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Sinha R. Stress and substance use disorders: risk, relapse, and treatment outcomes. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e172883. [PMID: 39145454 PMCID: PMC11324296 DOI: 10.1172/jci172883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress has long been associated with substance misuse and substance use disorders (SUDs). The past two decades have seen a surge in research aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms driving this association. This Review introduces a multilevel "adaptive stress response" framework, encompassing a stress baseline, acute reaction, and recovery with return-to-homeostasis phase that occurs at varying response times and across domains of analysis. It also discusses evidence showing the disruption of this adaptive stress response in the context of chronic and repeated stressors, trauma, adverse social and drug-related environments, as well as with acute and chronic drug misuse and with drug withdrawal and abstinence sequelae. Subjective, cognitive, peripheral, and neurobiological disruptions in the adaptive stress response phases and their link to inflexible, maladaptive coping; increased craving; relapse risk; and maintenance of drug intake are also presented. Finally, the prevention and treatment implications of targeting this "stress pathophysiology of addiction" are discussed, along with specific aspects that may be targeted in intervention development to rescue stress-related alterations in drug motivation and to improve SUD treatment outcomes.
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Fuentes JJ, Mayans J, Guarro M, Canosa I, Mestre-Pintó JI, Fonseca F, Torrens M. Peripheral endocannabinoids in major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:551. [PMID: 39118031 PMCID: PMC11308641 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05986-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) are two high-prevalent conditions where the Endocannabinoid system (ECS) is believed to play an important role. The ECS regulates how different neurotransmitters interact in both disorders, which is crucial for controlling emotions and responses to stress and reward stimuli. Measuring peripheral endocannabinoids (eCBs) in human serum and plasma can help overcome the limitations of detecting endocannabinoid levels in the brain. This systematic review aims to identify levels of peripheral eCBs in patients with MDD and/or AUD and find eCBs to use as diagnostic, prognostic biomarkers, and potential therapeutic targets. METHODS We conducted a systematic literature search according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines from the earliest manuscript until October 22, 2023, in three electronic databases. We included studies of human adults who had a current diagnosis of AUD and/or MDD and evaluated plasma or serum endocannabinoids. We carefully considered known variables that may affect endocannabinoid levels. RESULTS We included 17 articles in this systematic review, which measured peripheral eCBs in 170 AUD and 359 MDD patients. Stressors increase peripheral 2-arachidonyl-glycerol (2-AG) concentrations, and 2-AG may be a particular feature of depression severity and chronicity. Anxiety symptoms are negatively correlated with anandamide (AEA) concentrations, and AEA significantly increases during early abstinence in AUD. Studies suggest a negative correlation between Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and length of abstinence in AUD patients. They also show a significant negative correlation between peripheral levels of AEA and OEA and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity. Eicosapentaenoylethanolamide (EPEA) is correlated to clinical remission rates in depression. Included studies show known variables such as gender, chronicity, symptom severity, comorbid psychiatric symptoms, length of abstinence in the case of AUD, and stress-inducibility that can affect peripheral eCBs. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review highlights the important role that the ECS plays in MDD and AUD. Peripheral eCBs appear to be useful biomarkers for these disorders, and further research may identify potential therapeutic targets. Using accessible biological samples such as blood in well-designed clinical studies is crucial to develop novel therapies for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Fuentes
- Mental Health Institute, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - J Mayans
- Department of Psychiatry, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
| | - M Guarro
- Mental Health Institute, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - I Canosa
- Mental Health Institute, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J I Mestre-Pintó
- Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F Fonseca
- Mental Health Institute, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
- Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - M Torrens
- Mental Health Institute, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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Li H, Ye Q, Wang D, Shi B, Xu W, Zhang S, Han X, Zhang XY, Thompson GJ. Resting State Brain Networks under Inverse Agonist versus Complete Knockout of the Cannabinoid Receptor 1. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1669-1683. [PMID: 38575140 PMCID: PMC11027912 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) is famous as the target of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the active ingredient of marijuana. Suppression of CB1 is frequently suggested as a drug target or gene therapy for many conditions (e.g., obesity, Parkinson's disease). However, brain networks affected by CB1 remain elusive, and unanticipated psychological effects in a clinical trial had dire consequences. To better understand the whole brain effects of CB1 suppression we performed in vivo imaging on mice under complete knockout of the gene for CB1 (cnr1-/-) and also under the CB1 inverse agonist rimonabant. We examined white matter structural changes and brain function (network activity and directional uniformity) in cnr1-/- mice. In cnr1-/- mice, white matter (in both sexes) and functional directional uniformity (in male mice) were altered across the brain but network activity was largely unaltered. Conversely, under rimonabant, functional directional uniformity was not altered but network activity was altered in cortical regions, primarily in networks known to be altered by THC (e.g., neocortex, hippocampal formation). However, rimonabant did not alter many brain regions found in both our cnr1-/- results and previous behavioral studies of cnr1-/- mice (e.g., thalamus, infralimbic area). This suggests that chronic loss of cnr1 is substantially different from short-term suppression, subtly rewiring the brain but largely maintaining the network activity. Our results help explain why pathological mutations in CB1 (e.g., chronic pain) do not always provide insight into the side effects of CB1 suppression (e.g., clinical depression), and thus urge more preclinical studies for any drugs that suppress CB1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qiong Ye
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes
of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
| | - Da Wang
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School
of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech
University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Bowen Shi
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School
of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech
University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wenjing Xu
- Institute
of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Key
Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shuning Zhang
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School
of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech
University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiaoyang Han
- Institute
of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Key
Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Zhang
- Institute
of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Key
Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
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Mohammad Aghaei A, Saali A, Canas MA, Weleff J, D'Souza DC, Angarita GA, Bassir Nia A. Dysregulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system following opioid exposure. Psychiatry Res 2023; 330:115586. [PMID: 37931479 PMCID: PMC10842415 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Rates of opioid-related deaths and overdoses in the United States are at record-high levels. Thus, novel neurobiological targets for the treatment of OUD are greatly needed. Given the close interaction between the endogenous opioid system and the endocannabinoid system (ECS), targeting the ECS may have therapeutic potential in OUD. The various components of the ECS, including cannabinoid receptors, their lipid-derived endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids [eCBs]), and the related enzymes, present potential targets for developing new medications in OUD treatment. The purpose of this paper is to review the clinical and preclinical literature on the dysregulation of the ECS after exposure to opioids. We review the evidence of ECS dysregulation across various study types, exposure protocols, and measurement protocols and summarize the evidence for dysregulation of ECS components at specific brain regions. Preclinical research has shown that opioids disrupt various ECS components that are region-specific. However, the results in the literature are highly heterogenous and sometimes contradictory, possibly due to variety of different methods used. Further research is needed before a confident conclusion could be made on how exposure to opioids can affect ECS components in various brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardavan Mohammad Aghaei
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Alexandra Saali
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | | | - Jeremy Weleff
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Deepak Cyril D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gustavo A Angarita
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Anahita Bassir Nia
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
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Ferber SG, Weller A. Diverse Underlying Mechanisms and Sex Differences Found in Translational Models of Cannabinoids Use: Towards Validation in Human Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16586. [PMID: 38068909 PMCID: PMC10706558 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This Special Issue represents a continuation of our previous Special Issue entitled "Endocannabinoids, Cannabinoids and Psychiatry: Biological Mechanisms" [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Goldstein Ferber
- Psychology Department and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel;
- Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Aron Weller
- Psychology Department and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel;
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Chassé M, Pees A, Lindberg A, Liang SH, Vasdev N. Spirocyclic Iodonium Ylides for Fluorine-18 Radiolabeling of Non-Activated Arenes: From Concept to Clinical Research. CHEM REC 2023; 23:e202300072. [PMID: 37183954 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202300072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful imaging tool for drug discovery, clinical diagnosis, and monitoring of disease progression. Fluorine-18 is the most common radionuclide used for PET, but advances in radiotracer development have been limited by the historical lack of methodologies and precursors amenable to radiolabeling with fluorine-18. Radiolabeling of electron-rich (hetero)aromatic rings remains a long-standing challenge in the production of PET radiopharmaceuticals. In this personal account, we discuss the history of spirocyclic iodonium ylide precursors, from inception to applications in clinical research, for the incorporation of fluorine-18 into complex non-activated (hetero)aromatic rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Chassé
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 Kings College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Anna Pees
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Anton Lindberg
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Steven H Liang
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Neil Vasdev
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 Kings College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
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Xiao KB, Grennell E, Ngoy A, George TP, Le Foll B, Hendershot CS, Sloan ME. Cannabis self-administration in the human laboratory: a scoping review of ad libitum studies. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06360-4. [PMID: 37157001 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06360-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis self-administration studies may be helpful for identifying factors that influence cannabis consumption and subjective response to cannabis. Additionally, these paradigms could be useful for testing novel pharmacotherapies for cannabis use disorder. This scoping review aims to summarize the findings from existing ad libitum cannabis self-administration studies to determine what has been learned from these studies as well as their limitations. We examined studies that specifically examined cannabis smoking, focusing on subjective response and self-administration behavior (e.g., smoking topography). A systematic search was conducted using PubMed and Embase from inception to October 22, 2022. Our search strategy identified 26 studies (total N = 662, 79% male) that met our eligibility criteria. We found that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration significantly affected subjective response to cannabis in some but not all studies. In general, cannabis self-administration tended to be most intense at the beginning of the laboratory session and decreased in later parts of the session. There was limited data on cannabis self-administration in adults older than 55. Data on external validity and test-retest reliability were also limited. Addressing these limitations in future ad libitum cannabis self-administration studies could lead to more valid and generalizable paradigms, which in turn could be used to improve our understanding of cannabis use patterns and to help guide medication development for cannabis use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Bin Xiao
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erin Grennell
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anthony Ngoy
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tony P George
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Biobehavioural Addictions and Concurrent Disorders Research Laboratory (BACDRL), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Waypoint Research Institute, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christian S Hendershot
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Matthew E Sloan
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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8
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On making (and turning adaptive to) maladaptive aversive memories in laboratory rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105101. [PMID: 36804263 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Fear conditioning and avoidance tasks usually elicit adaptive aversive memories. Traumatic memories are more intense, generalized, inflexible, and resistant to attenuation via extinction- and reconsolidation-based strategies. Inducing and assessing these dysfunctional, maladaptive features in the laboratory are crucial to interrogating posttraumatic stress disorder's neurobiology and exploring innovative treatments. Here we analyze over 350 studies addressing this question in adult rats and mice. There is a growing interest in modeling several qualitative and quantitative memory changes by exposing already stressed animals to freezing- and avoidance-related tests or using a relatively high aversive training magnitude. Other options combine aversive/fearful tasks with post-acquisition or post-retrieval administration of one or more drugs provoking neurochemical or epigenetic alterations reported in the trauma aftermath. It is potentially instructive to integrate these procedures and incorporate the measurement of autonomic and endocrine parameters. Factors to consider when defining the organismic and procedural variables, partially neglected aspects (sex-dependent differences and recent vs. remote data comparison) and suggestions for future research (identifying reliable individual risk and treatment-response predictors) are discussed.
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Karimi-Haghighi S, Mahmoudi M, Sayehmiri F, Mozafari R, Haghparast A. Endocannabinoid system as a therapeutic target for psychostimulants relapse: A systematic review of preclinical studies. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 951:175669. [PMID: 36965745 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism behind the reinstament of psychostimulant, as a major obstacle in addiction treatment is not fully understood. Controversial data are available in the literature concerning the role of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in regulating the relapse to psychostimulant addiction in preclinical studies. The current systematic review aims to evaluate eCB modulators' effect in the reinstatement of commonly abused psychostimulants, including cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. By searching the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, studies were selected. Then the studies, quality was evaluated by the SYRCLE risk of bias tool. The results have still been limited to preclinical studies. Thirty-nine articles that employed self-administration and CPP as the most prevalent animal models of addiction were selected. This data indicates that cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonists and some cannabinoid receptor 2 agonists could suppress the reinstatement of cocaine and methamphetamine addiction in a dose-dependent manner. However, only AM251 was efficient to block the reinstatement of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. In conclusion, cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonists and some cannabinoid receptor 2 agonists may have curative potential in the relapse of psychostimulant abuse. However, time, dose, and route of administration are crucial factors in their inhibitory impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeideh Karimi-Haghighi
- Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maedeh Mahmoudi
- Neurobiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Sayehmiri
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roghayeh Mozafari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Basic Sciences, Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Navarrete F, García-Gutiérrez MS, Gasparyan A, Navarro D, López-Picón F, Morcuende Á, Femenía T, Manzanares J. Biomarkers of the Endocannabinoid System in Substance Use Disorders. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12030396. [PMID: 35327588 PMCID: PMC8946268 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite substance use disorders (SUD) being one of the leading causes of disability and mortality globally, available therapeutic approaches remain ineffective. The difficulty in accurately characterizing the neurobiological mechanisms involved with a purely qualitative diagnosis is an obstacle to improving the classification and treatment of SUD. In this regard, identifying central and peripheral biomarkers is essential to diagnosing the severity of drug dependence, monitoring therapeutic efficacy, predicting treatment response, and enhancing the development of safer and more effective pharmacological tools. In recent years, the crucial role that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in regulating the reinforcing and motivational properties of drugs of abuse has been described. This has led to studies characterizing ECS alterations after exposure to various substances to identify biomarkers with potential diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic utility. This review aims to compile the primary evidence available from rodent and clinical studies on how the ECS components are modified in the context of different substance-related disorders, gathering data from genetic, molecular, functional, and neuroimaging experimental approaches. Finally, this report concludes that additional translational research is needed to further characterize the modifications of the ECS in the context of SUD, and their potential usefulness in the necessary search for biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Navarrete
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - María S. García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniela Navarro
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco López-Picón
- PET Preclinical Imaging Laboratory, Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland;
| | - Álvaro Morcuende
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
| | - Teresa Femenía
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-965-919-248
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11
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El-Atawneh S, Goldblum A. Candidate Therapeutics by Screening for Multitargeting Ligands: Combining the CB2 Receptor With CB1, PPARγ and 5-HT4 Receptors. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:812745. [PMID: 35295337 PMCID: PMC8918518 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.812745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) has become a major target for treating many disease conditions. The old therapeutic paradigm of “one disease-one target-one drug” is being transformed to “complex disease-many targets-one drug.” Multitargeting, therefore, attracts much attention as a promising approach. We thus focus on designing single multitargeting agents (MTAs), which have many advantages over combined therapies. Using our ligand-based approach, the “Iterative Stochastic Elimination” (ISE) algorithm, we produce activity models of agonists and antagonists for desired therapeutic targets and anti-targets. These models are used for sequential virtual screening and scoring large libraries of molecules in order to pick top-scored candidates for testing in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we built activity models for CB2R and other targets for combinations that could be used for several indications. Those additional targets are the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and 5-Hydroxytryptamine receptor 4 (5-HT4R). All these models have high statistical parameters and are reliable. Many more CB2R/CBIR agonists were found than combined CB2R agonists with CB1R antagonist activity (by 200 fold). CB2R agonism combined with PPARγ or 5-HT4R agonist activity may be used for treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Combining CB2R agonism with 5-HT4R generates more candidates (14,008) than combining CB2R agonism with agonists for the nuclear receptor PPARγ (374 candidates) from an initial set of ∼2.1 million molecules. Improved enrichment of true vs. false positives may be achieved by requiring a better ISE score cutoff or by performing docking. Those candidates can be purchased and tested experimentally to validate their activity. Further, we performed docking to CB2R structures and found lower statistical performance of the docking (“structure-based”) compared to ISE modeling (“ligand-based”). Therefore, ISE modeling may be a better starting point for molecular discovery than docking.
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12
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Abstract
In this review, the state of the art for compounds affecting the endocannabinoid (eCB) system is described with a focus on the treatment of pain. Amongst directly acting CB receptor ligands, clinical experience with ∆9 -tetrahydracannabinol and medical cannabis in chronic non-cancer pain indicates that there are differences between the benefits perceived by patients and the at best modest effect seen in meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. The reason for this difference is not known but may involve differences in the type of patients that are recruited, the study conditions that are chosen and the degree to which biases such as reporting bias are operative. Other directly acting CB receptor ligands such as biased agonists and allosteric receptor modulators have not yet reached the clinic. Amongst indirectly acting compounds targeting the enzymes responsible for the synthesis and catabolism of the eCBs anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors have been investigated clinically but were per se not useful for the treatment of pain, although they may be useful for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and cannabis use disorder. Dual-acting compounds targeting this enzyme and other targets such as cyclooxygenase-2 or transient potential vanilloid receptor 1 may be a way forward for the treatment of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Fowler
- From the, Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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13
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Bielawski T, Albrechet-Souza L, Frydecka D. Endocannabinoid system in trauma and psychosis: distant guardian of mental stability. Rev Neurosci 2021; 32:707-722. [PMID: 33656307 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Central endocannabinoid system (eCBS) is a neuromodulatory system that inhibits potentially harmful, excessive synaptic activation. Endocannabinoid receptors are abundant among brain structures pivotal in different mental disorders development (for example, hippocampus, amygdala, medial-prefrontal cortex, hypothalamus). Here, we review eCBS function in etiology of psychosis, emphasizing its role in dealing with environmental pressures such as traumatic life events. Moreover, we explore eCBS as a guard against hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis over-activation, and discuss its possible role in etiology of different psychopathologies. Additionally, we review eCBS function in creating adaptive behavioral patterns, as we explore its involvement in the memory formation process, extinction learning and emotional response. We discuss eCBS in the context of possible biomarkers of trauma, and in preclinical psychiatric conditions, such as at-risk mental states and clinical high risk states for psychosis. Finally, we describe the role of eCBS in the cannabinoid self-medication-theory and extinction learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Bielawski
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 10 Pasteur Street, 50-367Wroclaw, Poland.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA
| | - Lucas Albrechet-Souza
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA.,Alcohol & Drug Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA
| | - Dorota Frydecka
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 10 Pasteur Street, 50-367Wroclaw, Poland
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14
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Abstract
Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is an underappreciated risk of using cannabis that affects ~10% of the 193 million cannabis users worldwide. The individual and public health burdens are less than those of other forms of drug use, but CUD accounts for a substantial proportion of persons seeking treatment for drug use disorders owing to the high global prevalence of cannabis use. Cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational enhancement therapy and contingency management can substantially reduce cannabis use and cannabis-related problems, but enduring abstinence is not a common outcome. No pharmacotherapies have been approved for cannabis use or CUD, although a number of drug classes (such as cannabinoid agonists) have shown promise and require more rigorous evaluation. Treatment of cannabis use and CUD is often complicated by comorbid mental health and other substance use disorders. The legalization of non-medical cannabis use in some high-income countries may increase the prevalence of CUD by making more potent cannabis products more readily available at a lower price. States that legalize medical and non-medical cannabis use should inform users about the risks of CUD and provide information on how to obtain assistance if they develop cannabis-related mental and/or physical health problems.
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15
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Joshi N, Onaivi ES. Psychiatric Disorders and Cannabinoid Receptors. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1264:131-153. [PMID: 33332008 PMCID: PMC10810008 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57369-0_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
With the increasing global use of medical and adult recreational use of cannabis and cannabinoids, this chapter provides overview of evidence from animal and human studies on psychiatric disorders and cannabinoid receptors. We review and present evaluation of the relationship between changes in the ECS and psychiatric disorders. Evidence suggests the existence of a relationship between changes in components of the ECS, and some of the symptoms present in psychiatric disorders. Both CB1Rs and CB2Rs are components of the endocannabinoid system with different cellular and tissue localization patterns that are differentially expressed in the CNS and PNS and are emerging targets for the treatment of number psychiatric disorders. As cannabis preparations are widely used for recreation globally, it is predictable that cannabis use disorders (CUDs) will increase and there is currently no available treatment for CUDs. Although major advances have been reported from cannabinoid and ECS research, there are gaps in scientific knowledge on long-term consequences of cannabis use. Adolescent and cannabis use during pregnancy presents further challenges, and more research will uncover the signaling pathways that couple the gut microbiota with the host ECS. Development of cannabis and cannabinoid nanomedicine for nanotherapy will certainly overcome some of the shortcomings and challenges in medicinal and recreational use of cannabis and cannabinoids. Thus, nanotechnology will allow targeted delivery of cannabinoid formulations with the potential to elevate their use to scientifically validated nanotherapeutic applications as the field of cannabis nanoscience matures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal Joshi
- Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, USA
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16
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Cannabidiol: A Potential New Alternative for the Treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Psychotic Disorders. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10111575. [PMID: 33228239 PMCID: PMC7699613 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential therapeutic use of some Cannabis sativa plant compounds has been attracting great interest, especially for managing neuropsychiatric disorders due to the relative lack of efficacy of the current treatments. Numerous studies have been carried out using the main phytocannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). CBD displays an interesting pharmacological profile without the potential for becoming a drug of abuse, unlike THC. In this review, we focused on the anxiolytic, antidepressant, and antipsychotic effects of CBD found in animal and human studies. In rodents, results suggest that the effects of CBD depend on the dose, the strain, the administration time course (acute vs. chronic), and the route of administration. In addition, certain key targets have been related with these CBD pharmacological actions, including cannabinoid receptors (CB1r and CB2r), 5-HT1A receptor and neurogenesis factors. Preliminary clinical trials also support the efficacy of CBD as an anxiolytic, antipsychotic, and antidepressant, and more importantly, a positive risk-benefit profile. These promising results support the development of large-scale studies to further evaluate CBD as a potential new drug for the treatment of these psychiatric disorders.
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17
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Lecoq P, Morel C, Prior JO, Visvikis D, Gundacker S, Auffray E, Križan P, Turtos RM, Thers D, Charbon E, Varela J, de La Taille C, Rivetti A, Breton D, Pratte JF, Nuyts J, Surti S, Vandenberghe S, Marsden P, Parodi K, Benlloch JM, Benoit M. Roadmap toward the 10 ps time-of-flight PET challenge. Phys Med Biol 2020; 65:21RM01. [PMID: 32434156 PMCID: PMC7721485 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ab9500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Since the seventies, positron emission tomography (PET) has become an invaluable medical molecular imaging modality with an unprecedented sensitivity at the picomolar level, especially for cancer diagnosis and the monitoring of its response to therapy. More recently, its combination with x-ray computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) has added high precision anatomic information in fused PET/CT and PET/MR images, thus compensating for the modest intrinsic spatial resolution of PET. Nevertheless, a number of medical challenges call for further improvements in PET sensitivity. These concern in particular new treatment opportunities in the context personalized (also called precision) medicine, such as the need to dynamically track a small number of cells in cancer immunotherapy or stem cells for tissue repair procedures. A better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the image would allow detecting smaller size tumours together with a better staging of the patients, thus increasing the chances of putting cancer in complete remission. Moreover, there is an increasing demand for reducing the radioactive doses injected to the patients without impairing image quality. There are three ways to improve PET scanner sensitivity: improving detector efficiency, increasing geometrical acceptance of the imaging device and pushing the timing performance of the detectors. Currently, some pre-localization of the electron-positron annihilation along a line-of-response (LOR) given by the detection of a pair of annihilation photons is provided by the detection of the time difference between the two photons, also known as the time-of-flight (TOF) difference of the photons, whose accuracy is given by the coincidence time resolution (CTR). A CTR of about 10 picoseconds FWHM will ultimately allow to obtain a direct 3D volume representation of the activity distribution of a positron emitting radiopharmaceutical, at the millimetre level, thus introducing a quantum leap in PET imaging and quantification and fostering more frequent use of 11C radiopharmaceuticals. The present roadmap article toward the advent of 10 ps TOF-PET addresses the status and current/future challenges along the development of TOF-PET with the objective to reach this mythic 10 ps frontier that will open the door to real-time volume imaging virtually without tomographic inversion. The medical impact and prospects to achieve this technological revolution from the detection and image reconstruction point-of-views, together with a few perspectives beyond the TOF-PET application are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Lecoq
- CERN, department EP, Geneva, Switzerland
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18
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Bedse G, Hill MN, Patel S. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol Modulation of Anxiety and Stress Adaptation: From Grass Roots to Novel Therapeutics. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:520-530. [PMID: 32197779 PMCID: PMC7486996 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade there has been a surge of interest in the development of endocannabinoid-based therapeutic approaches for the treatment of diverse neuropsychiatric conditions. Although initial preclinical and clinical development efforts focused on pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase to elevate levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide, more recent efforts have focused on inhibition of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) to enhance signaling of the most abundant and efficacious endocannabinoid ligand, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). We review the biochemistry and physiology of 2-AG signaling and preclinical evidence supporting a role for this system in the regulation of anxiety-related outcomes and stress adaptation. We review preclinical evidence supporting MAGL inhibition for the treatment of affective, trauma-related, and stress-related disorders; describe the current state of MAGL inhibitor drug development; and discuss biological factors that could affect MAGL inhibitor efficacy. Issues related to the clinical advancement of MAGL inhibitors are also discussed. We are cautiously optimistic, as the field of MAGL inhibitor development transitions from preclinical to clinical and theoretical to practical, that pharmacological 2-AG augmentation could represent a mechanistically novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of affective and stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Bedse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Mathew N Hill
- Department of Cell Biology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Mathison Center for Mental Health Research and Education, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Anatomy and Psychiatry, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Mathison Center for Mental Health Research and Education, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sachin Patel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
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19
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deRoon-Cassini TA, Stollenwerk TM, Beatka M, Hillard CJ. Meet Your Stress Management Professionals: The Endocannabinoids. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26:953-968. [PMID: 32868170 PMCID: PMC7530069 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid signaling system (ECSS) is altered by exposure to stress and mediates and modulates the effects of stress on the brain. Considerable preclinical data support critical roles for the endocannabinoids and their target, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, in the adaptation of the brain to repeated stress exposure. Chronic stress exposure increases vulnerability to mental illness, so the ECSS has attracted attention as a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of stress-related psychopathology. We discuss human genetic studies indicating that the ECSS contributes to risk for mental illness in those exposed to severe stress and trauma early in life, and we explore the potential difficulties in pharmacological manipulation of the ECSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terri A deRoon-Cassini
- Neuroscience Research Center, USA; Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Todd M Stollenwerk
- Neuroscience Research Center, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Margaret Beatka
- Neuroscience Research Center, USA; Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Neuroscience Research Center, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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20
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Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a highly versatile signaling system within the nervous system. Despite its widespread localization, its functions within the context of distinct neural processes are very well discernable and specific. This is remarkable, and the question remains as to how such specificity is achieved. One key player in the ECS is the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1), a G protein-coupled receptor characterized by the complexity of its cell-specific expression, cellular and subcellular localization, and its adaptable regulation of intracellular signaling cascades. CB1 receptors are involved in different synaptic and cellular plasticity processes and in the brain's bioenergetics in a context-specific manner. CB2 receptors are also important in several processes in neurons, glial cells, and immune cells of the brain. As polymorphisms in ECS components, as well as external impacts such as stress and metabolic challenges, can both lead to dysregulated ECS activity and subsequently to possible neuropsychiatric disorders, pharmacological intervention targeting the ECS is a promising therapeutic approach. Understanding the neurobiology of cannabinoid receptor signaling in depth will aid optimal design of therapeutic interventions, minimizing unwanted side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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21
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Varlow C, Boileau I, Wey HY, Liang SH, Vasdev N. Classics in Neuroimaging: Imaging the Endocannabinoid Pathway with PET. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:1855-1862. [PMID: 32559067 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This Viewpoint aims to highlight positron emission tomography (PET) research studies that have shaped our understanding of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) through radiopharmaceutical targeting of cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2), and the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), in several brain health illnesses including addiction, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Advances in radiochemistry, including 11C-carbonylation and radiofluorination of nonactivated aromatic rings, are accelerating the translation of radiotracers with optimal kinetics, bringing us closer to clinical PET research studies to image the enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and enabling the imaging of unexplored targets in the ECS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassis Varlow
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario M5T-1R8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S-1A8, Canada
| | - Isabelle Boileau
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario M5T-1R8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S-1A8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T-1R8, Canada
| | - Hsiao-Ying Wey
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Steven H. Liang
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Neil Vasdev
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario M5T-1R8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S-1A8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T-1R8, Canada
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
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22
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Lower brain fatty acid amide hydrolase in treatment-seeking patients with alcohol use disorder: a positron emission tomography study with [C-11]CURB. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1289-1296. [PMID: 31910433 PMCID: PMC7298050 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0606-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), has been proposed as a therapeutic target for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and co-morbid psychiatric illnesses. Investigating this target in the living human brain and its relationship to clinical outcome is a critical step of informed drug development. Our objective was to establish whether brain FAAH levels are low in individuals with AUD and related to drinking behavior. In this pilot study, treatment-seeking patients with AUD completed two PET scans with the FAAH radiotracer [C-11]CURB after 3-7 days (n = 14) and 2-4 weeks (n = 9) of monitored abstinence. Healthy controls (n = 25) completed one scan. FAAH genetic polymorphism (rs324420) and blood concentrations of anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines metabolized by FAAH were determined and AUD symptoms assessed. In AUD, brain FAAH levels were globally lower than controls during early abstinence (F(1,36) = 5.447; p = 0.025)) and FAAH substrates (anandamide, oleoylethanolamide, and N-docosahexaenoylethanolamide) were significantly elevated (30-67%). No significant differences in FAAH or FAAH substrates were noted after 2-4 weeks abstinence. FAAH levels negatively correlated with drinks per week (r = -0.57, p = 0.032) and plasma concentrations of the three FAAH substrates (r > 0.57; p < 0.04)). Our findings suggest that early abstinence from alcohol in AUD is associated with transiently low brain FAAH levels, which are inversely related to heavier alcohol use and elevated plasma levels of FAAH substrates. Whether low FAAH is an adaptive beneficial response to chronic alcohol is unknown. Therapeutic strategies focusing on FAAH inhibition should consider the possibility that low FAAH during early abstinence may be related to drinking.
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23
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Hindocha C, Quattrone D, Freeman TP, Murray RM, Mondelli V, Breen G, Curtis C, Morgan CJA, Valerie Curran H, Di Forti M. Do AKT1, COMT and FAAH influence reports of acute cannabis intoxication experiences in patients with first episode psychosis, controls and young adult cannabis users? Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:143. [PMID: 32398646 PMCID: PMC7217850 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0823-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological and biological evidence support the association between heavy cannabis use and psychosis. However, it is unclear which cannabis users are susceptible to its psychotogenic effect. Therefore, understanding genetic factors contributing to this relationship might prove an important strategy to identify the mechanisms underlying cannabis-associated psychotic experiences. We aimed to determine how variation in AKT1, COMT and FAAH genotypes, and their interaction with three different groups (first episode psychosis (FEP) patients (n = 143), controls (n = 92) and young adult (YA) cannabis users n = 485)) influenced cannabis experiences, in those who had used cannabis at least once. We investigated the role of AKT1 (rs2494732), COMT Val158Met (rs4680) and FAAH (rs324420) on cannabis experiences by combining data from a large case-control study of FEP patients, with a naturalistic study of YA cannabis users (n = 720). Outcome measures were cannabis-induced psychotic-like experiences (cPLEs) and euphoric experiences (cEEs). We used linear mixed effects models to assess the effects of each genotype and their interaction with group, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, age of first cannabis use, years of use and frequency. cPLEs were more frequent in FEP patients than controls and YA cannabis users. cEEs were more prevalent in YA cannabis users than FEP patients or controls. Variation in AKT1, COMT or FAAH was not associated with cPLEs/cEEs. There was no interaction between genotype and group (FEP cases, controls and YA cannabis users) on cPLEs/cEEs. In conclusion, AKT1, COMT or FAAH did not modulate specific psychotomimetic response to cannabis and did not interact with group, contrary to previous research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandni Hindocha
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom. .,Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom. .,NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Diego Quattrone
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF UK ,grid.451056.30000 0001 2116 3923National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.451052.70000 0004 0581 2008South London and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Tom P. Freeman
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom ,grid.7340.00000 0001 2162 1699Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Robin M. Murray
- grid.451056.30000 0001 2116 3923National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.37640.360000 0000 9439 0839NIHR BioResource Centre Maudsley, NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), London, UK
| | - Valeria Mondelli
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF London, UK
| | - Gerome Breen
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF UK ,grid.451056.30000 0001 2116 3923National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Charles Curtis
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF UK ,grid.451056.30000 0001 2116 3923National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Celia J. A. Morgan
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom ,grid.8391.30000 0004 1936 8024Psychopharmacology and Addiction Research Centre (PARC), University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - H. Valerie Curran
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom ,grid.439749.40000 0004 0612 2754NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Di Forti
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF UK ,grid.451056.30000 0001 2116 3923National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.451052.70000 0004 0581 2008South London and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Nielsen S, Sabioni P, Gowing L, Le Foll B. Pharmacotherapies for Cannabis Use Disorders: Clinical Challenges and Promising Therapeutic Agents. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2020; 258:355-372. [PMID: 31375922 DOI: 10.1007/164_2019_258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This chapter reviews pharmacotherapies that have been trialled for cannabis dependence, identifying those that warrant further research and those of little or uncertain value. A diverse range of medicines have been tested, representing a broad range of pharmacological strategies. These include tetrahydrocannabinol preparations, various types of antidepressant, anxiolytics, a glutamatergic modulator and the neuropeptide oxytocin. Cannabinoid agonists warrant further research. For the FAAH inhibitor PF-04457845, oxytocin, varenicline and gabapentin, although there is a signal to indicate further research is warranted, these medications do not yet have sufficient evidence to support clinical use, and larger, longer-term trials are needed in representative treatment-seeking populations. Special populations that warrant consideration are those with cannabis dependence and concurrent mental health conditions and those that develop dependence through therapeutic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Nielsen
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University, Peninsula Campus, Frankston, VIC, Australia
| | - Pamela Sabioni
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Linda Gowing
- Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Acute Care Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Departments of Family and Community Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Schalla MA, Stengel A. Activity Based Anorexia as an Animal Model for Anorexia Nervosa-A Systematic Review. Front Nutr 2019; 6:69. [PMID: 31165073 PMCID: PMC6536653 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2019.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder affecting around 1 per 100 persons. However, the knowledge about its underlying pathophysiology is limited. To address the need for a better understanding of AN, an animal model was established early on in the late 1960's: the activity-based anorexia (ABA) model in which rats have access to a running wheel combined with restricted food access leading to self-starving/body weight loss and hyperactivity. Both symptoms, separately or combined, can also be found in patients with AN. The aim of this systematic review was to compile the current knowledge about this animal model as well as to address gaps in knowledge. Using the data bases of PubMed, Embase and Web of science 102 publications were identified meeting the search criteria. Here, we show that the ABA model mimics core features of human AN and has been characterized with regards to brain alterations, hormonal changes as well as adaptations of the immune system. Moreover, pharmacological interventions in ABA animals and new developments, such as a chronic adaptation of the ABA model, will be highlighted. The chronic model might be well suited to display AN characteristics but should be further characterized. Lastly, limitations of the model will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha A Schalla
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Stengel
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Cannabis, cannabinoid receptors, and endocannabinoid system: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2019; 40:297-299. [PMID: 30670816 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-019-0210-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
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