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Moreno-Fernández M, Ucha M, Reis-de-Paiva R, Marcos A, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Lack of interactions between prenatal immune activation and Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during adolescence in behaviours relevant to symptom dimensions of schizophrenia in rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 129:110889. [PMID: 37918558 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The causality in the association between cannabis use and the risk of developing schizophrenia has been the subject of intense debate in the last few years. The development of animal models recapitulating several aspects of the disease is crucial for shedding light on this issue. Given that maternal infections are a known risk for schizophrenia, here, we used the maternal immune activation (MIA) model combined with THC exposure during adolescence to examine several behaviours in rats (working memory in the Y maze, sociability in the three-chamber test, sucrose preference as a measure, prepulse inhibition and formation of incidental associations) that are similar to the different symptom clusters of the disease. To this end, we administered LPS to pregnant dams and when the offspring reached adolescence, we exposed them to a mild dose of THC to examine their behaviour in adulthood. We also studied several parameters in the dams, including locomotor activity in the open field, elevated plus maze performance and their response to LPS, that could predict symptom severity of the offspring, but found no evidence of any predictive value of these variables. In the adult offspring, MIA was associated with impaired working memory and sensorimotor gating, but surprisingly, it increased sociability, social novelty and sucrose preference. THC, on its own, impaired sociability and social memory, but there were no interactions between MIA and THC exposure. These results suggest that, in this model, THC during adolescence does not trigger or aggravate symptoms related to schizophrenia in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Moreno-Fernández
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain; UNED International Graduate School (EIDUNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Raquel Reis-de-Paiva
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Marcos
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
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Mielnik CA, Li CK, Ramsey AJ, Salahpour A, Burnham WM, Ross RA. Cannabidiol, but Not Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Has Strain- and Genotype-Specific Effects in Models of Psychosis. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:174-187. [PMID: 36251462 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cannabis use has been associated with an increased incidence of psychiatric disorders, yet the underlying neurobiological processes mediating these associations are poorly understood. Whereas exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been associated with the development or exacerbation of psychosis, treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) has been associated with amelioration of psychosis. In this study, we demonstrate a complex effect of CBD in mouse models of psychosis, based on factors, including dose, strain, and genotype. Methods: Adult GluN1 knockdown (GluN1KD) and dopamine transporter knockout (DATKO) mice (almost equally balanced for male/female) were acutely treated with vehicle, THC (4 mg/kg), CBD (60, 120 mg/kg), or THC:CBD (1:15, 4:60 mg/kg) and tested in behavioral assays. Results: GluN1KD and DATKO mice displayed hyperactivity, impaired habituation, and sensorimotor gating, along with increased stereotypy and vertical activity. THC, alone and in combination with CBD, produced a robust "dampening" effect on the exploratory behavior regardless of strain or genotype. CBD exhibited a more complex profile. At 60 mg/kg, CBD had minimal effects on horizontal activity, but the effects varied in terms of directionality (increase vs. decrease) in other parameters; effects on stereotypic behaviors differ by genotype, while effects on vertical exploration differ by strain×genotype. CBD at 120 mg/kg had a "dampening" effect on exploration overall, except in GluN1KD mice, where no effect was observed. In terms of sensorimotor gating, both THC and CBD had minimal effects, except for 120 mg/kg CBD, which exacerbated the acoustic startle response. Conclusions: Here, we present a study that highlights the complex mechanism of phytocannabinoids, particularly CBD, in models of psychosis-like behavior. These data require careful interpretation, as agonism of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) resulting in a decrease in locomotion can be misinterpreted as "antipsychotic-like" activity in murine behavioral outputs of psychosis. Importantly, the THC-mediated decrease in hyperexploratory behavior observed in our models (alone or in combination) was not specific to the genetic mutants, but rather was observed regardless of strain or genotype. Furthermore, CBD treatment, when comparing mutants with their wild-type littermate controls, showed little to no "antipsychotic-like" activity in our models. Therefore, it is not only important to consider dose when designing/interpreting therapeutically driven phytocannabinoid studies, but also effects of strain or genetic vulnerability respective to the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine A Mielnik
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Chun Kit Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Amy J Ramsey
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ali Salahpour
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Ruth A Ross
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Martín-Cuevas C, Ramos-Herrero VD, Crespo-Facorro B, Sánchez-Hidalgo AC. Prenatal risk factors and postnatal cannabis exposure: Assessing dual models of schizophrenia-like rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105409. [PMID: 37783300 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder caused by genetic and environmental alterations, especially during prenatal stages. On the other hand, cannabis consumption in adolescence has been also linked to an increased risk of developing SCZ. The combination of both hits has been proposed as the dual hit hypothesis of SCZ. We systematically reviewed prenatal environmental alterations and cannabis consumption during adolescence that are associated with an increased risk of SCZ, following the PRISMA model. The analysis focused on dual animal models where the first hit is prenatal environmental exposure and the second hit consists of postnatal cannabis exposure. The articles were evaluated by three independent reviewers based on inclusion criteria. We extracted the first author´s name, year, model species, sex and analysis. The articles reported on dual murine models and their effects on weight, behavior, genetics, electrophysiology and brain structure and function. We conclude that the defects caused by the dual hits depend on the sex of the model, as well as type of hits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Martín-Cuevas
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS)/University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Sevilla, Manuel Siurot AV, 41013 Seville, Spain; Spanish Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), Monforte de Lemos AV, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Víctor Darío Ramos-Herrero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS)/University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Sevilla, Manuel Siurot AV, 41013 Seville, Spain.
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS)/University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Sevilla, Manuel Siurot AV, 41013 Seville, Spain; Spanish Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), Monforte de Lemos AV, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Sevilla, Manuel Siurot AV, 41013 Seville, Spain.
| | - Ana C Sánchez-Hidalgo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS)/University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Sevilla, Manuel Siurot AV, 41013 Seville, Spain; Spanish Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), Monforte de Lemos AV, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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4
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Chesworth R, Visini G, Karl T. Impaired extinction of operant cocaine in a genetic mouse model of schizophrenia risk. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06386-8. [PMID: 37233814 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06386-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with schizophrenia have high rates of comorbid substance use problems. One potential explanation for this comorbidity is similar neuropathophysiology in substance use and schizophrenia, which may arise from shared genetic risk factors between the two disorders. Here we investigated if genetic risk for schizophrenia could affect drug reward and reinforcement for cocaine in an established mouse model of genetic risk for schizophrenia, the neuregulin 1 transmembrane domain heterozygous (Nrg1 TM HET) mouse. METHODS We examined drug-induced locomotor sensitization and conditioned place preference for several cocaine doses (5, 10, 20, 30 mg/kg) in male adult Nrg1 TM HET and wild-type-like (WT) littermates. We also investigated intravenous self-administration of and motivation for cocaine (doses 0.1, 0.5, 1 mg/kg/infusion), as well as extinction and cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine. In a follow-up experiment, we examined self-administration, extinction and cue-induced reinstatement of a natural reward, oral sucrose. RESULTS Cocaine preference was similar between Nrg1 TM HET mice and WT littermates at all doses tested. Locomotor sensitization to cocaine was not affected by Nrg1 genotype at any dose. Although self-administration and motivation for cocaine was unaffected, extinction of cocaine self-administration was impaired in Nrg1 TM HET compared to WT controls, and cue-induced reinstatement was greater in Nrg1 mutants in the middle of the reinstatement session. Sucrose self-administration and extinction thereof was not affected by genotype, but inactive lever responding was elevated during cue-induced reinstatement for operant sucrose in Nrg1 TM HET mice compared to WTs. DISCUSSION These results suggest impaired response inhibition for cocaine in Nrg1 TM HET mice and suggests Nrg1 mutation may contribute to behaviours which can limit control over cocaine use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Chesworth
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia.
| | - Gabriela Visini
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
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Visini G, Brown S, Weston-Green K, Shannon Weickert C, Chesworth R, Karl T. The effects of preventative cannabidiol in a male neuregulin 1 mouse model of schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1010478. [PMID: 36406747 PMCID: PMC9669370 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1010478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid with antipsychotic-like properties, however it’s potential to prevent schizophrenia development has not been thoroughly investigated. Brain maturation during adolescence creates a window where CBD could potentially limit the development of schizophrenia. The neuregulin 1 transmembrane domain heterozygous (Nrg1 TM HET) mutant mouse shows face, predictive, and construct validity for schizophrenia. Here we sought to determine if CBD given in adolescence could prevent the development of the schizophrenia-relevant phenotype, as well as susceptibility to the psychoactive cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Nrg1 TM HET mice. Adolescent male Nrg1 mutants and wild type-like (WT) animals were administered 30 mg/kg CBD i.p. daily for seven weeks, and were tested for locomotion, social behavior, sensorimotor gating and cognition, and sensitivity to acute THC-induced behaviors. GAD67, GluA1, and NMDAR1 protein levels were measured in the hippocampus, striatum, and prefrontal cortex. Chronic adolescent CBD increased locomotion in animals regardless of genotype, was anxiolytic, and increased social behavior when animals were tested for their acute THC response. CBD did not alleviate the schizophrenia-relevant hyperlocomotive phenotype of Nrg1 mutants, nor deficits in social behaviors. Nrg1 mutant mice treated with CBD and THC showed no habituation to a startle pulse, suggesting CBD increased vulnerability to the startle habituation-reducing effects of THC in mutant mice. CBD increased levels of GluA1, but reduced levels of GAD67 in the hippocampus of Nrg1 mutants. These results suggest adolescent CBD is not effective as a preventative of schizophrenia-relevant behavioral deficits in mutants and may actually contribute to pathological changes in the brain that increase sensitivity to THC in particular behavioral domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Visini
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Samara Brown
- School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Katrina Weston-Green
- School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Rose Chesworth
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Rose Chesworth,
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Tim Karl,
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Garzón M, Wang G, Chan J, Bourie F, Mackie K, Pickel VM. Adolescent administration of Δ 9-THC decreases the expression and function of muscarinic-1 receptors in prelimbic prefrontal cortical neurons of adult male mice. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2021; 11:144-155. [PMID: 34667972 PMCID: PMC8506972 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term cannabis use during adolescence has deleterious effects in brain that are largely ascribed to the activation of cannabinoid-1 receptors (CB1Rs) by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC), the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana. Systemic administration of ∆9-THC inhibits acetylcholine release in the prelimbic-prefrontal cortex (PL-PFC). In turn, PL-PFC acetylcholine plays a role in executive activities regulated by CB1R-targeting endocannabinoids, which are generated by cholinergic stimulation of muscarinic-1 receptors (M1Rs). However, the long-term effects of chronic administration of increasing doses of ∆9-THC in adolescent males on the distribution and function of M1 and/or CB1 receptors in the PL-PFC remains unresolved. We used C57BL\6J male mice pre-treated with vehicle or escalating daily doses of ∆9-THC to begin filling this gap. Electron microscopic immunolabeling showed M1R-immunogold particles on plasma membranes and in association with cytoplasmic membranes in varying sized dendrites and dendritic spines. These dendritic profiles received synaptic inputs from unlabeled, CB1R- and/or M1R-labeled axon terminals in the PL-PFC of both treatment groups. However, there was a size-dependent decrease in total (plasmalemmal and cytoplasmic) M1R gold particles in small dendrites within the PL-PFC of mice receiving ∆9-THC. Whole cell current-clamp recording in PL-PFC slice preparations further revealed that adolescent pretreatment with ∆9-THC attenuates the hyperpolarization and increases the firing rate produced by local muscarinic stimulation. Repeated administration of ∆9-THC during adolescence also reduced spontaneous alternations in a Y-maze paradigm designed for measures of PFC-dependent memory function in adult mice. Our results provide new information implicating M1Rs in cortical dysfunctions resulting from adolescent abuse of marijuana.
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Key Words
- 2-AG, 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol diacylglycerol
- ABC, avidin biotin complex
- ACSF, artificial cerebrospinal fluid
- Adolescence
- BSA, bovine serum albumin
- CB1Rs, cannabinoid-1 receptors
- Cannabinoid
- DAG, diacylglycerol
- EPSC, excitatory postsynaptic current
- ETOH, ethyl alcohol
- IP3, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate
- IPSC, inhibitory postsynaptic current
- ITI, intertrial interval
- LTD, long term depression
- M1Rs, muscarinic-1 receptors
- Marijuana
- Muscarinic-1 receptor
- NMDA, N- methyl-D-aspartate
- PBS, phosphate buffered saline
- PD, postnatal day
- PL-PFC, prelimbic-prefrontal cortex
- PLC, phospholipase C
- Prefrontal cortex
- Prelimbic
- RMP, resting membrane potential
- SA, spontaneous alternation
- TS, Tris-buffered saline
- ∆9-THC, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Garzón
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina UAM, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Gang Wang
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - June Chan
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Faye Bourie
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ken Mackie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Virginia M. Pickel
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Guerrin CGJ, Doorduin J, Sommer IE, de Vries EFJ. The dual hit hypothesis of schizophrenia: Evidence from animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1150-1168. [PMID: 34715148 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder, which can severely impact social and professional functioning. Epidemiological and clinical studies show that schizophrenia has a multifactorial aetiology comprising genetic and environmental risk factors. Although several risk factors have been identified, it is still not clear how they result in schizophrenia. This knowledge gap, however, can be investigated in animal studies. In this review, we summarise animal studies regarding molecular and cellular mechanisms through which genetic and environmental factors may affect brain development, ultimately causing schizophrenia. Preclinical studies suggest that early environmental risk factors can affect the immune, GABAergic, glutamatergic, or dopaminergic system and thus increase the susceptibility to another risk factor later in life. A second insult, like social isolation, stress, or drug abuse, can further disrupt these systems and the interactions between them, leading to behavioural abnormalities. Surprisingly, first insults like maternal infection and early maternal separation can also have protective effects. Single gene mutations associated with schizophrenia did not have a major impact on the susceptibility to subsequent environmental hits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyprien G J Guerrin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Janine Doorduin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Iris E Sommer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Erik F J de Vries
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Stark T, Di Martino S, Drago F, Wotjak CT, Micale V. Phytocannabinoids and schizophrenia: Focus on adolescence as a critical window of enhanced vulnerability and opportunity for treatment. Pharmacol Res 2021; 174:105938. [PMID: 34655773 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The recent shift in socio-political debates and growing liberalization of Cannabis use across the globe has raised concern regarding its impact on vulnerable populations such as adolescents. Concurrent with declining perception of Cannabis harms, more adolescents are using it daily in several countries and consuming marijuana strains with high content of psychotropic delta (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These dual, related trends seem to facilitate the development of compromised social and cognitive performance at adulthood, which are described in preclinical and human studies. Cannabis exerts its effects via altering signalling within the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which modulates the stress circuitry during the neurodevelopment. In this context early interventions appear to circumvent the emergence of adult neurodevelopmental deficits. Accordingly, Cannabis sativa second-most abundant compound, cannabidiol (CBD), emerges as a potential therapeutic agent to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. We first focus on human and preclinical studies on the long-term effects induced by adolescent THC exposure as a "critical window" of enhanced neurophysiological vulnerability, which could be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and related primary psychotic disorders. Then, we focus on adolescence as a "window of opportunity" for early pharmacological treatment, as novel risk reduction strategy for neurodevelopmental disorders. Thus, we review current preclinical and clinical evidence regarding the efficacy of CBD in terms of positive, negative and cognitive symptoms treatment, safety profile, and molecular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibor Stark
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Stress Neurobiology & Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Serena Di Martino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Department of Stress Neurobiology & Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; Central Nervous System Diseases Research (CNSDR), Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Vincenzo Micale
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
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Reversing the Psychiatric Effects of Neurodevelopmental Cannabinoid Exposure: Exploring Pharmacotherapeutic Interventions for Symptom Improvement. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22157861. [PMID: 34360626 PMCID: PMC8346164 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental exposure to psychoactive compounds in cannabis, specifically THC, is associated with a variety of long-term psychopathological outcomes. This increased risk includes a higher prevalence of schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders, and cognitive impairments. Clinical and pre-clinical research continues to identify a wide array of underlying neuropathophysiological sequelae and mechanisms that may underlie THC-related psychiatric risk vulnerability, particularly following adolescent cannabis exposure. A common theme among these studies is the ability of developmental THC exposure to induce long-term adaptations in the mesocorticolimbic system which resemble pathological endophenotypes associated with these disorders. This narrative review will summarize recent clinical and pre-clinical evidence that has elucidated these THC-induced developmental risk factors and examine how specific pharmacotherapeutic interventions may serve to reverse or perhaps prevent these cannabis-related risk outcomes.
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10
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Coles M, Watt G, Kreilaus F, Karl T. Medium-Dose Chronic Cannabidiol Treatment Reverses Object Recognition Memory Deficits of APP Swe /PS1ΔE9 Transgenic Female Mice. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:587604. [PMID: 33424597 PMCID: PMC7789874 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.587604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes behavioral and cognitive impairments. The phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, and in vitro and limited in vivo evidence suggests that CBD possesses therapeutic-like properties for the treatment of AD. Cannabinoids are known to have dose-dependent effects and the therapeutic potential of medium-dose CBD for AD transgenic mice has not been assessed in great detail yet. 12-month-old control and APP Swe /PS1ΔE9 (APPxPS1) transgenic female mice were treated daily via intraperitoneal injection with 5 mg/kg bodyweight CBD (or vehicle) commencing three weeks prior to the assessment of behavioral domains including anxiety, exploration, locomotion, motor functions, cognition, and sensorimotor gating. APPxPS1 mice exhibited a hyperlocomotive and anxiogenic-like phenotype and had wild type-like motor and spatial learning abilities, although AD transgenic mice took generally longer to complete the cheeseboard training (due to a lower locomotion speed). Furthermore spatial learning and reversal learning was delayed by one day in APPxPS1 mice compared to control mice. All mice displayed intact spatial memory and retrieval memory, but APPxPS1 mice showed reduced levels of perseverance in the cheeseboard probe trial. Importantly, vehicle-treated APPxPS1 mice were characterized by object recognition deficits and delayed spatial learning, which were reversed by CBD treatment. Finally, impairments in sensorimotor gating of APPxPS1 mice were not affected by CBD. In conclusion, medium-dose CBD appears to have therapeutic value for the treatment of particular behavioral impairments present in AD patients. Future research should consider the molecular mechanisms behind CBD's beneficial properties for AD transgenic mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madilyn Coles
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Georgia Watt
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Fabian Kreilaus
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
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11
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Dunn AL, Michie PT, Hodgson DM, Harms L. Adolescent cannabinoid exposure interacts with other risk factors in schizophrenia: A review of the evidence from animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:202-220. [PMID: 32610181 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Many factors and their interaction are linked to the aetiology of schizophrenia, leading to the development of animal models of multiple risk factors and adverse exposures. Differentiating between separate and combined effects for each factor could better elucidate schizophrenia pathology, and drive development of preventative strategies for high-load risk factors. An epidemiologically valid risk factor commonly associated with schizophrenia is adolescent cannabis use. The aim of this review is to evaluate how early-life adversity from various origins, in combination with adolescent cannabinoid exposure interact, and whether these interactions confer main, synergistic or protective effects in animal models of schizophrenia-like behavioural, cognitive and morphological alterations. Patterns emerge regarding which models show consistent synergistic or protective effects, particularly those models incorporating early-life exposure to maternal deprivation and maternal immune activation, and sex-specific effects are observed. It is evident that more research needs to be conducted to better understand the risks and alterations of interacting factors, with particular interest in sex differences, to better understand the translatability of these preclinical models to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel L Dunn
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Priority Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
| | - Patricia T Michie
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Priority Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia.
| | - Deborah M Hodgson
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Priority Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia.
| | - Lauren Harms
- Priority Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia.
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12
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Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol treatment during adolescence and alterations in the inhibitory networks of the adult prefrontal cortex in mice subjected to perinatal NMDA receptor antagonist injection and to postweaning social isolation. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:177. [PMID: 32488050 PMCID: PMC7266818 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0853-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) continues its development during adolescence and alterations in its structure and function, particularly of inhibitory networks, have been detected in schizophrenic patients. Since cannabis use during adolescence is a risk factor for this disease, our main objective was to investigate whether THC administration during this period might exacerbate alterations in prefrontocortical inhibitory networks in mice subjected to a perinatal injection of MK801 and postweaning social isolation. This double-hit model (DHM) combines a neurodevelopmental manipulation and the exposure to an aversive experience during early life; previous work has shown that DHM mice have important alterations in the structure and connectivity of PFC interneurons. In the present study we found that DHM had reductions in prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI), GAD67 expression and cingulate 1 cortex volume. Interestingly, THC by itself induced increases in PPI and decreases in the dendritic complexity of somatostatin expressing interneurons. Both THC and DHM reduced the density of parvalbumin expressing cells surrounded by perineuronal nets and, when combined, they disrupted the ratio between the density of puncta expressing excitatory and inhibitory markers. Our results support previous work showing alterations in parameters involving interneurons in similar animal models and schizophrenic patients. THC treatment does not modify further these parameters, but changes some others related also to interneurons and their plasticity, in some cases in the opposite direction to those induced by the DHM, suggesting a protective effect.
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13
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Behavioural effects of high fat diet in adult Nrg1 type III transgenic mice. Behav Brain Res 2020; 377:112217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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14
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Archie SR, Cucullo L. Harmful Effects of Smoking Cannabis: A Cerebrovascular and Neurological Perspective. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1481. [PMID: 31920665 PMCID: PMC6915047 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Apart from being used as a medicine, cannabis or marijuana is the most widely abused recreational drug all over the world. The legalization and decriminalization of cannabis in Canada and various states of USA may be the underlying reason of the widespread popularity of it among young population. Various studies have reported about the relationship between cannabis use and different detrimental effects like cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and neurological complications among different age groups. Specifically, the young population is getting adversely affected by this, harmful yet, readily accessible recreational drug. Although the mechanism behind cannabis mediated neurological and cerebrovascular complications has not been elucidated yet, the results of these studies have confirmed the association of these diseases with cannabis. Given the lack of comprehensive study relating these harmful complications with cannabis use, the aim of this narrative literature review article is to evaluate and summarize current studies on cannabis consumption and cerebrovascular/neurological diseases along with the leading toxicological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Rahman Archie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX, United States
| | - Luca Cucullo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX, United States.,Center for Blood Brain Barrier Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX, United States
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15
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Zieba J, Morris MJ, Karl T. Behavioural effects of high fat diet exposure starting in late adolescence in neuregulin 1 transmembrane domain mutant mice. Behav Brain Res 2019; 373:112074. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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16
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Jouroukhin Y, Zhu X, Shevelkin AV, Hasegawa Y, Abazyan B, Saito A, Pevsner J, Kamiya A, Pletnikov MV. Adolescent Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure and Astrocyte-Specific Genetic Vulnerability Converge on Nuclear Factor-κB-Cyclooxygenase-2 Signaling to Impair Memory in Adulthood. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:891-903. [PMID: 30219209 PMCID: PMC6525084 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although several studies have linked adolescent cannabis use to long-term cognitive dysfunction, there are negative reports as well. The fact that not all users develop cognitive impairment suggests a genetic vulnerability to adverse effects of cannabis, which are attributed to action of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), a cannabis constituent and partial agonist of brain cannabinoid receptor 1. As both neurons and glial cells express cannabinoid receptor 1, genetic vulnerability could influence Δ9-THC-induced signaling in a cell type-specific manner. METHODS Here we use an animal model of inducible expression of dominant-negative disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DN-DISC1) selectively in astrocytes to evaluate the molecular mechanisms, whereby an astrocyte genetic vulnerability could interact with adolescent Δ9-THC exposure to impair recognition memory in adulthood. RESULTS Selective expression of DN-DISC1 in astrocytes and adolescent treatment with Δ9-THC synergistically affected recognition memory in adult mice. Similar deficits in recognition memory were observed following knockdown of endogenous Disc1 in hippocampal astrocytes in mice treated with Δ9-THC during adolescence. At the molecular level, DN-DISC1 and Δ9-THC synergistically activated the nuclear factor-κB-cyclooxygenase-2 pathway in astrocytes and decreased immunoreactivity of parvalbumin-positive presynaptic inhibitory boutons around pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA3 area. The cognitive abnormalities were prevented in DN-DISC1 mice exposed to Δ9-THC by simultaneous adolescent treatment with the cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, NS398. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that individual vulnerability to cannabis can be exclusively mediated by astrocytes. Results of this work suggest that genetic predisposition within astrocytes can exaggerate Δ9-THC-produced cognitive impairments via convergent inflammatory signaling, suggesting possible targets for preventing adverse effects of cannabis within susceptible individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Jouroukhin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Xiaolei Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alexey V Shevelkin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yuto Hasegawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Bagrat Abazyan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Atsushi Saito
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jonathan Pevsner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Atsushi Kamiya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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17
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Concomitant THC and stress adolescent exposure induces impaired fear extinction and related neurobiological changes in adulthood. Neuropharmacology 2019; 144:345-357. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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18
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Genetic Factors in Cannabinoid Use and Dependence. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1162:129-150. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-21737-2_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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19
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Montalvo-Ortiz JL, Zhou H, D'Andrea I, Maroteaux L, Lori A, Smith A, Ressler KJ, Nuñez YZ, Farrer LA, Zhao H, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. Translational studies support a role for serotonin 2B receptor (HTR2B) gene in aggression-related cannabis response. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:2277-2286. [PMID: 29875475 PMCID: PMC6281782 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0077-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use is increasing in the United States, as are its adverse effects. We investigated the genetics of an adverse consequence of cannabis use: cannabis-related aggression (CRA) using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) design. Our GWAS sample included 3269 African Americans (AAs) and 2546 European Americans (EAs). An additional 89 AA subjects from the Grady Trauma Project (GTP) were also examined using a proxy-phenotype replication approach. We identified genome-wide significant risk loci contributing to CRA in AAs at the serotonin receptor 2B receptor gene (HTR2B), and the lead SNP, HTR2B*rs17440378, showed nominal association to aggression in the GTP cohort of cannabis-exposed subjects. A priori evidence linked HTR2B to impulsivity/aggression but not to cannabis response. Human functional data regarding the HTR2B variant further supported our finding. Treating an Htr2b-/- knockout mouse with THC resulted in increased aggressive behavior, whereas wild-type mice following THC administration showed decreased aggression in the resident-intruder paradigm, demonstrating that HTR2B variation moderates the effects of cannabis on aggression. These concordant findings in mice and humans implicate HTR2B as a major locus associated with cannabis-induced aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janitza L Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- VA CT Healthcare Center, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hang Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ivana D'Andrea
- INSERM UMR-S 839, F-75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6, F-75005, Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Luc Maroteaux
- INSERM UMR-S 839, F-75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6, F-75005, Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Adriana Lori
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alicia Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Yaira Z Nuñez
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- VA CT Healthcare Center, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Neurology, Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Henry R Kranzler
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Studies of Addiction and Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joel Gelernter
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- VA CT Healthcare Center, West Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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20
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Ibarra-Lecue I, Mollinedo-Gajate I, Meana JJ, Callado LF, Diez-Alarcia R, Urigüen L. Chronic cannabis promotes pro-hallucinogenic signaling of 5-HT2A receptors through Akt/mTOR pathway. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:2028-2035. [PMID: 29748632 PMCID: PMC6098160 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0076-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Long-term use of potent cannabis during adolescence increases the risk of developing schizophrenia later in life, but to date, the mechanisms involved remain unknown. Several findings suggest that the functional selectivity of serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) through inhibitory G-proteins is involved in the molecular mechanisms responsible for psychotic symptoms. Moreover, this receptor is dysregulated in the frontal cortex of schizophrenia patients. In this context, studies involving cannabis exposure and 5-HT2AR are scarce. Here, we tested in mice the effect of an early chronic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure on cortical 5-HT2AR expression, as well as on its in vivo and in vitro functionality. Long-term exposure to THC induced a pro-hallucinogenic molecular conformation of the 5-HT2AR and exacerbated schizophrenia-like responses, such as prepulse inhibition disruption. Supersensitive coupling of 5-HT2AR toward inhibitory Gαi1-, Gαi3-, Gαo-, and Gαz-proteins after chronic THC exposure was observed, without changes in the canonical Gαq/11-protein pathway. In addition, we found that inhibition of Akt/mTOR pathway by rapamycin blocks the changes in 5-HT2AR signaling pattern and the supersensitivity to schizophrenia-like effects induced by chronic THC. The present study provides the first evidence of a mechanistic explanation for the relationship between chronic cannabis exposure in early life and increased risk of developing psychosis-like behaviors in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Ibarra-Lecue
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Leioa, Spain
| | - Irene Mollinedo-Gajate
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Leioa, Spain
| | - J Javier Meana
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Leioa, Spain
- Biocruces Health Research Institute, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Luis F Callado
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Leioa, Spain
- Biocruces Health Research Institute, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Rebeca Diez-Alarcia
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Leioa, Spain
- Biocruces Health Research Institute, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Leyre Urigüen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Leioa, Spain.
- Biocruces Health Research Institute, Bizkaia, Spain.
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21
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Khan A, Powell SB. Sensorimotor gating deficits in "two-hit" models of schizophrenia risk factors. Schizophr Res 2018; 198:68-83. [PMID: 29070440 PMCID: PMC5911431 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Genetic and environmental models of neuropsychiatric disease have grown exponentially over the last 20years. One measure that is often used to evaluate the translational relevance of these models to human neuropsychiatric disease is prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI), an operational measure of sensorimotor gating. Deficient PPI characterizes several neuropsychiatric disorders but has been most extensively studied in schizophrenia. It has become a useful tool in translational neuropharmacological and molecular genetics studies because it can be measured across species using almost the same experimental parameters. Although initial studies of PPI in rodents were pharmacological because of the robust predictive validity of PPI for antipsychotic efficacy, more recently, PPI has become standard common behavioral measures used in genetic and neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia. Here we review "two hit" models of schizophrenia and discuss the utility of PPI as a tool in phenotyping these models of relevant risk factors. In the review, we consider approaches to rodent models of genetic and neurodevelopmental risk factors and selectively review "two hit" models of gene×environment and environment×environment interactions in which PPI has been measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Khan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Susan B Powell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States.
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22
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Lloyd D, Talmage D, Shannon Weickert C, Karl T. Reduced type III neuregulin 1 expression does not modulate the behavioural sensitivity of mice to acute Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (D 9 -THC). Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 170:64-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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23
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Chesworth R, Long LE, Weickert CS, Karl T. The Endocannabinoid System across Postnatal Development in Transmembrane Domain Neuregulin 1 Mutant Mice. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:11. [PMID: 29467679 PMCID: PMC5808294 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of cannabis is a well-established component risk factor for schizophrenia, particularly in adolescent individuals with genetic predisposition for the disorder. Alterations to the endocannabinoid system have been found in the prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia. Thus, we assessed whether molecular alterations exist in the endocannabinoid signalling pathway during brain development in a mouse model for the schizophrenia risk gene neuregulin 1 (Nrg1). We analysed transcripts encoding key molecules of the endocannabinoid system in heterozygous transmembrane domain Nrg1 mutant mice (Nrg1 TM HET), which is known to have increased sensitivity to cannabis exposure. Tissue from the prelimbic cortex and hippocampus of male and female Nrg1 TM HET mice and wild type-like littermates was collected at postnatal days (PNDs) 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, 35, 49, and 161. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was conducted to assess mRNA levels of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) and enzymes for the synthesis and breakdown of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol [i.e., diacylglycerol lipase alpha (DAGLα), monoglyceride lipase (MGLL), and α/β-hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6)]. No sex differences were found for any transcripts in either brain region; thus, male and female data were pooled. Hippocampal and cortical mRNA expression of DAGLα, MGLL, and ABHD6 increased until PND 21-35 and then decreased and stabilised for the rest of postnatal development. Hippocampal CB1R mRNA expression increased until PND 21 and decreased after this age. Expression levels of these endocannabinoid markers did not differ in Nrg1 TM HET compared to control mice at any time point. Here, we demonstrate dynamic changes in the developmental trajectory of several key endocannabinoid system transcripts in the mouse brain, which may correspond with periods of endocannabinoid system maturation. Nrg1 TM HET mutation did not alter the developmental trajectory of the endocannabinoid markers assessed, suggesting that other mechanisms may be responsible for the exaggerated cannabinoid susceptibility in these mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Chesworth
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Leonora E Long
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia.,Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
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24
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Hložek T, Uttl L, Kadeřábek L, Balíková M, Lhotková E, Horsley RR, Nováková P, Šíchová K, Štefková K, Tylš F, Kuchař M, Páleníček T. Pharmacokinetic and behavioural profile of THC, CBD, and THC+CBD combination after pulmonary, oral, and subcutaneous administration in rats and confirmation of conversion in vivo of CBD to THC. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:1223-1237. [PMID: 29129557 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 08/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic and behavioural effects of, and interactions between Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are influenced by dose and administration route. Therefore we investigated, in Wistar rats, effects of pulmonary, oral and subcutaneous (sc.) THC, CBD and THC+CBD. Concentrations of THC, its metabolites 11-OH-THC and THC-COOH, and CBD in serum and brain were determined over 24h, locomotor activity (open field) and sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition, PPI) were also evaluated. In line with recent knowledge we expected metabolic and behavioural interactions between THC and CBD. While cannabinoid serum and brain levels rapidly peaked and diminished after pulmonary administration, sc. and oral administration produced long-lasting levels of cannabinoids with oral reaching the highest brain levels. Except pulmonary administration, CBD inhibited THC metabolism resulting in higher serum/brain levels of THC. Importantly, following sc. and oral CBD alone treatments, THC was also detected in serum and brain. S.c. cannabinoids caused hypolocomotion, oral treatments containing THC almost complete immobility. In contrast, oral CBD produced mild hyperlocomotion. CBD disrupted, and THC tended to disrupt PPI, however their combination did not. In conclusion, oral administration yielded the most pronounced behavioural effects which corresponded to the highest brain levels of cannabinoids. Even though CBD potently inhibited THC metabolism after oral and sc. administration, unexpectedly it had minimal impact on THC-induced behaviour. Of central importance was the novel finding that THC can be detected in serum and brain after administration of CBD alone which, if confirmed in humans and given the increasing medical use of CBD-only products, might have important legal and forensic ramifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Hložek
- Institute of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Uttl
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Kadeřábek
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Balíková
- Institute of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Lhotková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Rachel R Horsley
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Nováková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Šíchová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Štefková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Tylš
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kuchař
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic; 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Páleníček
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic; Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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25
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Segal-Gavish H, Gazit N, Barhum Y, Ben-Zur T, Taler M, Hornfeld SH, Gil-Ad I, Weizman A, Slutsky I, Niwa M, Kamiya A, Sawa A, Offen D, Barzilay R. BDNF overexpression prevents cognitive deficit elicited by adolescent cannabis exposure and host susceptibility interaction. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:2462-2471. [PMID: 28402427 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis abuse in adolescence is associated with increased risk of psychotic disorders. Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) protein is a driver for major mental illness by influencing neurodevelopmental processes. Here, utilizing a unique mouse model based on host (DISC1) X environment (THC administration) interaction, we aimed at studying the pathobiological basis through which THC exposure elicits psychiatric manifestations. Wild-Type and dominant-negative-DISC1 (DN-DISC1) mice were injected with THC (10 mg/kg) or vehicle for 10 days during mid-adolescence-equivalent period. Behavioral tests were conducted to assess exploratory activity (open field test, light-dark box test) and cognitive function (novel object recognition test). Electrophysiological effect of THC was evaluated using acute hippocampal slices, and hippocampal cannabinoid receptor type 1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels were measured. Our results indicate that THC exposure elicits deficits in exploratory activity and recognition memory, together with reduced short-term synaptic facilitation and loss of BDNF surge in the hippocampus of DN-DISC mice, but not in wild-type mice. Over-expression of BDNF in the hippocampus of THC-treated DN-DISC1 mice prevented the impairment in recognition memory. The results of this study imply that induction of BDNF following adolescence THC exposure may serve as a homeostatic response geared to maintain proper cognitive function against exogenous insult. The BDNF surge in response to THC is perturbed in the presence of mutant DISC1, suggesting DISC1 may be a useful probe to identify biological cascades involved in the neurochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral effects of cannabis related psychiatric manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadar Segal-Gavish
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Neta Gazit
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yael Barhum
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Tali Ben-Zur
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Michal Taler
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Shay Henry Hornfeld
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Irit Gil-Ad
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Abraham Weizman
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel.,Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Inna Slutsky
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Minae Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Atsushi Kamiya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Offen
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Ran Barzilay
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel.,Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, 49100 Petach Tikva, Israel
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Chesworth R, Karl T. Molecular Basis of Cannabis-Induced Schizophrenia-Relevant Behaviours: Insights from Animal Models. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-017-0120-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Rodríguez G, Neugebauer NM, Yao KL, Meltzer HY, Csernansky JG, Dong H. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) administration after neonatal exposure to phencyclidine potentiates schizophrenia-related behavioral phenotypes in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017. [PMID: 28648819 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The clinical onset of schizophrenia often coincides with cannabis use in adolescents and young adults. However, the neurobiological consequences of this co-morbidity are not well understood. In this study, we examined the effects of Δ9-THC exposure during early adulthood on schizophrenia-related behaviors using a developmental mouse model of schizophrenia. Phencyclidine (PCP) or saline was administered once in neonatal mice (at P7; 10mg/kg). In turn, Δ9-THC or saline was administered sub-acutely later in life to cohorts of animals who had received either PCP or saline (P55-80, 5mg/kg). Mice who were administered PCP alone displayed behavioral changes in the Morris water waze (MWM) and pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) task paradigm that were consistent with schizophrenia-related phenotypes, but not in the locomotor activity or novel object recognition (NOR) task paradigms. Mice who were administered PCP and then received Δ9-THC later in life displayed behavioral changes in the locomotor activity paradigm (p<0.001) that was consistent with a schizophrenia-related phenotype, as well as potentiated changes in the NOR (p<0.01) and MWM (p<0.05) paradigms as compared to mice that received PCP alone. Decreased cortical receptor expression of NMDA receptor 1 subunit (NR1) was observed in mice that received PCP and PCP+Δ9-THC, while mice that received Δ9-THC and PCP+Δ9-THC displayed decreases in CB1 receptor expression. These findings suggest that administration of Δ9-THC during the early adulthood can potentiate the development of schizophrenia-related behavioral phenotypes induced by neonatal exposure to PCP in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Rodríguez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nichole M Neugebauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Katherine Lan Yao
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Herbert Y Meltzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - John G Csernansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Hongxin Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Silveira MM, Arnold JC, Laviolette SR, Hillard CJ, Celorrio M, Aymerich MS, Adams WK. Seeing through the smoke: Human and animal studies of cannabis use and endocannabinoid signalling in corticolimbic networks. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:380-395. [PMID: 27639448 PMCID: PMC5350061 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Public opinion surrounding the recreational use and therapeutic potential of cannabis is shifting. This review describes new work examining the behavioural and neural effects of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system, highlighting key regions within corticolimbic brain circuits. First, we consider the role of human genetic factors and cannabis strain chemotypic differences in contributing to interindividual variation in the response to cannabinoids, such as THC, and review studies demonstrating that THC-induced impairments in decision-making processes are mediated by actions at prefrontal CB1 receptors. We further describe evidence that signalling through prefrontal or ventral hippocampal CB1 receptors modulates mesolimbic dopamine activity, aberrations of which may contribute to emotional processing deficits in schizophrenia. Lastly, we review studies suggesting that endocannabinoid tone in the amygdala is a critical regulator of anxiety, and report new data showing that FAAH activity is integral to this response. Together, these findings underscore the importance of cannabinoid signalling in the regulation of cognitive and affective behaviours, and encourage further research given their social, political, and therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason M Silveira
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Jonathon C Arnold
- The Brain and Mind Centre and Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Addiction Research Group and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Marta Celorrio
- Program of Neurosciences, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, School of Science, University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - María S Aymerich
- Program of Neurosciences, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, School of Science, University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain; IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Wendy K Adams
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Levine A, Clemenza K, Rynn M, Lieberman J. Evidence for the Risks and Consequences of Adolescent Cannabis Exposure. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017; 56:214-225. [PMID: 28219487 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This review of the scientific literature examines the potential adult sequelae of exposure to cannabis and related synthetic cannabinoids in adolescence. We examine the four neuropsychiatric outcomes that are likely most vulnerable to alteration by early cannabinoid use, as identified within both the clinical and preclinical research: cognition, emotional functioning, risk for psychosis, and addiction. METHOD A literature search was conducted through PubMed, PsychInfo, and Google Scholar with no publication date restrictions. The search terms used were "adolescent" and "adult," and either "cannabis," "marijuana," "delta-9-tetra-hydrocannabinol," or "cannabinoid," which was then crossed with one or more of the following terms: "deficit," "impairment," "alteration," "long-term," "persistent," "development," "maturation," and "pubescent." RESULTS The majority of the clinical and preclinical data point to a strong correlation between adolescent cannabinoid exposure and persistent, adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes in adulthood. Although the literature supports the hypothesis that adolescent cannabis use is connected to impaired cognition and mental health in adults, it does not conclusively demonstrate that cannabis consumption alone is sufficient to cause these deficits in humans. The animal literature, however, clearly indicates that adolescent-onset exposure to cannabinoids can catalyze molecular processes that lead to persistent functional deficits in adulthood, deficits that are not found to follow adult-onset exposure and that model some of the adverse outcomes reported in humans among adult populations of early-onset cannabis users. CONCLUSION Based on the data in the current literature, a strong association is found between early, frequent, and heavy adolescent cannabis exposure and poor cognitive and psychiatric outcomes in adulthood, yet definite conclusions cannot yet be made as to whether cannabis use alone has a negative impact on the human adolescent brain. Future research will require animal models and longitudinal studies to be carefully designed with a focus on integrating assessments of molecular, structural, and behavioral outcomes in order to elucidate the full range of potential adverse and long-term consequences of cannabinoid exposure in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Levine
- College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY.
| | | | - Moira Rynn
- College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center, New York
| | - Jeffrey Lieberman
- College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center, New York
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30
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Clarke DJ, Stuart J, McGregor IS, Arnold JC. Endocannabinoid dysregulation in cognitive and stress-related brain regions in the Nrg1 mouse model of schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 72:9-15. [PMID: 27521758 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system is dysregulated in schizophrenia. Mice with heterozygous deletion of neuregulin 1 (Nrg1 HET mice) provide a well-characterised animal model of schizophrenia, and display enhanced sensitivity to stress and cannabinoids during adolescence. However, no study has yet determined whether these mice have altered brain endocannabinoid concentrations. Nrg1 application to hippocampal slices decreased 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) signalling and disrupted long-term depression, a form of synaptic plasticity critical to spatial learning. Therefore we specifically aimed to examine whether Nrg1 HET mice exhibit increased 2-AG concentrations and disruption of spatial learning. As chronic stress influences brain endocannabinoids, we also sought to examine whether Nrg1 deficiency moderates adolescent stress-induced alterations in brain endocannabinoids. Adolescent Nrg1 HET and wild-type (WT) mice were submitted to chronic restraint stress and brain endocannabinoid concentrations were analysed. A separate cohort of WT and Nrg1 HET mice was also assessed for spatial learning performance in the Morris Water Maze. Partial genetic deletion of Nrg1 increased anandamide concentrations in the amygdala and decreased 2-AG concentrations in the hypothalamus. Further, Nrg1 HET mice exhibited increased 2-AG concentrations in the hippocampus and impaired spatial learning performance. Chronic adolescent stress increased anandamide concentrations in the amygdala, however, Nrg1 disruption did not influence this stress-induced change. These results demonstrate for the first time in vivo interplay between Nrg1 and endocannabinoids in the brain. Our results demonstrate that aberrant Nrg1 and endocannabinoid signalling may cooperate in the hippocampus to impair cognition, and that Nrg1 deficiency alters endocannabinoid signalling in brain stress circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Clarke
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jordyn Stuart
- Lambert Initiative of Cannabinoid Therapeutics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Iain S McGregor
- Lambert Initiative of Cannabinoid Therapeutics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jonathon C Arnold
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Lambert Initiative of Cannabinoid Therapeutics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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31
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Gene × Environment Interactions in Schizophrenia: Evidence from Genetic Mouse Models. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:2173748. [PMID: 27725886 PMCID: PMC5048038 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2173748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of gene × environment, as well as epistatic interactions in schizophrenia, has provided important insight into the complex etiopathologic basis of schizophrenia. It has also increased our understanding of the role of susceptibility genes in the disorder and is an important consideration as we seek to translate genetic advances into novel antipsychotic treatment targets. This review summarises data arising from research involving the modelling of gene × environment interactions in schizophrenia using preclinical genetic models. Evidence for synergistic effects on the expression of schizophrenia-relevant endophenotypes will be discussed. It is proposed that valid and multifactorial preclinical models are important tools for identifying critical areas, as well as underlying mechanisms, of convergence of genetic and environmental risk factors, and their interaction in schizophrenia.
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32
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Brzozowska N, Li KM, Wang XS, Booth J, Stuart J, McGregor IS, Arnold JC. ABC transporters P-gp and Bcrp do not limit the brain uptake of the novel antipsychotic and anticonvulsant drug cannabidiol in mice. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2081. [PMID: 27257556 PMCID: PMC4888295 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is currently being investigated as a novel therapeutic for the treatment of CNS disorders like schizophrenia and epilepsy. ABC transporters such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) mediate pharmacoresistance in these disorders. P-gp and Bcrp are expressed at the blood brain barrier (BBB) and reduce the brain uptake of substrate drugs including various antipsychotics and anticonvulsants. It is therefore important to assess whether CBD is prone to treatment resistance mediated by P-gp and Bcrp. Moreover, it has become common practice in the drug development of CNS agents to screen against ABC transporters to help isolate lead compounds with optimal pharmacokinetic properties. The current study aimed to assess whether P-gp and Bcrp impacts the brain transport of CBD by comparing CBD tissue concentrations in wild-type (WT) mice versus mice devoid of ABC transporter genes. P-gp knockout (Abcb1a/b (-∕-)), Bcrp knockout (Abcg2 (-∕-)), combined P-gp/Bcrp knockout (Abcb1a/b (-∕-) Abcg2 (-∕-)) and WT mice were injected with CBD, before brain and plasma samples were collected at various time-points. CBD results were compared with the positive control risperidone and 9-hydroxy risperidone, antipsychotic drugs that are established ABC transporter substrates. Brain and plasma concentrations of CBD were not greater in P-gp, Bcrp or P-gp/Bcrp knockout mice than WT mice. In comparison, the brain/plasma concentration ratios of risperidone and 9-hydroxy risperidone were profoundly higher in P-gp knockout mice than WT mice. These results suggest that CBD is not a substrate of P-gp or Bcrp and may be free from the complication of reduced brain uptake by these transporters. Such findings provide favorable evidence for the therapeutic development of CBD in the treatment of various CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Brzozowska
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Kong M Li
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Xiao Suo Wang
- Bosch Mass Spectrometry Facility, Bosch Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Jessica Booth
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Jordyn Stuart
- The Lambert Initiative of Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Psychopharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Iain S McGregor
- The Lambert Initiative of Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Psychopharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jonathon C Arnold
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The Lambert Initiative of Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Rubino T, Parolaro D. The Impact of Exposure to Cannabinoids in Adolescence: Insights From Animal Models. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 79:578-85. [PMID: 26344755 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The regular use of cannabis during adolescence is of particular concern because use by this age group seems to be associated with an increased likelihood of deleterious consequences, as reported by several epidemiologic studies. However, despite their unquestionable value, epidemiologic data are inconclusive. Modeling the adolescent phase in animals appears to be a useful approach to investigate the impact of cannabis use on the adolescent brain. In these models, adolescent cannabinoid exposure has been reported to cause long-term impairment in specific components of learning and memory and to have differential effects on anxiety, social behavior, and depressive-like signs. These findings suggest that it may represent, per se or in association with other hits, a risk factor for developing psychotic-like symptoms in adulthood. The neurobiological bases of this association include the induction of alterations in the maturational events of the endocannabinoid system occurring in the adolescent brain. Alterations in the endocannabinoid system may profoundly dysregulate developmental processes in some neurotransmitter systems, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate, mainly in the cortex. The resulting picture strongly resembles the one present in schizophrenic patients, highlighting the translational value of this experimental approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Rubino
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Biomedical Research Division, and Neuroscience Center, University of Insubria, Busto Arsizi, Italy..
| | - Daniela Parolaro
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Biomedical Research Division, and Neuroscience Center, University of Insubria, Busto Arsizi, Italy
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Engel M, Snikeris P, Matosin N, Newell KA, Huang XF, Frank E. mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 rescues NMDA and GABAA receptor level deficits induced in a two-hit mouse model of schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:1349-59. [PMID: 26861891 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4230-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE An imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission underlies the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia. Agonists of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors, mGluR2/3, have been proposed as novel therapeutic agents to correct this imbalance. However, the influence of mGluR2/3 activity on excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors has not been explored. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the ability of a novel mGluR2/3 agonist, LY379268, to modulate the availability of the excitatory N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) and the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyrate-A receptor (GABAA-R), in a two-hit mouse model of schizophrenia. METHODS Wild type (WT) and heterozygous neuregulin 1 transmembrane domain mutant mice (NRG1 HET) were treated daily with phencyclidine (10 mg/kg ip) or saline for 14 days. After a 14-day washout, an acute dose of the mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 (3 mg/kg), olanzapine (antipsychotic drug comparison, 1.5 mg/kg), or saline was administered. NMDA-R and GABAA-R binding densities were examined by receptor autoradiography in several schizophrenia-relevant brain regions. RESULTS In both WT and NRG1 HET mice, phencyclidine treatment significantly reduced NMDA-R and GABAA-R binding density in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens. Acute treatment with LY379268 restored NMDA-R and GABAA-R levels in the two-hit mouse model comparable to olanzapine. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that the mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 restores excitatory and inhibitory deficits with similar efficiency as olanzapine in our two-hit schizophrenia mouse model. This study significantly contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of LY379268 and supports the use of agents aimed at mGluR2/3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Engel
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia. .,Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia. .,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia. .,School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
| | - Peta Snikeris
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.,Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Natalie Matosin
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.,Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Kelly Anne Newell
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.,Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Xu-Feng Huang
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.,Faculty of Science Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Elisabeth Frank
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
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35
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Colizzi M, McGuire P, Pertwee RG, Bhattacharyya S. Effect of cannabis on glutamate signalling in the brain: A systematic review of human and animal evidence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 64:359-81. [PMID: 26987641 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Use of cannabis or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), its main psychoactive ingredient, is associated with psychotic symptoms or disorder. However, the neurochemical mechanism that may underlie this psychotomimetic effect is poorly understood. Although dopaminergic dysfunction is generally recognized as the final common pathway in psychosis, evidence of the effects of Δ9-THC or cannabis use on dopaminergic measures in the brain is equivocal. In fact, it is thought that cannabis or Δ9-THC may not act on dopamine firing directly but indirectly by altering glutamate neurotransmission. Here we systematically review all studies examining acute and chronic effects of cannabis or Δ9-THC on glutamate signalling in both animals and man. Limited research carried out in humans tends to support the evidence that chronic cannabis use reduces levels of glutamate-derived metabolites in both cortical and subcortical brain areas. Research in animals tends to consistently suggest that Δ9-THC depresses glutamate synaptic transmission via CB1 receptor activation, affecting glutamate release, inhibiting receptors and transporters function, reducing enzyme activity, and disrupting glutamate synaptic plasticity after prolonged exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Colizzi
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Roger G Pertwee
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
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Holm-Hansen S, Low JK, Zieba J, Gjedde A, Bergersen LH, Karl T. Behavioural effects of high fat diet in a mutant mouse model for the schizophrenia risk gene neuregulin 1. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 15:295-304. [PMID: 26707035 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia patients are often obese or overweight and poor dietary choices appear to be a factor in this phenomenon. Poor diet has been found to have complex consequences for the mental state of patients. Thus, this study investigated whether an unhealthy diet [i.e. high fat diet (HFD)] impacts on the behaviour of a genetic mouse model for the schizophrenia risk gene neuregulin 1 (i.e. transmembrane domain Nrg1 mutant mice: Nrg1 HET). Female Nrg1 HET and wild-type-like littermates (WT) were fed with either HFD or a control chow diet. The mice were tested for baseline (e.g. anxiety) and schizophrenia-relevant behaviours after 7 weeks of diet exposure. HFD increased body weight and impaired glucose tolerance in all mice. Only Nrg1 females on HFD displayed a hyper-locomotive phenotype as locomotion-suppressive effects of HFD were only evident in WT mice. HFD also induced an anxiety-like response and increased freezing in the context and the cued version of the fear conditioning task. Importantly, CHOW-fed Nrg1 females displayed impaired social recognition memory, which was absent in HFD-fed mutants. Sensorimotor gating deficits of Nrg1 females were not affected by diet. In summary, HFD had complex effects on the behavioural phenotype of test mice and attenuated particular cognitive deficits of Nrg1 mutant females. This topic requires further investigations thereby also considering other dietary factors of relevance for schizophrenia as well as interactive effects of diet with medication and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Holm-Hansen
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Brain and Muscle Energy Group, Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Institute of Oral Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - J K Low
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.,Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, Australia
| | - J Zieba
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.,Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, Australia
| | - A Gjedde
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - L H Bergersen
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Brain and Muscle Energy Group, Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Institute of Oral Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - T Karl
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.,Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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37
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Todd SM, Arnold JC. Neural correlates of interactions between cannabidiol and Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol in mice: implications for medical cannabis. Br J Pharmacol 2015; 173:53-65. [PMID: 26377899 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Revised: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It has been proposed that medicinal strains of cannabis and therapeutic preparations would be safer with a more balanced concentration ratio of Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD), as CBD reduces the adverse psychotropic effects of THC. However, our understanding of CBD and THC interactions is limited and the brain circuitry mediating interactions between CBD and THC are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CBD modulated the functional effects and c-Fos expression induced by THC, using a 1:1 dose ratio that approximates therapeutic strains of cannabis and nabiximols. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with vehicle, CBD, THC or a combination of CBD and THC (10 mg·kg(-1) i.p. for both cannabinoids) to examine effects on locomotor activity, anxiety-related behaviour, body temperature and brain c-Fos expression (a marker of neuronal activation). KEY RESULTS CBD potentiated THC-induced locomotor suppression but reduced the hypothermic and anxiogenic effects of THC. CBD alone had no effect on these measures. THC increased brain activation as measured by c-Fos expression in 11 of the 35 brain regions studied. CBD co-administration suppressed THC-induced c-Fos expression in six of these brain regions. This effect was most pronounced in the medial preoptic nucleus and lateral periaqueductal gray. Treatment with CBD alone diminished c-Fos expression only in the central nucleus of the amygdala compared with vehicle. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These data confirm that CBD modulated the pharmacological actions of THC and provide new information regarding brain regions involved in the interaction between CBD and THC.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Todd
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - J C Arnold
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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38
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Ayhan Y, McFarland R, Pletnikov MV. Animal models of gene-environment interaction in schizophrenia: A dimensional perspective. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 136:1-27. [PMID: 26510407 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia has long been considered as a disorder with multifactorial origins. Recent discoveries have advanced our understanding of the genetic architecture of the disease. However, even with the increase of identified risk variants, heritability estimates suggest an important contribution of non-genetic factors. Various environmental risk factors have been proposed to play a role in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. These include season of birth, maternal infections, obstetric complications, adverse events at early childhood, and drug abuse. Despite the progress in identification of genetic and environmental risk factors, we still have a limited understanding of the mechanisms whereby gene-environment interactions (G × E) operate in schizophrenia and psychoses at large. In this review we provide a critical analysis of current animal models of G × E relevant to psychotic disorders and propose that dimensional perspective will advance our understanding of the complex mechanisms of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yavuz Ayhan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Turkey
| | - Ross McFarland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.
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39
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Ballinger MD, Saito A, Abazyan B, Taniguchi Y, Huang CH, Ito K, Zhu X, Segal H, Jaaro-Peled H, Sawa A, Mackie K, Pletnikov MV, Kamiya A. Adolescent cannabis exposure interacts with mutant DISC1 to produce impaired adult emotional memory. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 82:176-184. [PMID: 26093170 PMCID: PMC4640936 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis is an increasingly popular and controversial drug used worldwide. Cannabis use often begins during adolescence, a highly susceptible period for environmental stimuli to alter functional and structural organization of the developing brain. Given that adolescence is a critical time for the emergence of mental illnesses before full-onset in early adulthood, it is particularly important to investigate how genetic insults and adolescent cannabis exposure interact to affect brain development and function. Here we show for the first time that a perturbation in disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) exacerbates the response to adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC), a major psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, consistent with the concept that gene-environment interaction may contribute to the pathophysiology of psychiatric conditions. We found that chronic adolescent treatment with Δ(9)-THC exacerbates deficits in fear-associated memory in adult mice that express a putative dominant-negative mutant of DISC1 (DN-DISC1). Synaptic expression of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) is down-regulated in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, critical brain regions for fear-associated memory, by either expression of DN-DISC1 or adolescent Δ(9)-THC treatment. Notably, elevation of c-Fos expression evoked by context-dependent fear memory retrieval is impaired in these brain regions in DN-DISC1 mice. We also found a synergistic reduction of c-Fos expression induced by cue-dependent fear memory retrieval in DN-DISC1 with adolescent Δ(9)-THC exposure. These results suggest that alteration of CB1R-mediated signaling in DN-DISC1 mice may underlie susceptibility to detrimental effects of adolescent cannabis exposure on adult behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Ballinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Atsushi Saito
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bagrat Abazyan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yu Taniguchi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ching-Hsun Huang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Koki Ito
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaolei Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hadar Segal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hanna Jaaro-Peled
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ken Mackie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Atsushi Kamiya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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40
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Scientific Opinion on the risks for human health related to the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in milk and other food of animal origin. EFSA J 2015. [DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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41
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Long LE, Anderson P, Frank E, Shaw A, Liu S, Huang XF, Pinault D, Karl T, O’Brien TJ, Shannon Weickert C, Jones NC. Neuregulin 1 expression and electrophysiological abnormalities in the Neuregulin 1 transmembrane domain heterozygous mutant mouse. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124114. [PMID: 25992564 PMCID: PMC4437646 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Neuregulin 1 transmembrane domain heterozygous mutant (Nrg1 TM HET) mouse is used to investigate the role of Nrg1 in brain function and schizophrenia-like behavioural phenotypes. However, the molecular alterations in brain Nrg1 expression that underpin the behavioural observations have been assumed, but not directly determined. Here we comprehensively characterise mRNA Nrg1 transcripts throughout development of the Nrg1 TM HET mouse. In addition, we investigate the regulation of high-frequency (gamma) electrophysiological oscillations in this mutant mouse to associate molecular changes in Nrg1 with a schizophrenia-relevant neurophysiological profile. Methods Using exonic probes spanning the cysteine-rich, epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like, transmembrane and intracellular domain encoding regions of Nrg1, mRNA levels were measured using qPCR in hippocampus and frontal cortex from male and female Nrg1 TM HET and wild type-like (WT) mice throughout development. We also performed electrophysiological recordings in adult mice and analysed gamma oscillatory at baseline, in responses to auditory stimuli and to ketamine. Results In both hippocampus and cortex, Nrg1 TM HET mice show significantly reduced expression of the exon encoding the transmembrane domain of Nrg1 compared with WT, but unaltered mRNA expression encoding the extracellular bioactive EGF-like and the cysteine-rich (type III) domains, and development-specific and region-specific reductions in the mRNA encoding the intracellular domain. Hippocampal Nrg1 protein expression was not altered, but NMDA receptor NR2B subunit phosphorylation was lower in Nrg1 TM HET mice. We identified elevated ongoing and reduced sensory-evoked gamma power in Nrg1 TM HET mice. Interpretation We found no evidence to support the claim that the Nrg1 TM HET mouse represents a simple haploinsufficient model. Further research is required to explore the possibility that mutation results in a gain of Nrg1 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonora E. Long
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul Anderson
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elisabeth Frank
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alex Shaw
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shijie Liu
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Xu-Feng Huang
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Didier Pinault
- INSERM U1114, psychopathologie cognitive et physiopathologie de la schizophrénie, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tim Karl
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Terence J. O’Brien
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail: (CSW); (NCJ)
| | - Nigel C. Jones
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail: (CSW); (NCJ)
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42
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Developmentally vitamin D-deficient rats show enhanced prepulse inhibition after acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Behav Pharmacol 2014; 25:236-44. [PMID: 24776491 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency has been proposed as a risk factor for schizophrenia. DVD-deficient rats show selective cognitive deficits and novelty-induced hyperlocomotion and enhanced locomotor responses from acute treatment with psychomimetic drugs, such as amphetamine and MK-801. Here we aimed to examine the effect of a drug from a different class of psychomimetic/psychoactive compounds, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), on tasks of relevance to the cognitive and positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DVD deficiency modulates the behavioural effects of THC on tests of delay-dependent memory, sensorimotor gating and locomotion. Adult control and DVD-deficient rats were injected with THC (0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.25, 2.5 mg/kg) 15 min before a delay match to sample (DMTS) task using variable delays (0-24 s). A separate group of rats was injected with either 2.5 mg/kg THC or vehicle before tests of either prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response or in the open field. Control and DVD-deficient rats showed a similar dose-dependent impairment in performance on the DMTS. The greatest impairment was observed at 2.5 mg/kg for all delays (0-24 s). DVD-deficient rats showed THC-induced enhancement of PPI, which was not observed in control rats. There was no effect of maternal diet on acoustic startle response or locomotor responses in the open field. This study reports the novel findings that DVD-deficient rats were more sensitive to the acute effects of THC on PPI. It appears that prenatal vitamin D deficiency has long-term effects on sensitivity to the behavioural effects of cannabinoids.
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43
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Why sigma-1 receptor dysfunction might confer vulnerability to cannabis-induced psychosis. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:1911-3. [PMID: 25116043 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145714000960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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44
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Renard J, Krebs MO, Le Pen G, Jay TM. Long-term consequences of adolescent cannabinoid exposure in adult psychopathology. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:361. [PMID: 25426017 PMCID: PMC4226229 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug among adolescents and young adults. Unique cognitive, emotional, and social changes occur during this critical period of development from childhood into adulthood. The adolescent brain is in a state of transition and differs from the adult brain with respect to both anatomy (e.g., neuronal connections and morphology) and neurochemistry (e.g., dopamine, GABA, and glutamate). These changes are thought to support the emergence of adult cerebral processes and behaviors. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in development by acting on synaptic plasticity, neuronal cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive component in marijuana, acts as a partial agonist of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R). Thus, over-activation of the endocannabinoid system by chronic exposure to CB1R agonists (e.g., THC, CP-55,940, and WIN55,212-2) during adolescence can dramatically alter brain maturation and cause long-lasting neurobiological changes that ultimately affect the function and behavior of the adult brain. Indeed, emerging evidence from both human and animal studies demonstrates that early-onset marijuana use has long-lasting consequences on cognition; moreover, in humans, this use is associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of developing a psychotic disorder. Here, we review the relationship between cannabinoid exposure during adolescence and the increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders, focusing on both clinical and animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Renard
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S894 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Paris, France ; Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Service Hospitalo Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S894 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Paris, France ; Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Service Hospitalo Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
| | - Gwenaëlle Le Pen
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S894 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Paris, France ; Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Service Hospitalo Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
| | - Thérèse M Jay
- Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S894 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Paris, France ; Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Service Hospitalo Universitaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
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45
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Chohan TW, Boucher AA, Spencer JR, Kassem MS, Hamdi AA, Karl T, Fok SY, Bennett MR, Arnold JC. Partial genetic deletion of neuregulin 1 modulates the effects of stress on sensorimotor gating, dendritic morphology, and HPA axis activity in adolescent mice. Schizophr Bull 2014; 40:1272-84. [PMID: 24442851 PMCID: PMC4193694 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbt193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stress has been linked to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Genetic variation in neuregulin 1 (NRG1) increases the risk of developing schizophrenia and may help predict which high-risk individuals will transition to psychosis. NRG1 also modulates sensorimotor gating, a schizophrenia endophenotype. We used an animal model to demonstrate that partial genetic deletion of Nrg1 interacts with stress to promote neurobehavioral deficits of relevance to schizophrenia. Nrg1 heterozygous (HET) mice displayed greater acute stress-induced anxiety-related behavior than wild-type (WT) mice. Repeated stress in adolescence disrupted the normal development of higher prepulse inhibition of startle selectively in Nrg1 HET mice but not in WT mice. Further, repeated stress increased dendritic spine density in pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) selectively in Nrg1 HET mice. Partial genetic deletion of Nrg1 also modulated the adaptive response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to repeated stress, with Nrg1 HET displaying a reduced repeated stress-induced level of plasma corticosterone than WT mice. Our results demonstrate that Nrg1 confers vulnerability to repeated stress-induced sensorimotor gating deficits, dendritic spine growth in the mPFC, and an abberant endocrine response in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tariq W. Chohan
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;,Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Aurelie A. Boucher
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jarrah R. Spencer
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;,Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Mustafa S. Kassem
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Areeg A. Hamdi
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Sandra Y. Fok
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Maxwell R. Bennett
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jonathon C. Arnold
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;,Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;,*To whom correspondence should be addressed; The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, 94-100 Mallett Street, Sydney, Australia; tel: +61-2-9351-0812, e-mail:
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46
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Chohan TW, Nguyen A, Todd SM, Bennett MR, Callaghan P, Arnold JC. Partial genetic deletion of neuregulin 1 and adolescent stress interact to alter NMDA receptor binding in the medial prefrontal cortex. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:298. [PMID: 25324742 PMCID: PMC4179617 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is thought to arise due to a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors during early neurodevelopment. We have recently shown that partial genetic deletion of the schizophrenia susceptibility gene neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) and adolescent stress interact to disturb sensorimotor gating, neuroendocrine activity and dendritic morphology in mice. Both stress and Nrg1 may have converging effects upon N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) which are implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, sensorimotor gating and dendritic spine plasticity. Using an identical repeated restraint stress paradigm to our previous study, here we determined NMDAR binding across various brain regions in adolescent Nrg1 heterozygous (HET) and wild-type (WT) mice using [3H] MK-801 autoradiography. Repeated restraint stress increased NMDAR binding in the ventral part of the lateral septum (LSV) and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus irrespective of genotype. Partial genetic deletion of Nrg1 interacted with adolescent stress to promote an altered pattern of NMDAR binding in the infralimbic (IL) subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex. In the IL, whilst stress tended to increase NMDAR binding in WT mice, it decreased binding in Nrg1 HET mice. However, in the DG, stress selectively increased the expression of NMDAR binding in Nrg1 HET mice but not WT mice. These results demonstrate a Nrg1-stress interaction during adolescence on NMDAR binding in the medial prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tariq W Chohan
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - An Nguyen
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; ANSTO LifeSciences, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephanie M Todd
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maxwell R Bennett
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul Callaghan
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; ANSTO LifeSciences, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jonathon C Arnold
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
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47
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Rubino T, Parolaro D. Cannabis abuse in adolescence and the risk of psychosis: a brief review of the preclinical evidence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 52:41-4. [PMID: 23916409 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Revised: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies suggest that Cannabis use during adolescence confers an increased risk for developing psychotic symptoms later in life. However, despite their interest, the epidemiological data are not conclusive, due to their heterogeneity; thus modeling the adolescent phase in animals is useful for investigating the impact of Cannabis use on deviations of adolescent brain development that might confer a vulnerability to later psychotic disorders. Although scant, preclinical data seem to support the presence of impaired social behaviors, cognitive and sensorimotor gating deficits as well as psychotic-like signs in adult rodents after adolescent cannabinoid exposure, clearly suggesting that this exposure may trigger a complex behavioral phenotype closely resembling a schizophrenia-like disorder. Similar treatments performed at adulthood were not able to produce such phenotype, thus pointing to a vulnerability of the adolescent brain towards cannabinoid exposure. The neurobiological substrate of the adolescent vulnerability is still largely unknown and experimental studies need to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanism underlying these effects. However, the few data available seem to suggest that heavy adolescent exposure to cannabinoids is able to modify neuronal connectivity in specific brain areas long after the end of the treatment. This is likely due to disruption of maturational events within the endocannabinoid system during adolescence that in turn impact on the correct neuronal refinement peculiar of the adolescent brain, thus leading to altered adult brain functionality and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Rubino
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Biomedical Research Division, University of Insubria, via Manara 7, 21052 Busto Arsizio VA, Italy
| | - D Parolaro
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Biomedical Research Division, University of Insubria, via Manara 7, 21052 Busto Arsizio VA, Italy.
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48
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O'Tuathaigh CMP, Gantois I, Waddington JL. Genetic dissection of the psychotomimetic effects of cannabinoid exposure. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 52:33-40. [PMID: 24239593 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2013] [Revised: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use is an established risk factor for the development of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Factors that may mediate susceptibility to the psychosis-inducing effects of cannabis include the age at onset of first cannabis use, genetic predisposition, as well as interaction with other environmental risk variables. Clinical and preclinical genetic studies provide increasing evidence that, in particular, genes encoding proteins implicated in dopamine signalling are implicated in the cannabis-psychosis association. In the present review, we focus on both human and animal studies which have focused on identifying the neuronal basis of these interactions. We conclude that further studies are required to provide greater mechanistic insight into the long-term and neurodevelopmental effects of cannabis use, with implications for improved understanding of the cannabis-psychosis relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colm M P O'Tuathaigh
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland; School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Ilse Gantois
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - John L Waddington
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland
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49
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Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol disrupts hippocampal neuroplasticity and neurogenesis in trained, but not untrained adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats. Brain Res 2014; 1548:12-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Revised: 12/24/2013] [Accepted: 12/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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50
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Neuregulin-1 impairs the long-term depression of hippocampal inhibitory synapses by facilitating the degradation of endocannabinoid 2-AG. J Neurosci 2013; 33:15022-31. [PMID: 24048832 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5833-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocannabinoids play essential roles in synaptic plasticity; thus, their dysfunction often causes impairments in memory or cognition. However, it is not well understood whether deficits in the endocannabinoid system account for the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Here, we show that endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic regulation is impaired by the prolonged elevation of neuregulin-1, the abnormality of which is a hallmark in many patients with schizophrenia. When rat hippocampal slices were chronically treated with neuregulin-1, the degradation of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), one of the major endocannabinoids, was enhanced due to the increased expression of its degradative enzyme, monoacylglycerol lipase. As a result, the time course of depolarization-induced 2-AG signaling was shortened, and the magnitude of 2-AG-dependent long-term depression of inhibitory synapses was reduced. Our study reveals that an alteration in the signaling of 2-AG contributes to hippocampal synaptic dysfunction in a hyper-neuregulin-1 condition and thus provides novel insights into potential schizophrenic therapeutics that target the endocannabinoid system.
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