMSO/saline, intra-BLA microinjection of orexin-A (50 and 100 µM) decreased flinch response in the early phase, but not in the late phase of the formalin test. However, these injections had no significant effect on the mRNA expression level of BLA, orexin receptor type-1 (Orx1), and cannabinoid receptor type-1 (Cb1). Moreover, intra-BLA administration of Orx1 receptor antagonist (SB-334867; 50 nM) and Cb1 receptor antagonist (AM251; 250 and 500 nM) decreased flinch response only in the early phase of the formalin test as compared to the DMSO group. Although the intra-BLA infusion of orexin-A alone and along with SB-334867 or AM251 decreased flinch response in the early phase of the formalin test, intra-BLA co-microinjection of SB-334867/AM251/OrxA increased flinch response in both early and late phases of the formalin test when compared to the DMSO/OrxA group. Interestingly, in the SB-334867/AM251/OrxA group, the Cb1 receptor was upregulated in all groups in comparison to Orx1 receptors. Our results revealed an interaction between BLA, orexin-A, and Cb1 receptors in inducing anti-nociception in the formalin test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soghra Borneh Deli
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Samira Iman Bonab
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Roghaieh Khakpay
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Khakpai
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Bononi G, Di Stefano M, Poli G, Ortore G, Meier P, Masetto F, Caligiuri I, Rizzolio F, Macchia M, Chicca A, Avan A, Giovannetti E, Vagaggini C, Brai A, Dreassi E, Valoti M, Minutolo F, Granchi C, Gertsch J, Tuccinardi T. Reversible Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibitors: Discovery of a New Class of Benzylpiperidine Derivatives. J Med Chem 2022; 65:7118-7140. [PMID: 35522977 PMCID: PMC9150076 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Monoacylglycerol
lipase (MAGL) is the enzyme responsible for the
metabolism of 2-arachidonoylglycerol in the brain and the hydrolysis
of peripheral monoacylglycerols. Many studies demonstrated beneficial
effects deriving from MAGL inhibition for neurodegenerative diseases,
inflammatory pathologies, and cancer. MAGL expression is increased
in invasive tumors, furnishing free fatty acids as pro-tumorigenic
signals and for tumor cell growth. Here, a new class of benzylpiperidine-based
MAGL inhibitors was synthesized, leading to the identification of 13, which showed potent reversible and selective MAGL inhibition.
Associated with MAGL overexpression and the prognostic role in pancreatic
cancer, derivative 13 showed antiproliferative activity
and apoptosis induction, as well as the ability to reduce cell migration
in primary pancreatic cancer cultures, and displayed a synergistic
interaction with the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine. These results
suggest that the class of benzylpiperidine-based MAGL inhibitors have
potential as a new class of therapeutic agents and MAGL could play
a role in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Bononi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Miriana Di Stefano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro, 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giulio Poli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriella Ortore
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Philip Meier
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Masetto
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam, DeBoelelaan 1117, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Isabella Caligiuri
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy.,Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University, 30123 Venezia, Italy
| | - Marco Macchia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Chicca
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Amir Avan
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad 91886-17871, Iran
| | - Elisa Giovannetti
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam, DeBoelelaan 1117, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Cancer Pharmacology Lab, Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, via Giovannini 13, 56017 San Giuliano Terme, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Vagaggini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro, 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Annalaura Brai
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro, 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Elena Dreassi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro, 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Massimo Valoti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro, 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Filippo Minutolo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Center for Instrument Sharing of the University of Pisa (CISUP), Lungarno Pacinotti 43, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Carlotta Granchi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Center for Instrument Sharing of the University of Pisa (CISUP), Lungarno Pacinotti 43, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tiziano Tuccinardi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Center for Instrument Sharing of the University of Pisa (CISUP), Lungarno Pacinotti 43, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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7
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Jaiswal S, Akhilesh, Uniyal A, Tiwari V, Raja Ayyannan S. Synthesis and evaluation of dual fatty acid amide hydrolase-monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition and antinociceptive activities of 4-methylsulfonylaniline-derived semicarbazones. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 60:116698. [PMID: 35296453 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) are promising targets for neuropathic pain and other CNS disorders. Based on our previous lead compound SIH 3, we designed and synthesized a series of 4-methylsulfonylphenyl semicarbazones and evaluated for FAAH and MAGL inhibition properties. Most of the compounds showed potency towards both enzymes with leading FAAH selectivity. Compound (Z)-2-(2,6-dichlorobenzylidene)-N-(4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl)hydrazine-1-carboxamide emerged as the lead inhibitor against both FAAH (IC50 = 11 nM) and MAGL (IC50 = 36 nM). The lead inhibitor inhibited FAAH by non-competitive mode, but showed a mixed-type inhibition against MAGL. Molecular docking study unveiled that the docked ligands bind favorably to the active sites of FAAH and MAGL. The lead inhibitor interacted with FAAH and MAGL via π-π stacking via phenyl ring and hydrogen bonding through sulfonyl oxygen atoms or amide NH. Moreover, the stability of docked complexes was rationalized by molecular simulation studies. PAMPA assay revealed that the lead compound is suitable for blood-brain penetration. The lead compound showed better cell viability in lipopolysaccharide-induced neurotoxicity assay in SH-SY5Y cell lines. Further, in-vivo experiments unveiled that dual inhibitor was safe up to 2000 mg/kg with no hepatotoxicity. The dual FAAH-MAGL inhibitor produced significant anti-nociceptive effect in the CCI model of neuropathic pain without altering locomotion activity. Lastly, the lead compound exhibited promising ex-vivo FAAH/MAGL inhibition activity at the dose of 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg. Thus, these findings suggest that the semicarbazone-based lead compound can be a potential template for the development of agents for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Jaiswal
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory II, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi - 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Akhilesh
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ankit Uniyal
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vinod Tiwari
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Senthil Raja Ayyannan
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory II, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi - 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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8
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Iozzo M, Sgrignani G, Comito G, Chiarugi P, Giannoni E. Endocannabinoid System and Tumour Microenvironment: New Intertwined Connections for Anticancer Approaches. Cells 2021; 10:cells10123396. [PMID: 34943903 PMCID: PMC8699381 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumour microenvironment (TME) is now recognised as a hallmark of cancer, since tumour:stroma crosstalk supports the key steps of tumour growth and progression. The dynamic co-evolution of the tumour and stromal compartments may alter the surrounding microenvironment, including the composition in metabolites and signalling mediators. A growing number of evidence reports the involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in cancer. ECS is composed by a complex network of ligands, receptors, and enzymes, which act in synergy and contribute to several physiological but also pathological processes. Several in vitro and in vivo evidence show that ECS deregulation in cancer cells affects proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and metastatic potential. Although it is still an evolving research, recent experimental evidence also suggests that ECS can modulate the functional behaviour of several components of the TME, above all the immune cells, endothelial cells and stromal components. However, the role of ECS in the tumour:stroma interplay remains unclear and research in this area is particularly intriguing. This review aims to shed light on the latest relevant findings of the tumour response to ECS modulation, encouraging a more in-depth analysis in this field. Novel discoveries could be promising for novel anti-tumour approaches, targeting the microenvironmental components and the supportive tumour:stroma crosstalk, thereby hindering tumour development.
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Hossain MZ, Ando H, Unno S, Kitagawa J. Targeting Peripherally Restricted Cannabinoid Receptor 1, Cannabinoid Receptor 2, and Endocannabinoid-Degrading Enzymes for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain Including Neuropathic Orofacial Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E1423. [PMID: 32093166 PMCID: PMC7073137 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain conditions including neuropathic orofacial pain (NOP) are difficult to treat. Contemporary therapeutic agents for neuropathic pain are often ineffective in relieving pain and are associated with various adverse effects. Finding new options for treating neuropathic pain is a major priority in pain-related research. Cannabinoid-based therapeutic strategies have emerged as promising new options. Cannabinoids mainly act on cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2) receptors, and the former is widely distributed in the brain. The therapeutic significance of cannabinoids is masked by their adverse effects including sedation, motor impairment, addiction and cognitive impairment, which are thought to be mediated by CB1 receptors in the brain. Alternative approaches have been developed to overcome this problem by selectively targeting CB2 receptors, peripherally restricted CB1 receptors and endocannabinoids that may be locally synthesized on demand at sites where their actions are pertinent. Many preclinical studies have reported that these strategies are effective for treating neuropathic pain and produce no or minimal side effects. Recently, we observed that inhibition of degradation of a major endocannabinoid, 2-arachydonoylglycerol, can attenuate NOP following trigeminal nerve injury in mice. This review will discuss the above-mentioned alternative approaches that show potential for treating neuropathic pain including NOP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zakir Hossain
- Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, Matsumoto Dental University, 1780 Gobara Hirooka, Shiojiri, Nagano 399-0781, Japan; (S.U.); (J.K.)
| | - Hiroshi Ando
- Department of Biology, School of Dentistry, Matsumoto Dental University, 1780 Gobara, Hirooka, Shiojiri, Nagano 399-0781, Japan;
| | - Shumpei Unno
- Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, Matsumoto Dental University, 1780 Gobara Hirooka, Shiojiri, Nagano 399-0781, Japan; (S.U.); (J.K.)
| | - Junichi Kitagawa
- Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, Matsumoto Dental University, 1780 Gobara Hirooka, Shiojiri, Nagano 399-0781, Japan; (S.U.); (J.K.)
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Alsalem M, Altarifi A, Haddad M, Aldossary SA, Kalbouneh H, Aldaoud N, Saleh T, El-Salem K. Antinociceptive and Abuse Potential Effects of Cannabinoid/Opioid Combinations in a Chronic Pain Model in Rats. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9110328. [PMID: 31744226 PMCID: PMC6896179 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9110328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is a persistent and debilitating health problem. Although the use of analgesics such as opioids is useful in mitigating pain, their prolonged use is associated with unwanted effects including abuse liability. This study assesses the antinociceptive effect of combining subtherapeutic doses of two opioids (morphine or tramadol) with the synthetic cannabinoid CP55940 (2-[(1R,2R,5R)-5-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxypropyl)cyclohexyl]-5-(2-methyloctan -2-yl)phenol). It also evaluates the associated adverse effects of these drugs and combinations. Adult male rats were injected with intraplantar complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) to produce mechanical allodyia. Antinociceptive effect of morphine, tramadol, the synthetic cannabinoid CP55940, or their combinations was evaluated three to nine days post-CFA injections. Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) was utilized to evaluate the abuse liability of these drugs or their combinations. All drugs alone produced a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect. Morphine produced minimal effect on ICSS, but both tramadol and CP55940 produced dose-dependent depression of ICSS. Morphine at a dose of 0.32 mg/kg enhanced the antinociceptive effects of CP55940, in that, CP55940 produced antinociception at a lower dose (0.1 mg/kg) when compared to the vehicle. The aforementioned combinations did not change CP55940-induced depression of ICSS. On the other hand, tramadol failed to enhance the antinociceptive effect of CP55940. Our data suggest that combining CP55940 with morphine, but not tramadol, shows a better antinociceptive profile with no additional risk of abuse liability, which represents a potential pain management approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Alsalem
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.K.); (N.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ahmad Altarifi
- Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan; (A.A.); (K.E.-S.)
| | - Mansour Haddad
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Philadelphia University, Amman 19392, Jordan;
| | - Sara A. Aldossary
- Faculty of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Heba Kalbouneh
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.K.); (N.A.)
| | - Nour Aldaoud
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.K.); (N.A.)
| | - Tareq Saleh
- Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13133, Jordan;
| | - Khalid El-Salem
- Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan; (A.A.); (K.E.-S.)
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Paulsen RT, Burrell BD. Comparative studies of endocannabinoid modulation of pain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190279. [PMID: 31544609 PMCID: PMC6790382 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid-based therapies have long been used to treat pain, but there remain questions about their actual mechanisms and efficacy. From an evolutionary perspective, the cannabinoid system would appear to be highly conserved given that the most prevalent endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) transmitters, 2-arachidonyl glycerol and anandamide, have been found throughout the animal kingdom, at least in the species that have been analysed to date. This review will first examine recent findings regarding the potential conservation across invertebrates and chordates of the enzymes responsible for endocannabinoid synthesis and degradation and the receptors that these transmitters act on. Next, comparisons of how endocannabinoids modulate nociception will be examined for commonalities between vertebrates and invertebrates, with a focus on the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana. Evidence is presented that there are distinct, evolutionarily conserved anti-nociceptive and pro-nociceptive effects. The combined studies across various animal phyla demonstrate the utility of using comparative approaches to understand conserved mechanisms for modulating nociception. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian D. Burrell
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Nanotechnology, and Networks Program, Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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12
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Barrie N, Manolios N. The endocannabinoid system in pain and inflammation: Its relevance to rheumatic disease. Eur J Rheumatol 2017; 4:210-218. [PMID: 29164003 DOI: 10.5152/eurjrheum.2017.17025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is the most common manifestation of both acute and chronic inflammation that often challenges patients with rheumatic disease. Simply, we attribute this to local joint changes of pH in joints, the formation of radicals, enhanced joint pressure, or cytokine release acting on local nerves to produce pain. However, there is a more complex interplay of interactions between cytokines, mediators of inflammation, and ion channels that influence the final immune response and our perception of pain. Endocannabinoids, a group of less well-known endogenous bioactive lipids, have such manifold immunomodulatory effects able to influence both inflammation and pain. In this review, we overview the endocannabinoid system, its role in pain, inflammation, and immune regulation, and highlight the emerging challenges and therapeutic hopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Barrie
- Department of Rheumatology, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicholas Manolios
- Department of Rheumatology, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
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13
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Radiosynthesis and evaluation of new PET ligands for peripheral cannabinoid receptor type 1 imaging. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:4114-4117. [PMID: 28757061 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.07.040] [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: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) is mainly expressed in the brain, as well as being expressed in functional relevant concentrations in various peripheral tissues. 1-(4-Chlorophenyl)-3-(3-(6-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pyridin-2-yl)phenyl)urea (PSNCBAM-1, 1) was developed as a potent allosteric antagonist for CB1 and its oral administration led to reductions in the appetite and body weight of rats. Several analogs of 1 (compounds 2 and 3) were recently identified through a series of structure-activity relationship studies. Herein, we report the synthesis of radiolabeled analogs of these compounds using [11C]COCl2 and an evaluation of their potential as PET ligands for CB1 imaging using in vitro and in vivo techniques. [11C]2 and [11C]3 were successfully synthesized in two steps using [11C]COCl2. The radiochemical yields of [11C]2 and [11C]3 were 17±8% and 20±9% (decay-corrected to the end of bombardment, based on [11C]CO2). The specific activities of [11C]2 and [11C]3 were 42±36 and 37±13GBq/μmol, respectively. The results of an in vitro binding assay using brown adipose tissue (BAT) homogenate showed that the binding affinity of 2 for CB1 (KD=15.3µM) was much higher than that of 3 (KD=26.0µM). PET studies with [11C]2 showed a high uptake of radioactivity in BAT, which decreased in animals pretreated with AM281 (a selective antagonist for CB1). In conclusion, [11C]2 may be a useful PET ligand for imaging peripheral CB1 in BAT.
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14
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Carey LM, Slivicki RA, Leishman E, Cornett B, Mackie K, Bradshaw H, Hohmann AG. A pro-nociceptive phenotype unmasked in mice lacking fatty-acid amide hydrolase. Mol Pain 2016; 12:12/0/1744806916649192. [PMID: 27178246 PMCID: PMC4956176 DOI: 10.1177/1744806916649192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is the major enzyme responsible for degradation of anandamide, an endocannabinoid. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic deletion of FAAH (FAAH KO) produces antinociception in preclinical pain models that is largely attributed to anandamide-induced activation of cannabinoid receptors. However, FAAH metabolizes a wide range of structurally related, biologically active lipid signaling molecules whose functions remain largely unknown. Some of these endogenous lipids, including anandamide itself, may exert pro-nociceptive effects under certain conditions. In our study, FAAH KO mice exhibited a characteristic analgesic phenotype in the tail flick test and in both formalin and carrageenan models of inflammatory nociception. Nonetheless, intradermal injection of the transient receptor potential channel V1 (TRPV1) agonist capsaicin increased nocifensive behavior as well as mechanical and heat hypersensitivity in FAAH KO relative to wild-type mice. This pro-nociceptive phenotype was accompanied by increases in capsaicin-evoked Fos-like immunoreactive (FLI) cells in spinal dorsal horn regions implicated in nociceptive processing and was attenuated by CB1 (AM251) and TRPV1 (AMG9810) antagonists. When central sensitization was established, FAAH KO mice displayed elevated levels of anandamide, other fatty-acid amides, and endogenous TRPV1 agonists in both paw skin and lumbar spinal cord relative to wild-type mice. Capsaicin decreased spinal cord 2-AG levels and increased arachidonic acid and prostaglandin E2 levels in both spinal cord and paw skin irrespective of genotype. Our studies identify a previously unrecognized pro-nociceptive phenotype in FAAH KO mice that was unmasked by capsaicin challenge. The heightened nociceptive response was mediated by CB1 and TRPV1 receptors and accompanied by enhanced spinal neuronal activation. Moreover, genetic deletion of FAAH has a profound impact on the peripheral and central lipidome. Thus, genetic deletion of FAAH may predispose animals to increased sensitivity to certain types of pain. More work is necessary to determine whether such changes could explain the lack of efficacy of FAAH inhibitors in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence M Carey
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Richard A Slivicki
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Emma Leishman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Ben Cornett
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Ken Mackie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Heather Bradshaw
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Andrea G Hohmann
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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15
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Rezaei M, Rajabi Vardanjani H, Pashmforoosh M, Alipour D, Nesari A, Mansourzade Z, Khodayar MJ. Involvement of Spinal CB1 Cannabinoid Receptors on the Antinociceptive Effect of Celecoxib in Rat Formalin Test. Jundishapur J Nat Pharm Prod 2016. [DOI: 10.17795/jjnpp-33433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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16
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Mohammad-Pour Kargar H, Azizi H, Mirnajafi-Zadeh J, Ali Reza M, Semnanian S. Microinjection of orexin-A into the rat locus coeruleus nucleus induces analgesia via cannabinoid type-1 receptors. Brain Res 2015; 1624:424-432. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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17
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Ford GK, Moriarty O, Okine BN, Tully E, Mulcahy A, Harhen B, Finn DP. Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in attentional modulation of nociceptive behaviour in rats. Eur J Pain 2014; 19:1177-85. [PMID: 25504741 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Distraction is used clinically to relieve and manage pain. It is hypothesized that pain demands attention and that exposure to another attention-demanding stimulus causes withdrawal of attention away from painful stimuli, thereby reducing perceived pain. We have recently developed a rat model that provides an opportunity to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms mediating distraction-induced analgesia, as these mechanisms are, at present, poorly understood. Given the well-described role of the endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid; EC) system in the modulation of pain and attentional processing, the present study investigated its role in distraction-induced antinociception in rats. METHODS Animals received the CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist, rimonabant or vehicle intraperitoneally, 30 min prior to behavioural evaluation. Formalin-evoked nociceptive behaviour was measured in the presence or absence of a novel-object distractor. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the levels of the endogenous cannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in the ventral hippocampus (vHip). RESULTS Exposure to a novel object distractor significantly reduced formalin-evoked nociceptive behaviour. The novel object-induced reduction in nociceptive behaviour was attenuated by rimonabant. Novel object exposure was also associated with increased tissue levels of anandamide and 2-AG in the vHip. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the reduction in formalin-evoked nociceptive behaviour that occurs as a result of exposure to a novel object may be mediated by engagement of the EC system, in particular in the vHip. The results provide evidence that the EC system may be an important neural substrate subserving attentional modulation of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- G K Ford
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway.,NCBES Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway.,Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland, Galway
| | - O Moriarty
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway.,NCBES Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway.,Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland, Galway
| | - B N Okine
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway.,NCBES Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway.,Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland, Galway
| | - E Tully
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway
| | - A Mulcahy
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway
| | - B Harhen
- NCBES Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway.,Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland, Galway
| | - D P Finn
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway.,NCBES Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway.,Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland, Galway
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18
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Hu SSJ, Ho YC, Chiou LC. No more pain upon Gq-protein-coupled receptor activation: role of endocannabinoids. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 39:467-84. [PMID: 24494686 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2013] [Revised: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Marijuana has been used to relieve pain for centuries. The analgesic mechanism of its constituents, the cannabinoids, was only revealed after the discovery of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) two decades ago. The subsequent identification of the endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and their biosynthetic and degradation enzymes discloses the therapeutic potential of compounds targeting the endocannabinoid system for pain control. Inhibitors of the anandamide and 2-AG degradation enzymes, fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase, respectively, may be superior to direct cannabinoid receptor ligands as endocannabinoids are synthesized on demand and rapidly degraded, focusing action at generating sites. Recently, a promising strategy for pain relief was revealed in the periaqueductal gray (PAG). It is initiated by Gq-protein-coupled receptor (Gq PCR) activation of the phospholipase C-diacylglycerol lipase enzymatic cascade, generating 2-AG that produces inhibition of GABAergic transmission (disinhibition) in the PAG, thereby leading to analgesia. Here, we introduce the antinociceptive properties of exogenous cannabinoids and endocannabinoids, involving their biosynthesis and degradation processes, particularly in the PAG. We also review recent studies disclosing the Gq PCR-phospholipase C-diacylglycerol lipase-2-AG retrograde disinhibition mechanism in the PAG, induced by activating several Gq PCRs, including metabotropic glutamatergic (type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor), muscarinic acetylcholine (M1/M3), and orexin 1 receptors. Disinhibition mediated by type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor can be initiated by glutamate transporter inhibitors or indirectly by substance P, neurotensin, cholecystokinin and capsaicin. Finally, the putative role of 2-AG generated after activating the above neurotransmitter receptors in stress-induced analgesia is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherry Shu-Jung Hu
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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19
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Lau BK, Drew GM, Mitchell VA, Vaughan CW. Endocannabinoid modulation by FAAH and monoacylglycerol lipase within the analgesic circuitry of the periaqueductal grey. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 171:5225-36. [PMID: 25041240 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) in the periaqueductal grey (PAG) play a vital role in mediating stress-induced analgesia. This analgesic effect of endocannabinoids is enhanced by pharmacological inhibition of their degradative enzymes. However, the specific effects of endocannabinoids and the inhibitors of their degradation are largely unknown within this pain-modulating region. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH In vitro electrophysiological recordings were conducted from PAG neurons in rat midbrain slices. The effects of the major endocannabinoids and their degradation inhibitors on inhibitory GABAergic synaptic transmission were examined. KEY RESULTS Exogenous application of the endocannabinoid, anandamide (AEA), but not 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), produced a reduction in inhibitory GABAergic transmission in PAG neurons. This AEA-induced suppression of inhibition was enhanced by the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor, URB597, whereas a 2-AG-induced suppression of inhibition was unmasked by the monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) inhibitor, JZL184. In addition, application of the CB1 receptor antagonist, AM251, facilitated the basal GABAergic transmission in the presence of URB597 and JZL184, which was further enhanced by the dual FAAH/MGL inhibitor, JZL195. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our results indicate that AEA and 2-AG act via disinhibition within the PAG, a cellular action consistent with analgesia. These actions of AEA and 2-AG are tightly regulated by their respective degradative enzymes, FAAH and MGL. Furthermore, individual or combined inhibition of FAAH and/or MGL enhanced tonic disinhibition within the PAG. Therefore, the current findings support the therapeutic potential of FAAH and MGL inhibitors as a novel pharmacotherapy for pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin K Lau
- Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
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20
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Keimpema E, Hökfelt T, Harkany T, Doherty P. The molecular interplay between endocannabinoid and neurotrophin signals in the nervous system and beyond. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 39:334-43. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Revised: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Keimpema
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology; Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics; Karolinska Institutet; Scheeles väg 1:A1 SE-17177 Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience; Center for Brain Research; Medical University of Vienna; Spitalgasse 4 A-1090 Vienna Austria
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Tibor Harkany
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology; Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics; Karolinska Institutet; Scheeles väg 1:A1 SE-17177 Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience; Center for Brain Research; Medical University of Vienna; Spitalgasse 4 A-1090 Vienna Austria
| | - Patrick Doherty
- Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases; King's College London; London SE1 9RT UK
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Rea K, Olango WM, Okine BN, Madasu MK, McGuire IC, Coyle K, Harhen B, Roche M, Finn DP. Impaired endocannabinoid signalling in the rostral ventromedial medulla underpins genotype-dependent hyper-responsivity to noxious stimuli. Pain 2014; 155:69-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2013] [Revised: 08/18/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Chiou LC, Hu SSJ, Ho YC. Targeting the cannabinoid system for pain relief? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 51:161-70. [PMID: 24529672 DOI: 10.1016/j.aat.2013.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Marijuana has been used to relieve pain for centuries, but its analgesic mechanism has only been understood during the past two decades. It is mainly mediated by its constituents, cannabinoids, through activating central cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors, as well as peripheral CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB2-selective agonists have the benefit of lacking CB1 receptor-mediated CNS side effects. Anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are two intensively studied endogenous lipid ligands of cannabinoid receptors, termed endocannabinoids, which are synthesized on demand and rapidly degraded. Thus, inhibitors of their degradation enzymes, fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), respectively, may be superior to direct cannabinoid receptor ligands as a promising strategy for pain relief. In addition to the antinociceptive properties of exogenous cannabinoids and endocannabinoids, involving their biosynthesis and degradation processes, we also review recent studies that revealed a novel analgesic mechanism, involving 2-AG in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a midbrain region for initiating descending pain inhibition. It is initiated by Gq-protein-coupled receptor (GqPCR) activation of the phospholipase C (PLC)-diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL) enzymatic cascade, generating 2-AG that produces inhibition of GABAergic transmission (disinhibition) in the PAG, thereby leading to analgesia. This GqPCR-PLC-DAGL-2-AG retrograde disinhibition mechanism in the PAG can be initiated by activating type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR5), muscarinic acetylcholine (M1/M3), and orexin (OX1) receptors. mGluR5-mediated disinhibition can be initiated by glutamate transporter inhibitors, or indirectly by substance P, neurotensin, cholecystokinin, capsaicin, and AM404, the bioactive metabolite of acetaminophen in the brain. The putative role of 2-AG generated after activating the above neurotransmitter receptors in stress-induced analgesia is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lih-Chu Chiou
- Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Sherry Shu-Jung Hu
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Cheng Ho
- Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Evidence for a role of GABAergic and glutamatergic signalling in the basolateral amygdala in endocannabinoid-mediated fear-conditioned analgesia in rats. Pain 2013; 154:576-585. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2012.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Revised: 08/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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24
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Reis GML, Ramos MA, Pacheco DDF, Klein A, Perez AC, Duarte IDG. Endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist anandamide induces peripheral antinociception by activation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels. Life Sci 2011; 88:653-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2011.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2010] [Revised: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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25
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Katsuyama S, Mizoguchi H, Komatsu T, Nagaoka K, Sakurada S, Sakurada T. The cannabinoid 1 receptor antagonist AM251 produces nocifensive behavior via activation of ERK signaling pathway. Neuropharmacology 2010; 59:534-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2010] [Revised: 07/06/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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26
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Comelli F, Bettoni I, Colombo A, Fumagalli P, Giagnoni G, Costa B. Rimonabant, a cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, attenuates mechanical allodynia and counteracts oxidative stress and nerve growth factor deficit in diabetic mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2010; 637:62-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.03.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2009] [Revised: 03/09/2010] [Accepted: 03/31/2010] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Guindon J, Hohmann AG. The endocannabinoid system and pain. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2009; 8:403-21. [PMID: 19839937 DOI: 10.2174/187152709789824660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 307] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2009] [Accepted: 06/24/2009] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids has been the topic of extensive investigation following the discovery of cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands. Cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands are present at supraspinal, spinal and peripheral levels. Cannabinoids suppress behavioral responses to noxious stimulation and suppress nociceptive processing through activation of cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) receptor subtypes. Endocannabinoids, the brain's own cannabis-like substances, share the same molecular target as Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive component in cannabis. Endocannabinoids serve as synaptic circuit breakers and regulate multiple physiological and pathological conditions, e.g. regulation of food intake, immunomodulation, inflammation, analgesia, cancer, addictive behavior, epilepsy and others. This review will focus on uncovering the roles of anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, the two best characterized endocannabinoids identified to date, in controlling nociceptive responding. The roles of anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, released under physiological conditions, in modulating nociceptive responding at different levels of the neuraxis will be emphasized in this review. Effects of modulation of endocannabinoid levels through inhibition of endocannabinoid hydrolysis and uptake is also compared with effects of exogenous administration of synthetic endocannabinoids in acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain models. Finally, the therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid signaling system is discussed in the context of identifying novel pharmacotherapies for the treatment of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josée Guindon
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-3013, USA
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28
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Pillarisetti S, Alexander CW, Khanna I. Pain and beyond: fatty acid amides and fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Drug Discov Today 2009; 14:1098-111. [PMID: 19716430 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2009.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2009] [Revised: 08/12/2009] [Accepted: 08/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is responsible for the hydrolysis of several important endogenous fatty acid amides (FAAs), including anandamide, oleoylethanolamide and palmitoylethanolamide. Because specific FAAs interact with cannabinoid and vanilloid receptors, they are often referred to as 'endocannabinoids' or 'endovanilloids'. Initial interest in this area, therefore, has focused on developing FAAH inhibitors to augment the actions of FAAs and reduce pain. However, recent literature has shown that these FAAs - through interactions with unique receptors (extracellular and intracellular) - can induce a diverse array of effects that include appetite suppression, modulation of lipid and glucose metabolism, vasodilation, cardiac function and inflammation. This review gives an overview of FAAs and diverse FAAH inhibitors and their potential therapeutic utility in pain and non-pain indications.
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Abstract
Cannabinoids and opioids produce antinociceptive synergy. Cannabinoids such as Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) release endogenous opioids and endocannabinoids such as anandamide (AEA) also alter endogenous opioid tone. Opioids and cannabinoids bind distinct receptors that co-localize in areas of the brain involved with the processing of pain signals. Therefore, it is logical to look at interactions of these two systems in the modulation of both acute and chronic pain. These drugs are often co-abused. In addition, the lack of continued effectiveness of opioids due to tolerance development limits the use of such drugs. The cost to society and patients in terms of dollars, loss of productivity, as well as quality of life, is staggering. This review summarizes the data indicating that with cannabinoid/opioid therapy one may be able to produce long-term antinociceptive effects at doses devoid of substantial side effects, while preventing the neuronal biochemical changes that accompany tolerance. The clinical utility of modulators of the endocannabinoid system as a potential mimic for THC-like drugs in analgesia and tolerance-sparing effects of opioids is a critical future direction also addressed in the review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra P Welch
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0524, USA.
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Kano M, Ohno-Shosaku T, Hashimotodani Y, Uchigashima M, Watanabe M. Endocannabinoid-mediated control of synaptic transmission. Physiol Rev 2009; 89:309-80. [PMID: 19126760 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00019.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1048] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of cannabinoid receptors and subsequent identification of their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids) in early 1990s have greatly accelerated research on cannabinoid actions in the brain. Then, the discovery in 2001 that endocannabinoids mediate retrograde synaptic signaling has opened up a new era for cannabinoid research and also established a new concept how diffusible messengers modulate synaptic efficacy and neural activity. The last 7 years have witnessed remarkable advances in our understanding of the endocannabinoid system. It is now well accepted that endocannabinoids are released from postsynaptic neurons, activate presynaptic cannabinoid CB(1) receptors, and cause transient and long-lasting reduction of neurotransmitter release. In this review, we aim to integrate our current understanding of functions of the endocannabinoid system, especially focusing on the control of synaptic transmission in the brain. We summarize recent electrophysiological studies carried out on synapses of various brain regions and discuss how synaptic transmission is regulated by endocannabinoid signaling. Then we refer to recent anatomical studies on subcellular distribution of the molecules involved in endocannabinoid signaling and discuss how these signaling molecules are arranged around synapses. In addition, we make a brief overview of studies on cannabinoid receptors and their intracellular signaling, biochemical studies on endocannabinoid metabolism, and behavioral studies on the roles of the endocannabinoid system in various aspects of neural functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanobu Kano
- Department of Neurophysiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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31
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Modulation of opioids via protection of anandamide degradation by fatty acid amide hydrolase. Eur J Pharmacol 2008; 600:50-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2008.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2008] [Revised: 07/29/2008] [Accepted: 08/08/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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32
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A decrease in anandamide signaling contributes to the maintenance of cutaneous mechanical hyperalgesia in a model of bone cancer pain. J Neurosci 2008; 28:11141-52. [PMID: 18971457 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2847-08.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumors in bone are associated with pain in humans. Data generated in a murine model of bone cancer pain suggest that a disturbance of local endocannabinoid signaling contributes to the pain. When tumors formed after injection of osteolytic fibrosarcoma cells into the calcaneus bone of mice, cutaneous mechanical hyperalgesia was associated with a decrease in the level of anandamide (AEA) in plantar paw skin ipsilateral to tumors. The decrease in AEA occurred in conjunction with increased degradation of AEA by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Intraplantar injection of AEA reduced the hyperalgesia, and intraplantar injection of URB597, an inhibitor of FAAH, increased the local level of AEA and also reduced hyperalgesia. An increase in FAAH mRNA and enzyme activity in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) L3-L5 ipsilateral to the affected paw suggests DRG neurons contribute to the increased FAAH activity in skin in tumor-bearing mice. Importantly, the anti-hyperalgesic effects of AEA and URB597 were blocked by a CB1 receptor antagonist. Increased expression of CB1 receptors by DRG neurons ipsilateral to tumor-bearing limbs may contribute to the anti-hyperalgesic effect of elevated AEA levels. Furthermore, CB1 receptor protein-immunoreactivity as well as inhibitory effects of AEA and URB597 on the depolarization-evoked Ca(2+) transient were increased in small DRG neurons cocultured with fibrosarcoma cells indicating that fibrosarcoma cells are sufficient to evoke phenotypic changes in AEA signaling in DRG neurons. Together, the data provide evidence that manipulation of peripheral endocannabinoid signaling is a promising strategy for the management of bone cancer pain.
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Mitchell VA, Greenwood R, Jayamanne A, Vaughan CW. Actions of the endocannabinoid transport inhibitor AM404 in neuropathic and inflammatory pain models. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2007; 34:1186-90. [PMID: 17880375 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2007.04692.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Although cannabinoid receptor agonists have analgesic activity in chronic pain states, they produce a spectrum of central cannabinoid CB(1) receptor-mediated motor and psychotropic side-effects. The actions of endocannabinoids, such as anandamide, are terminated by uptake and subsequent intracellular enzymatic degradation. In the present study, we examined the effect of acute administration of the anandamide transport inhibitor AM404 in rat models of chronic neuropathic and inflammatory pain. 2. Systemic administration of AM404 (10 mg/kg) reduced mechanical allodynia in the partial sciatic nerve ligation (PNL) model of neuropathic pain, but not in the complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) model of inflammatory pain. 3. The effect of AM404 in the PNL model was abolished by coapplication with the selective cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist AM251 (1 mg/kg). AM404 did not produce a reduction in motor performance in either the PNL or CFA models. 4. These findings suggest that acute administration of AM404 reduces allodynia in a neuropathic pain model via cannabinoid CB(1) receptor activation, without causing the undesirable motor disruption associated with cannabinoid receptor agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A Mitchell
- Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
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Roche M, O'Connor E, Diskin C, Finn DP. The effect of CB1 receptor antagonism in the right basolateral amygdala on conditioned fear and associated analgesia in rats. Eur J Neurosci 2007; 26:2643-53. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05861.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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35
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Wang S, Lim G, Mao J, Sung B, Yang L, Mao J. Central glucocorticoid receptors regulate the upregulation of spinal cannabinoid-1 receptors after peripheral nerve injury in rats. Pain 2007; 131:96-105. [PMID: 17258396 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2006] [Revised: 11/21/2006] [Accepted: 12/19/2006] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that peripheral nerve injury upregulated both glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and cannabinoid-1 receptors (CB1R) within the spinal cord dorsal horn in rats. However, the relationship between the expression of spinal GR and CB1R after nerve injury remains unclear. Here, we examined the hypothesis that the upregulation of spinal CB1R induced by chronic constriction nerve injury (CCI) in rats would be regulated by spinal GR. CCI induced the upregulation of spinal CB1R primarily within the ipsilateral spinal cord dorsal horn as revealed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The expression of CB1R in CCI rats was substantially attenuated by intrathecal treatment with either the GR antagonist RU38486 or a GR antisense oligonucleotide given twice daily for postoperative day 1-6, whereas the expression of spinal CB1R was enhanced following intrathecal administration of a GR sense oligonucleotide twice daily for postoperative day 1-6. Furthermore, the upregulation of spinal CB1R after nerve injury was prevented in adrenalectomized rats, which was at least partially restored with the intrathecal administration of an exogenous GR agonist dexamethasone, indicating that corticosteroids (endogenous GR agonists) were critical to spinal GR actions. Since the development of neuropathic pain behaviors in CCI rats was attenuated by either RU38486 or a GR antisense oligonucleotide, these results suggest that CB1R is a downstream target for spinal GR actions contributory to the mechanisms of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxing Wang
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Division of Pain Medicine, WACC 324, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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36
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Hasanein P, Parviz M, Keshavarz M, Javanmardi K. CB1 RECEPTOR ACTIVATION IN THE BASOLATERAL AMYGDALA PRODUCES ANTINOCICEPTION IN ANIMAL MODELS OF ACUTE AND TONIC NOCICEPTION. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2007; 34:439-49. [PMID: 17439413 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2007.04592.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
1. Recent studies have suggested that the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) participates in the processing of pain information, especially noxious somatic information. Cannabinoid receptors or CB1 mRNA are expressed more in the BLA than in other nuclei of the amygdala. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine whether CB1 receptors in the BLA may be involved in modulating acute and/or tonic nociceptive processing. 2. Adult rats were exposed to intra-BLA microinjection of the cannabinoid receptor agonist (R)-(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4-morpholinylmethyl) pyrrolo [1,2,3,-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl]-1-naphthalenylmethanone mesylate [WIN 55,212-2 (1, 2.5, 5 or 10 microg/side)] and subjected to the tail flick and formalin tests. 3. The rats demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in latency to withdraw from a thermal noxious stimulus in the tail flick test and a decrease in formalin-induced pain behaviours. The antinociceptive effects of the CB1 receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 (10 microg/side) in both tests were attenuated in the presence of the selective CB1 receptor antagonist, N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-iodophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3- carboxamide (AM251; 0.55 ng/side). Administration of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (0.55, 5.5, or 55.5 ng/side) alone did not alter the nociceptive thresholds in either test. Bilateral microinjection of the selective CB2 receptor antagonist N-[(1S)-endo-1,3,3-trimethyl bicyclo [2.2.1] heptan-2-yl]-5-(4-chloro-3-methylphenyl)-1-(4-methylbenzyl)-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (SR144528; 1 microg/side) had no effect on the antinociception produced by WIN 55,212-2, suggesting that the antinociceptive actions of WIN 55,212-2 are mediated by CB1 receptors. 4. The findings suggest the existence of a CB1-mediated inhibitory system in the BLA that, when activated, can diminish responsivity to acute and tonic noxious stimuli, but that normally has no tonic effect on the response threshold of these stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Hasanein
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran
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37
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Russo R, Loverme J, La Rana G, Compton TR, Parrott J, Duranti A, Tontini A, Mor M, Tarzia G, Calignano A, Piomelli D. The fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597 (cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3'-carbamoylbiphenyl-3-yl ester) reduces neuropathic pain after oral administration in mice. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2007; 322:236-42. [PMID: 17412883 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.107.119941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is an intracellular serine hydrolase that catalyzes the cleavage of bioactive fatty acid ethanolamides, such as the endogenous cannabinoid agonist anandamide. Genetic deletion of the faah gene in mice elevates brain anandamide levels and amplifies the antinociceptive effects of this compound. Likewise, pharmacological blockade of FAAH activity reduces nocifensive behavior in animal models of acute and inflammatory pain. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the selective FAAH inhibitor URB597 (KDS-4103, cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3'-carbamoylbiphenyl-3-yl ester) in the mouse chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. Oral administration of URB597 (1-50 mg/kg, once daily) for 4 days produced a dose-dependent reduction in nocifensive responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli, which was prevented by a single i.p. administration of the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist rimonabant (1 mg/kg). The antihyperalgesic effects of URB597 were accompanied by a reduction in plasma extravasation induced by CCI, which was prevented by rimonabant (1 mg/kg i.p.) and attenuated by the CB(2) antagonist SR144528 (1 mg/kg i.p.). Oral dosing with URB597 achieved significant, albeit transient, drug levels in plasma, inhibited brain FAAH activity, and elevated spinal cord anandamide content. The results provide new evidence for a role of the endocannabinoid system in pain modulation and reinforce the proposed role of FAAH as a target for analgesic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Russo
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, University of Naples, Italy
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38
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Jhaveri MD, Richardson D, Kendall DA, Barrett DA, Chapman V. Analgesic effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in a rat model of neuropathic pain. J Neurosci 2007; 26:13318-27. [PMID: 17182782 PMCID: PMC6674985 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3326-06.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid-based medicines have therapeutic potential for the treatment of pain. Augmentation of levels of endocannabinoids with inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is analgesic in models of acute and inflammatory pain states. The aim of this study was to determine whether local inhibition of FAAH alters nociceptive responses of spinal neurons in the spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain. Electrophysiological studies were performed 14-18 d after spinal nerve ligation or sham surgery, and the effects of the FAAH inhibitor cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3-carbamoyl biphenyl-3-yl ester (URB597) on mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons and levels of endocannabinoids were determined. Intraplantar URB597 (25 microg in 50 microl) significantly (p < 0.01) attenuated mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons in sham-operated rats. Effects of URB597 were blocked by the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1) antagonist AM251 [N-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-(4-iodophenyl)-4-methyl-N-1-piperidinyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide] (30 microg in 50 microl) and the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. URB597 treatment increased levels of anandamide, 2-arachidonyl glycerol, and oleoyl ethanolamide in the ipsilateral hindpaw of sham-operated rats. Intraplantar URB597 (25 microg in 50 microl) did not, however, alter mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons in spinal nerve ligated (SNL) rats or hindpaw levels of endocannabinoids. Intraplantar injection of a higher dose of URB597 (100 microg in 50 microl) significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated evoked responses of spinal neurons in SNL rats but did not alter hindpaw levels of endocannabinoids. Spinal administration of URB597 attenuated evoked responses of spinal neurons and elevated levels of endocannabinoids in sham-operated and SNL rats. These data suggest that peripheral FAAH activity may be altered or that alternative pathways of metabolism have greater importance in SNL rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maulik D Jhaveri
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG7 2UH, United Kingdom.
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39
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Jayamanne A, Greenwood R, Mitchell VA, Aslan S, Piomelli D, Vaughan CW. Actions of the FAAH inhibitor URB597 in neuropathic and inflammatory chronic pain models. Br J Pharmacol 2006; 147:281-8. [PMID: 16331291 PMCID: PMC1751298 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
While cannabinoid receptor agonists have analgesic activity in chronic pain states, they produce a spectrum of central CB(1) receptor-mediated motor and psychotropic side effects. The actions of endocannabinoids, such as anandamide are terminated by removal from the extracellular space, then subsequent enzymatic degradation by fatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). In the present study, we compared the effect of a selective FAAH inhibitor, URB597, to that of a pan-cannabinoid receptor agonist HU210 in rat models of chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Systemic administration of URB597 (0.3 mg kg(-1)) and HU210 (0.03 mg kg(-1)) both reduced the mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in the CFA model of inflammatory pain. In contrast, HU210, but not URB597, reduced mechanical allodynia in the partial sciatic nerve-ligation model of neuropathic pain. HU210, but not URB597, produced a reduction in motor performance in unoperated rats. The effects of URB597 in the CFA model were dose dependent and were reduced by coadministration with the cannabinoid CB1 antagonist AM251 (1 mg kg(-1)), or the CB2 and SR144528 (1 mg kg(-1)). Coadministration with AM251 plus SR144528 completely reversed the effects of URB597. These findings suggest that the FAAH inhibitor URB597 produces cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptor-mediated analgesia in inflammatory pain states, without causing the undesirable side effects associated with cannabinoid receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Jayamanne
- Pain Management Research Institute, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ruth Greenwood
- Pain Management Research Institute, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Vanessa A Mitchell
- Pain Management Research Institute, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sevda Aslan
- Pain Management Research Institute, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - Christopher W Vaughan
- Pain Management Research Institute, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Author for correspondence:
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40
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Pacher P, Bátkai S, Kunos G. The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Rev 2006; 58:389-462. [PMID: 16968947 PMCID: PMC2241751 DOI: 10.1124/pr.58.3.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1458] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent identification of cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous lipid ligands has triggered an exponential growth of studies exploring the endocannabinoid system and its regulatory functions in health and disease. Such studies have been greatly facilitated by the introduction of selective cannabinoid receptor antagonists and inhibitors of endocannabinoid metabolism and transport, as well as mice deficient in cannabinoid receptors or the endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme fatty acid amidohydrolase. In the past decade, the endocannabinoid system has been implicated in a growing number of physiological functions, both in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in peripheral organs. More importantly, modulating the activity of the endocannabinoid system turned out to hold therapeutic promise in a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few. An impediment to the development of cannabinoid medications has been the socially unacceptable psychoactive properties of plant-derived or synthetic agonists, mediated by CB(1) receptors. However, this problem does not arise when the therapeutic aim is achieved by treatment with a CB(1) receptor antagonist, such as in obesity, and may also be absent when the action of endocannabinoids is enhanced indirectly through blocking their metabolism or transport. The use of selective CB(2) receptor agonists, which lack psychoactive properties, could represent another promising avenue for certain conditions. The abuse potential of plant-derived cannabinoids may also be limited through the use of preparations with controlled composition and the careful selection of dose and route of administration. The growing number of preclinical studies and clinical trials with compounds that modulate the endocannabinoid system will probably result in novel therapeutic approaches in a number of diseases for which current treatments do not fully address the patients' need. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview on the current state of knowledge of the endocannabinoid system as a target of pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pál Pacher
- Laboratory of Physiological Studies, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Room 2S-24, Bethesda, MD 20892-9413, USA
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Mitrirattanakul S, Ramakul N, Guerrero AV, Matsuka Y, Ono T, Iwase H, Mackie K, Faull KF, Spigelman I. Site-specific increases in peripheral cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands in a model of neuropathic pain. Pain 2006; 126:102-14. [PMID: 16844297 PMCID: PMC1776167 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2005] [Revised: 06/04/2006] [Accepted: 06/12/2006] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Selective activation of the peripheral cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) has been shown to suppress neuropathic pain symptoms in rodents. However, relatively little is known about changes in CB1R and its endogenous ligands during development or maintenance of neuropathic pain. Using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, as well as liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, we studied the changes in CB1Rs and endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine/anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in rat lumbar (L4 and L5) dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after neuropathic pain induction (L5 spinal nerve ligation: SNL). Immunohistochemistry revealed that in control rats, CB1R is expressed in the majority (76-83%) of nociceptive neurons as indicated by co-labeling with isolectin B4 (IB4) or antibodies recognizing transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV1), calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), and the NR2C/2D subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor. After L5 SNL, CB1R mRNA and protein increases in the ipsilateral uninjured L4 DRG whereas the percentages of CB1R immunoreactive (CB1R-ir) neurons remain unchanged in L4 and L5 DRG. However, for these CB1R-ir neurons, we observe significant increases in percentage of TRPV1-ir cells in ipsilateral L4 DRG, and decreases in percentage of IB4- and CGRP-co-labeled cells in ipsilateral L5 DRG. Levels of both AEA and 2-AG increase significantly only in the ipsilateral L5 DRG. These results are consistent with the preserved analgesic effects of cannabinoids in neuropathic pain and provide a rational framework for the development of peripherally acting endocannabinoid-based therapeutic interventions for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somsak Mitrirattanakul
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Navapoln Ramakul
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Andre V. Guerrero
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yoshizo Matsuka
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Takeshi Ono
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hirotate Iwase
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ken Mackie
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kym F. Faull
- Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Igor Spigelman
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Dental Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 310 825 3190; fax: +1 310 794 7109. E-mail address: (I. Spigelman)
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La Rana G, Russo R, Campolongo P, Bortolato M, Mangieri RA, Cuomo V, Iacono A, Raso GM, Meli R, Piomelli D, Calignano A. Modulation of Neuropathic and Inflammatory Pain by the Endocannabinoid Transport Inhibitor AM404 [N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenamide]. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2006; 317:1365-71. [PMID: 16510698 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.105.100792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system may serve important functions in the central and peripheral regulation of pain. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the endocannabinoid transport inhibitor AM404 [N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenamide] on rodent models of acute and persistent nociception (intraplantar formalin injection in the mouse), neuropathic pain (sciatic nerve ligation in the rat), and inflammatory pain (complete Freund's adjuvant injection in the rat). In the formalin model, administration of AM404 (1-10 mg/kg i.p.) elicited dose-dependent antinociceptive effects, which were prevented by the CB(1) cannabinoid receptor antagonist rimonabant (SR141716A; 1 mg/kg i.p.) but not by the CB2 antagonist SR144528 (1 mg/kg i.p.) or the vanilloid antagonist capsazepine (30 mg/kg i.p.). Comparable effects were observed with UCM707 [N-(3-furylmethyl)-eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenamide], another anandamide transport inhibitor. In both the chronic constriction injury and complete Freund's adjuvant model, daily treatment with AM404 (1-10 mg/kg s.c.) for 14 days produced a dose-dependent reduction in nocifensive responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli, which was prevented by a single administration of rimonabant (1 mg/kg i.p.) and was accompanied by decreased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric-oxide synthase in the sciatic nerve. The results provide new evidence for a role of the endocannabinoid system in pain modulation and point to anandamide transport as a potential target for analgesic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- G La Rana
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, 3101 Gillespie NRF, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4625, USA
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43
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Khodayar MJ, Shafaghi B, Naderi N, Zarrindast MR. Antinociceptive effect of spinally administered cannabinergic and 2-adrenoceptor drugs on the formalin test in rat: possible interactions. J Psychopharmacol 2006; 20:67-74. [PMID: 16174681 DOI: 10.1177/0269881105056996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The current experiments were designed to study the antinociceptive effects of intrathecal (i.t.) administration of cannabinoid CB1 receptor and 2-adrenoceptor drugs in the nociceptive processing and also their receptor interactions. Different doses of a cannabinoid receptor agonist, CP 55,940, and an 2-adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine induced a dose-dependent antinociception in both phases of the formalin test.CP 55,940-induced antinociception was reduced by pretreatment of a selective cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, SR 141716A, but not by pretreatment with an 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine in both phases of the test. However, yohimbine and SR 141716A attenuated the antinociception induced by clonidine in the early phase but not in the late phase of the test. While SR 141716A by itself did not influence pain behaviour, the reversal effect of clonidine by SR 141716A indicate that clonidine stimulate the release of endocannabinoid(s). In conclusion, our findings may suggest that: (1) spinal cannabinoid and 2-adrenoceptor systems are able to induce antinociception in both phases of formalin test, and (2) the cannabinoid system may be involved in the antinociception induced by adrenoceptors in the early phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Javad Khodayar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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44
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Abstract
A large body of literature indicates that cannabinoids suppress behavioral responses to acute and persistent noxious stimulation in animals. This review examines neuroanatomical, behavioral, and neurophysiological evidence supporting a role for cannabinoids in suppressing pain at spinal, supraspinal, and peripheral levels. Localization studies employing receptor binding and quantitative autoradiography, immunocytochemistry, and in situ hybridization are reviewed to examine the distribution of cannabinoid receptors at these levels and provide a neuroanatomical framework with which to understand the roles of endogenous cannabinoids in sensory processing. Pharmacological and transgenic approaches that have been used to study cannabinoid antinociceptive mechanisms are described. These studies provide insight into the functional roles of cannabinoid CB1 (CB1R) and CB2 (CB2R) receptor subtypes in cannabinoid antinociceptive mechanisms, as revealed in animal models of acute and persistent pain. The role of endocannabinoids and related fatty acid amides that are implicated in endogenous mechanisms for pain suppression are discussed. Human studies evaluating therapeutic potential of cannabinoid pharmacotherapies in experimental and clinical pain syndromes are evaluated. The potential of exploiting cannabinoid antinociceptive mechanisms in novel pharmacotherapies for pain is discussed.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators/physiology
- Cannabinoids/pharmacology
- Cannabinoids/therapeutic use
- Humans
- Hyperalgesia/physiopathology
- Nociceptors/physiology
- Pain/drug therapy
- Pain/physiopathology
- RNA, Messenger/analysis
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/analysis
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/physiology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/physiology
- Spinal Cord/drug effects
- Spinal Cord/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Walker
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405-7007, USA
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45
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Valverde O, Karsak M, Zimmer A. Analysis of the endocannabinoid system by using CB1 cannabinoid receptor knockout mice. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2005:117-45. [PMID: 16596773 DOI: 10.1007/3-540-26573-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system has been involved in the control of several neurophysiological and behavioural responses. To date, three lines of CB1 knockout mice have been established independently in different laboratories. This chapter reviews the main results obtained with these lines of CB1 knockout mice in several physiological responses that have been previously related to the activity of the endocannabinoid system. Studies using CB1 knockout mice have demonstrated that this receptor participates in the control of several behavioural responses including locomotion, anxiety- and depressive-like states, cognitive functions such as memory and learning processes, cardiovascular responses and feeding. Furthermore, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor is involved in the control of pain by acting at peripheral, spinal and supraspinal levels. The involvement of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in the behavioural and biochemical processes underlying drug addiction has also been investigated. These CB1 knockouts have provided new findings to clarify the interactions between cannabinoids and the other drugs of abuse such as opioids, psychostimulants, nicotine and ethanol. Recent studies have demonstrated that endocannabinoids can function as retrograde messengers, modulating the release of different neurotransmitters, including opioids, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and cholecystokinin (CCK), which could explain some of the responses observed after the stimulation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. This review provides an update of the apparently controversial data reported in the literature using the three different lines of CB1 knockout mice, which seem to be mainly due to the use of different experimental procedures rather than any constitutive alteration in these lines of knockouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Valverde
- Laboratori de Neurofarmacologia, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Carrer Dr. Aiguader, 80, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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46
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Malan TP, Porreca F. Lipid mediators regulating pain sensitivity. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat 2005; 77:123-30. [PMID: 16099397 DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2004.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2004] [Accepted: 09/14/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The papers in this symposium demonstrate that lipid molecules are ubiquitous messengers that participate in intracellular signaling, function in intercellular communication, and serve as neurotransmitters. This review examines the contribution of lipid messengers in regulating a specific physiological function, the transmission of noxious sensory information (pain) in the nervous system. Lipid molecules play major roles in the modulation of pain sensitivity. Six types of lipid molecules (prostanoids, phosphatidyl inositol bisphosphate, ceramide, lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid, fatty acyl dopamines, and acylethanolamides) have been shown to modulate systems important in the regulation of pain responses. These molecules exert their actions by interacting with varied receptor systems. Evidence for their participation in the regulation of pain responses comes from in vitro demonstrations of their interactions with signaling systems known to be important in the regulation of pain sensitivity and, in some cases, from demonstration of their ability to modulate pain sensitivity after in vivo administration. One of these classes of lipid mediators, the acylethanolamides, inhibits pain responses, while the others appear to enhance pain sensitivity. Given the rapid growth in our understanding of lipidomics, evident in the papers of this issue, it is virtually certain that additional lipid mediators will be identified as being central to the regulation of pain responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Philip Malan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, P.O. Box 245114, Tucson, AZ 85724-5114, USA.
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Lim G, Wang S, Mao J. Central glucocorticoid receptors modulate the expression of spinal cannabinoid receptors induced by chronic morphine exposure. Brain Res 2005; 1059:20-7. [PMID: 16150424 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2004] [Revised: 08/01/2005] [Accepted: 08/05/2005] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Central cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) have been implicated in the opioid analgesic effects. However, it remains unclear as to whether the expression of central CBRs would be altered after repeated morphine exposure. Here, we show that chronic intrathecal treatment with morphine (10 microg, twice daily for 6 days) induced a time-dependent upregulation of both CB-1 and CB-2 receptors within the spinal cord dorsal horn. This morphine-induced CB-1 and CB-2 upregulation was dose-dependently attenuated by the intrathecal co-administration of morphine with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist RU38486 (0.25, 0.5, or 2 microg). The intrathecal RU38486 treatment regimen also attenuated the development of morphine tolerance. These results indicate that the expression of spinal CBRs was altered following repeated morphine exposure and regulated by the activation of central GRs.
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MESH Headings
- Analgesics, Opioid/metabolism
- Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology
- Animals
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Administration Schedule
- Drug Tolerance/physiology
- Injections, Spinal
- Male
- Mifepristone/pharmacology
- Morphine/metabolism
- Morphine/pharmacology
- Pain/drug therapy
- Pain/metabolism
- Pain/physiopathology
- Posterior Horn Cells/drug effects
- Posterior Horn Cells/metabolism
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/metabolism
- Receptors, Cannabinoid/drug effects
- Receptors, Cannabinoid/metabolism
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
- Spinal Cord/drug effects
- Spinal Cord/metabolism
- Up-Regulation/drug effects
- Up-Regulation/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Grewo Lim
- Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Walker JM, Krey JF, Chen JS, Vefring E, Jahnsen JA, Bradshaw H, Huang SM. Targeted lipidomics: fatty acid amides and pain modulation. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat 2005; 77:35-45. [PMID: 16099389 DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2004.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2004] [Accepted: 09/14/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Mass spectrometric approaches to the identification and quantification of lipid signalling molecules are reviewed. Fatty acid amides are an important new class of lipid signalling molecules which include oleamide, the endocannabinoid anandamide, the endovanilloid/endocannabinoid N-arachidonoyldopamine (NADA) and the endovanilloid N-oleoyldopamine (OLDA) among many others. This diverse group of endogenous compounds comprises combinations of acyl backbones coupled by an amide bond to any of a variety of different small polar molecules such as ethanolamine, various amino acids, and catecholamines. Many fatty acid amides appear to play a role in pain and inflammation. Targeted lipidomics of fatty acid amides aims to identify new members of this diverse class of compounds, of which only a few representative molecules have been characterized to date. This effort has been made feasible by advances in chromatography and mass spectrometry, which permits: (1) identification of compounds present in complex mixtures, (2) astronomical increases in sensitivity due to miniaturization of HPLC components, and (3) novel scanning modes that permit the identification of compounds exhibiting similar structural components. Insofar as lipid signalling molecules such as prostanoids, leukotrienes and endocannabinoids operate via G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), it appears likely that many of the numerous lipids awaiting identification may serve as ligands for any of the greater than 150 orphan GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Walker
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47405-7007, USA.
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Costa B, Trovato AE, Colleoni M, Giagnoni G, Zarini E, Croci T. Effect of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, SR141716, on nociceptive response and nerve demyelination in rodents with chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve. Pain 2005; 116:52-61. [PMID: 15936882 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2005.03.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2004] [Revised: 02/11/2005] [Accepted: 03/29/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many reports have shown the efficacy of cannabinoid agonists in chronic pain, whereas no report exists concerning the potential effect of cannabinoid antagonists following prolonged treatment. We tested the effects of repeated administration of the selective cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) antagonist, SR141716 (rimonabant), in rats with chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI), an animal model of neuropathic pain. The repeated oral administration of SR141716 (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg, once a day for 1 week, from day 7 after the injury) dose dependently attenuated both thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia. A similar effect was observed in CCI wild-type mice, whereas SR141716 was unable to elicit pain relief in CB1 knockout mice, suggesting CB1 receptors involvement in the SR141716-induced antihyperalgesia. The antihyperalgesic activity of SR141716 was associated with a significant reduction of several pro-inflammatory and pro-nociceptive mediators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2), lipoperoxide and nitric oxide (NO) levels. The histological analysis of sciatic nerve sections showed a marked degeneration of myelinated fibers in CCI rats, which was substantially reduced after repeated administration of SR141716. This suggests that the compound may favour myelin repair and consequently promote long-lasting functional recovery. This was confirmed by the maintenance of recovery for at least four weeks after treatment discontinuation. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that SR141716 is effective not only in alleviating neuropathic pain but also in favouring the nerve myelin repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Costa
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy.
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50
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Naderi N, Shafaghi B, Khodayar MJ, Zarindast MR. Interaction between gamma-aminobutyric acid GABAB and cannabinoid CB1 receptors in spinal pain pathways in rat. Eur J Pharmacol 2005; 514:159-64. [PMID: 15910802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2005.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2005] [Revised: 03/22/2005] [Accepted: 03/31/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Antinociceptive effects of cannabinoids are mediated, in part, at the spinal level. Cannabinoid CB1 receptors are co-localized with dorsal horn interneurons containing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In this study, we investigated the interaction between intrathecally administered cannabinoid and GABA(B) receptor agonists and antagonists in the modulation of formalin-induced pain at the spinal level. Intrathecal pretreatment of rats with a cannabinoid receptor antagonist [N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1-H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide] (SR141716A, 30 microg) decreased the analgesic effect of the intrathecal administration of the GABA(B) receptor agonist, baclofen (0.125 microg and 0.25 microg). Intrathecal administration of the GABA(B) receptor antagonist, saclofen (30 microg), 10 min before administration of the cannabinoid receptor agonist (-)-cis-3-[2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-phenyl]-trans-4-(3-hydroxy-propyl)-cyclohexano (CP55940), did not affect the analgesia produced by the cannabinoid receptor agonist. Our results confirm that intrathecal administration of cannabinoid and GABA(B) receptor agonists have analgesic effects and that spinal antinociceptive effects of GABA(B) receptor agonists are likely through endocannabinoid modulation.
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MESH Headings
- Analysis of Variance
- Animals
- Baclofen/analogs & derivatives
- Baclofen/pharmacology
- Cyclohexanols/pharmacology
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Interactions
- Formaldehyde
- GABA Agonists/pharmacology
- GABA Antagonists/pharmacology
- GABA-B Receptor Agonists
- GABA-B Receptor Antagonists
- Injections, Spinal
- Male
- Pain/chemically induced
- Pain/physiopathology
- Pain/prevention & control
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Pyrazoles/pharmacology
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/physiology
- Receptors, GABA-B/physiology
- Rimonabant
- Signal Transduction/physiology
- Spinal Cord/drug effects
- Spinal Cord/physiopathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima Naderi
- Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
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