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Afshar S, Abbasinazari M, Amin G, Farrokhian A, Sistanizad M, Afshar F, Khalili S. Endocannabinoids and related compounds as modulators of angiogenesis: Concepts and clinical significance. Cell Biochem Funct 2022; 40:826-837. [PMID: 36317321 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Vasculogenesis (the process of differentiation of angioblasts toward endothelial cells and de novo formation of crude vascular networks) and angiogenesis (the process of harmonized sprouting and dispersal of new capillaries from previously existing ones) are two fundamentally complementary processes, obligatory for maintaining physiological functioning of vascular system. In clinical practice, however, the later one is of more importance as it guarantees correct embryonic nourishment, accelerates wound healing processes, prevents uncontrolled cell growth and tumorigenesis, contributes in supplying nutritional demand following occlusion of coronary vessels and is in direct relation with development of diabetic retinopathy. Hence, discovery of novel molecules capable of modulating angiogenic events are of great clinical importance. Recent studies have demonstrated multiple angio-regulatory activities for endocannabinoid system modulators and endocannabinoid-like molecules, as well as their metabolizing enzymes. Hence, in present article, we reviewed the regulatory roles of these molecules on angiogenesis and described molecular mechanisms underlying them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shima Afshar
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Abbasinazari
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Amin
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Farrokhian
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Sistanizad
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Afshar
- Department of internal medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shayesteh Khalili
- Department of Internal Medicine, Imam Hossein Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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2
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Szafran B, Borazjani A, Scheaffer HL, Crow JA, McBride AM, Adekanye O, Wonnacott CB, Lehner R, Kaplan BLF, Ross MK. Carboxylesterase 1d Inactivation Augments Lung Inflammation in Mice. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:919-931. [PMID: 36268116 PMCID: PMC9578131 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Carboxylesterases are members of the serine hydrolase superfamily and metabolize drugs, pesticides, and lipids. Previous research showed that inhibition of carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) in human macrophages altered the immunomodulatory effects of lipid mediators called prostaglandin glyceryl esters, which are produced by cyclooxygenase-catalyzed oxygenation of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Ces1d - the mouse ortholog of human CES1 - is the most abundant Ces isoform in murine lung tissues and alveolar macrophages and a major target of organophosphate poisons. Monoacylglycerol lipase (Magl) is also expressed in murine lung and is the main enzyme responsible for 2-AG catabolism. Several metabolic benefits are observed in Ces1d-/- mice fed a high-fat diet; thus, we wondered whether pharmacological and genetic inactivation of Ces1d in vivo might also ameliorate the acute inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). C57BL/6 mice were treated with WWL229 (Ces1d inhibitor) or JZL184 (Magl inhibitor), followed 30 min later by either LPS or saline. Wild-type (WT) and Ces1d-/- mice were also administered LPS to determine the effect of Ces1d knockout. Mice were sacrificed at 6 and 24 h, and cytokines were assessed in serum, lung, liver, and adipose tissues. Lipid mediators were quantified in lung tissues, while activity-based protein profiling and enzyme assays determined the extent of lung serine hydrolase inactivation by the inhibitors. WWL229 was shown to augment LPS-induced lung inflammation in a female-specific manner, as measured by enhanced neutrophil infiltration and Il1b mRNA. The marked Ces inhibition in female lung by 4 h after drug treatment might explain this sex difference, although the degree of Ces inhibition in female and male lungs was similar at 6 h. In addition, induction of lung Il6 mRNA and prostaglandin E2 by LPS was more pronounced in Ces1d-/- mice than in WT mice. Thus, WWL229 inhibited lung Ces1d activity and augmented the female lung innate immune response, an effect observed in part in Ces1d-/- mice and Ces1d/CES1-deficient murine and human macrophages. In contrast, JZL184 attenuated LPS-induced Il1b and Il6 mRNA levels in female lung, suggesting that Ces1d and Magl have opposing effects. Mapping the immunomodulatory molecules/pathways that are regulated by Ces1d in the context of lung inflammation will require further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany
N. Szafran
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Abdolsamad Borazjani
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Hannah L. Scheaffer
- Department
of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology,
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - J. Allen Crow
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Ann Marie McBride
- Department
of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Oluwabori Adekanye
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Caitlin B. Wonnacott
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Richard Lehner
- Departments
of Cell Biology and Pediatrics, Group on Molecular & Cell Biology
of Lipids, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Barbara L. F. Kaplan
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Matthew K. Ross
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
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Gene expression of the endocannabinoid system in endometrium through menstrual cycle. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9400. [PMID: 35672435 PMCID: PMC9174470 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13488-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocannabinoids mediate cellular functions and their activity is controlled by a complex system of enzymes, membrane receptors and transport molecules. Endocannabinoids are present in endometrium, a cyclical regenerative tissue requiring tightly regulated cellular mechanisms for maturation. The objective of this study was to investigate the gene expression of key elements involved in the endocannabinoid system across the menstrual cycle. RNA was isolated from endometrial tissue and genome-wide gene expression datasets were generated using RNA-sequencing. An a priori set of 70 genes associated with endocannabinoid system were selected from published literature. Gene expression across the menstrual cycle was analyzed using a moderated t test, corrected for multiple testing with Bonferroni’s method. A total of 40 of the 70 genes were present in > 90% of the samples, and significant differential gene expression identified for 29 genes. We identified 4 distinct regulation patterns for synthesizing enzymes, as well as a distinct regulation pattern for degradations and transporting enzymes. This study charts the expression of endometrial endocannabinoid system genes across the menstrual cycle. Altered expression of genes that control endocannabinoid may allow fine control over endocannabinoid concentrations and their influence on cellular function, maturation and differentiation as the endometrium matures through the menstrual cycle.
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Sionov RV, Steinberg D. Anti-Microbial Activity of Phytocannabinoids and Endocannabinoids in the Light of Their Physiological and Pathophysiological Roles. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10030631. [PMID: 35327432 PMCID: PMC8945038 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance has become an increasing challenge in the treatment of various infectious diseases, especially those associated with biofilm formation on biotic and abiotic materials. There is an urgent need for new treatment protocols that can also target biofilm-embedded bacteria. Many secondary metabolites of plants possess anti-bacterial activities, and especially the phytocannabinoids of the Cannabis sativa L. varieties have reached a renaissance and attracted much attention for their anti-microbial and anti-biofilm activities at concentrations below the cytotoxic threshold on normal mammalian cells. Accordingly, many synthetic cannabinoids have been designed with the intention to increase the specificity and selectivity of the compounds. The structurally unrelated endocannabinoids have also been found to have anti-microbial and anti-biofilm activities. Recent data suggest for a mutual communication between the endocannabinoid system and the gut microbiota. The present review focuses on the anti-microbial activities of phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids integrated with some selected issues of their many physiological and pharmacological activities.
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Greco R, Demartini C, Zanaboni AM, Francavilla M, De Icco R, Ahmad L, Tassorelli C. The endocannabinoid system and related lipids as potential targets for the treatment of migraine-related pain. Headache 2022; 62:227-240. [PMID: 35179780 DOI: 10.1111/head.14267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migraine is a complex and highly disabling neurological disease whose treatment remains challenging in many patients, even after the recent advent of the first specific-preventive drugs, namely monoclonal antibodies that target calcitonin gene-related peptide. For this reason, headache researchers are actively searching for new therapeutic targets. Cannabis has been proposed for migraine treatment, but controlled clinical studies are lacking. A major advance in cannabinoid research has been the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which consists of receptors CB1 and CB2; their endogenous ligands, such as N-arachidonoylethanolamine; and the enzymes that catalyze endocannabinoid biosynthesis or degradation. Preclinical and clinical findings suggest a possible role for endocannabinoids and related lipids, such as palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), in migraine-related pain treatment. In animal models of migraine-related pain, endocannabinoid tone modulation via inhibition of endocannabinoid-catabolizing enzymes has been a particular focus of research. METHODS To conduct a narrative review of available data on the possible effects of cannabis, endocannabinoids, and other lipids in migraine-related pain, relevant key words were used to search the PubMed/MEDLINE database for basic and clinical studies. RESULTS Endocannabinoids and PEA seem to reduce trigeminal nociception by interacting with many pathways associated with migraine, suggesting a potential synergistic or similar effect. CONCLUSIONS Modulation of the metabolic pathways of the ECS may be a basis for new migraine treatments. The multiplicity of options and the wealth of data already obtained in animal models underscore the importance of further advancing research in this area. Multiple molecules related to the ECS or to allosteric modulation of CB1 receptors have emerged as potential therapeutic targets in migraine-related pain. The complexity of the ECS calls for accurate biochemical and pharmacological characterization of any new compounds undergoing testing and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosaria Greco
- Headache Science & Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Chiara Demartini
- Headache Science & Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Zanaboni
- Headache Science & Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Miriam Francavilla
- Headache Science & Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Roberto De Icco
- Headache Science & Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lara Ahmad
- Headache Science & Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cristina Tassorelli
- Headache Science & Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Khoury M, Cohen I, Bar-Sela G. “The Two Sides of the Same Coin”—Medical Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Immunity: Pros and Cons Explained. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14020389. [PMID: 35214123 PMCID: PMC8877666 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis, as a natural medicinal remedy, has long been used for palliative treatment to alleviate the side effects caused by diseases. Cannabis-based products isolated from plant extracts exhibit potent immunoregulatory properties, reducing chronic inflammatory processes and providing much needed pain relief. They are a proven effective solution for treatment-based side effects, easing the resulting symptoms of the disease. However, we discuss the fact that cannabis use may promote the progression of a range of malignancies, interfere with anti-cancer immunotherapy, or increase susceptibility to viral infections and transmission. Most cannabis preparations or isolated active components cause an overall potent immunosuppressive impact among users, posing a considerable hazard to patients with suppressed or compromised immune systems. In this review, current knowledge and perceptions of cannabis or cannabinoids and their impact on various immune-system components will be discussed as the “two sides of the same coin” or “double-edged sword”, referring to something that can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences. We propose that much is still unknown about adverse reactions to its use, and its integration with medical treatment should be conducted cautiously with consideration of the individual patient, effector cells, microenvironment, and the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Khoury
- Cancer Center, Emek Medical Center, 21 Yitzhak Rabin Blvd, Afula 1834111, Israel; (M.K.); (I.C.)
- Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200002, Israel
| | - Idan Cohen
- Cancer Center, Emek Medical Center, 21 Yitzhak Rabin Blvd, Afula 1834111, Israel; (M.K.); (I.C.)
| | - Gil Bar-Sela
- Cancer Center, Emek Medical Center, 21 Yitzhak Rabin Blvd, Afula 1834111, Israel; (M.K.); (I.C.)
- Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200002, Israel
- Oncology & Hematology Division, Emek Medical Center, Yitshak Rabin Boulevard 21, Afula 1834111, Israel
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-4-6495725; Fax: +972-4-6163992
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Yaghootfam C, Gehrig B, Sylvester M, Gieselmann V, Matzner U. Deletion of fatty acid amide hydrolase reduces lyso-sulfatide levels but exacerbates metachromatic leukodystrophy in mice. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101064. [PMID: 34375644 PMCID: PMC8435702 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An inherited deficiency of arylsulfatase A (ASA) causes the lysosomal storage disease metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) characterized by massive intralysosomal storage of the acidic glycosphingolipid sulfatide and progressive demyelination. Lyso-sulfatide, which differs from sulfatide by the lack of the N-linked fatty acid also accumulates in MLD and is considered a key driver of pathology although its concentrations are far below sulfatide levels. However, the metabolic origin of lyso-sulfatide is unknown. We show here that ASA-deficient murine macrophages and microglial cells express an endo-N-deacylase that cleaves the N-linked fatty acid from sulfatide. An ASA-deficient astrocytoma cell line devoid of this activity was used to identify the enzyme by overexpressing 13 deacylases with potentially matching substrate specificities. Hydrolysis of sulfatide was detected only in cells overexpressing the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). A cell-free assay with recombinant FAAH confirmed the novel role of this enzyme in sulfatide hydrolysis. Consistent with the in vitro data, deletion of FAAH lowered lyso-sulfatide levels in a mouse model of MLD. Regardless of the established cytotoxicity of lyso-sulfatide and the anti-inflammatory effects of FAAH inhibition seen in mouse models of several neurological diseases, genetic inactivation of FAAH did not mitigate, but rather exacerbated the disease phenotype of MLD mice. This unexpected finding was reflected by worsening of rotarod performance, increase of anxiety-related exploratory activity, aggravation of peripheral neuropathy and reduced life expectancy. Thus, we conclude that FAAH has a protective function in MLD and may represent a novel therapeutic target for treatment of this fatal condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Yaghootfam
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd Gehrig
- Medical Faculty, Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marc Sylvester
- Medical Faculty, Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Volkmar Gieselmann
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ulrich Matzner
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Febo E, Crisi PE, Oddi S, Pietra M, Galiazzo G, Piscitelli F, Gramenzi A, Prinzio RD, Di Tommaso M, Bernabò N, Bisogno T, Maccarrone M, Boari A. Circulating Endocannabinoids as Diagnostic Markers of Canine Chronic Enteropathies: A Pilot Study. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:655311. [PMID: 34124221 PMCID: PMC8187750 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.655311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic enteropathies (CEs) in dogs, according to the treatment response to consecutive trials, are classified as food-responsive (FRE), antibiotic-responsive (ARE), and immunosuppressive-responsive (IRE) enteropathy. In addition to this classification, dogs with loss of protein across the gut are grouped as protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). At present, the diagnosis of CEs is time-consuming, costly and sometimes invasive, also because non-invasive biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity are not yet available. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the levels of circulating endocannabinoids in plasma as potential diagnostic markers of canine CEs. Thirty-three dogs with primary chronic gastrointestinal signs presented to Veterinary Teaching Hospitals of Teramo and Bologna (Italy) were prospectively enrolled in the study, and 30 healthy dogs were included as a control group. Plasma levels of N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA), and N-oleoylethanolamine (OEA) were measured at the time of the first visit in dogs with different CEs, as well as in healthy subjects. Plasma levels of 2-AG (p = 0.001) and PEA (p = 0.008) were increased in canine CEs compared to healthy dogs. In particular, PEA levels were increased in the FRE group compared to healthy dogs (p = 0.04), while 2-AG was higher in IRE than in healthy dogs (p = 0.0001). Dogs affected by FRE also showed decreased 2-AG (p = 0.0001) and increased OEA levels (p = 0.0018) compared to IRE dogs. Moreover, dogs with PLE showed increased 2-AG (p = 0.033) and decreased AEA (p = 0.035), OEA (p = 0.016) and PEA (p = 0.023) levels, when compared to dogs affected by CEs without loss of proteins. The areas under ROC curves for circulating 2-AG (0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79–1.03) and OEA (0.81; 95% CI, 0.65–0.97) showed a good accuracy in distinguishing the different forms of CEs under study (FRE, ARE and IRE), at the time of the first visit. The present study demonstrated that endocannabinoid signaling is altered in canine CEs, and that CE subtypes showed distinct profiles of 2-AG, PEA and OEA plasma levels, suggesting that these circulating bioactive lipids might have the potential to become candidate biomarkers for canine CEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elettra Febo
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | | | - Sergio Oddi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.,European Center for Brain Research/Santa Lucia Foundation Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Pietra
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giorgia Galiazzo
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabiana Piscitelli
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Nicola Bernabò
- Faculty of Bioscience, and Technology for Food Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.,Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bisogno
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Maccarrone
- European Center for Brain Research/Santa Lucia Foundation Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Andrea Boari
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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The Interplay between the Immune and the Endocannabinoid Systems in Cancer. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061282. [PMID: 34064197 PMCID: PMC8224348 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of Cannabis sativa has been recognized since ancient times. Phytocannabinoids, endocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids activate two major G protein-coupled receptors, subtype 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2). Cannabinoids (CBs) modulate several aspects of cancer cells, such as apoptosis, autophagy, proliferation, migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness. Moreover, agonists of CB1 and CB2 receptors inhibit angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Low-grade inflammation is a hallmark of cancer in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which contains a plethora of innate and adaptive immune cells. These cells play a central role in tumor initiation and growth and the formation of metastasis. CB2 and, to a lesser extent, CB1 receptors are expressed on a variety of immune cells present in TME (e.g., T cells, macrophages, mast cells, neutrophils, NK cells, dendritic cells, monocytes, eosinophils). The activation of CB receptors modulates a variety of biological effects on cells of the adaptive and innate immune system. The expression of CB2 and CB1 on different subsets of immune cells in TME and hence in tumor development is incompletely characterized. The recent characterization of the human cannabinoid receptor CB2-Gi signaling complex will likely aid to design potent and specific CB2/CB1 ligands with therapeutic potential in cancer.
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The endocannabinoid system in humans: significant associations between anandamide, brain function during reward feedback and a personality measure of reward dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1020-1027. [PMID: 33007775 PMCID: PMC8114914 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00870-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical evidence indicates that the endocannabinoid system is involved in neural responses to reward. This study aimed to investigate associations between basal serum concentrations of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) with brain functional reward processing. Additionally, a personality measure of reward dependence was obtained. Brain functional data were obtained of 30 right-handed adults by conducting fMRI at 3 Tesla using a reward paradigm. Reward dependence was obtained using the subscale reward dependence of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ). Basal concentrations of AEA and 2-AG were determined in serum. Analyzing the fMRI data, for AEA and 2-AG ANCOVAs were calculated using a full factorial model, with condition (reward > control, loss > control) and concentrations for AEA and 2-AG as factors. Regression analyses were conducted for AEA and 2-AG on TPQ-RD scores. A whole-brain analysis showed a significant interaction effect of AEA concentration by condition (positive vs. negative) within the putamen (x = 26, y = 16, z = -8, F13.51, TFCE(1, 54) = 771.68, k = 70, PFWE = 0.044) resulting from a positive association of basal AEA concentrations and putamen activity to rewarding stimuli, while this association was absent in the loss condition. AEA concentrations were significantly negatively correlated with TPQ reward dependence scores (rspearman = -0.56, P = 0.001). These results show that circulating AEA may modulate brain activation during reward feedback and that the personality measure reward dependence is correlated with AEA concentrations in healthy human volunteers. Future research is needed to further characterize the nature of the lipids' influence on reward processing, the impact on reward anticipation and outcome, and on vulnerability for psychiatric disorders.
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Gurm H, Hirota JA, Raha S. Cannabinoid Signalling in Immune-Reproductive Crosstalk during Human Pregnancy. Biomedicines 2021; 9:267. [PMID: 33800053 PMCID: PMC8000565 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9030267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the intricate involvement of the endocannabinoid system in various physiological processes, it remains one of the most under-studied biological systems of the human body. The scope of endocannabinoid signalling is widespread, ranging from modulation of immune responses in innate and adaptive immunity to gestational processes in female physiology. Cannabinoid receptors are ubiquitously distributed in reproductive tissues and are thought to play a role in regulating the immune-reproductive interactions required for successful pregnancy, specifically among uterine natural killer cells and placental extravillous trophoblasts. The use of cannabis during pregnancy, however, can perturb endocannabinoid homeostasis through effects mediated by its major constituents, Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Decidualization of the endometrium, invasion, and angiogenesis may be impaired as a consequence, leading to clinical complications such as miscarriage and preeclampsia. In this review, the crosstalk between endocannabinoid signalling in uterine natural killer cells and placental extravillous trophoblasts will be examined in healthy and complicated pregnancies. This lays a foundation for discussing the potential of targeting the endocannabinoid system for therapeutic benefit, particularly with regard to the emerging field of synthetic cannabinoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harmeet Gurm
- Department of Pediatrics and the Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada;
| | - Jeremy A. Hirota
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada;
| | - Sandeep Raha
- Department of Pediatrics and the Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada;
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Kienzl M, Kargl J, Schicho R. The Immune Endocannabinoid System of the Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21238929. [PMID: 33255584 PMCID: PMC7728085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21238929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukocytes are part of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are critical determinants of tumor progression. Because of the immunoregulatory properties of cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may have an important role in shaping the TME. Members of the ECS, an entity that consists of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and their synthesizing/degrading enzymes, have been associated with both tumor growth and rejection. Immune cells express cannabinoid receptors and produce endocannabinoids, thereby forming an “immune endocannabinoid system”. Although in vitro effects of exogenous cannabinoids on immune cells are well described, the role of the ECS in the TME, and hence in tumor development and immunotherapy, is still elusive. This review/opinion discusses the possibility that the “immune endocannabinoid system” can fundamentally influence tumor progression. The widespread influence of cannabinoids on immune cell functions makes the members of the ECS an interesting target that could support immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Kienzl
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 4, 8010 Graz, Austria; (M.K.); (J.K.)
- BioTechMed, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Julia Kargl
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 4, 8010 Graz, Austria; (M.K.); (J.K.)
| | - Rudolf Schicho
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 4, 8010 Graz, Austria; (M.K.); (J.K.)
- BioTechMed, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-316-385-74132; Fax: +43-316-385-79613
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Maccarrone M, Rapino C, Francavilla F, Barbonetti A. Cannabinoid signalling and effects of cannabis on the male reproductive system. Nat Rev Urol 2020; 18:19-32. [PMID: 33214706 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-020-00391-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Marijuana is the most widely consumed recreational drug worldwide, which raises concerns for its potential effects on fertility. Many aspects of human male reproduction can be modulated by cannabis-derived extracts (cannabinoids) and their endogenous counterparts, known as endocannabinoids (eCBs). These latter molecules act as critical signals in a variety of physiological processes through receptors, enzymes and transporters collectively termed the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Increasing evidence suggests a role for eCBs, as well as cannabinoids, in various aspects of male sexual and reproductive health. Although preclinical studies have clearly shown that ECS is involved in negative modulation of testosterone secretion by acting both at central and testicular levels in animal models, the effect of in vivo exposure to cannabinoids on spermatogenesis remains a matter of debate. Furthermore, inconclusive clinical evidence does not seem to support the notion that plant-derived cannabinoids have harmful effects on human sexual and reproductive health. An improved understanding of the complex crosstalk between cannabinoids and eCBs is required before targeting of ECS for modulation of human fertility becomes a reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Maccarrone
- Department of Applied Clinical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Rapino
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Felice Francavilla
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Arcangelo Barbonetti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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Sharma DS, Raghuwanshi S, Kovuru N, Dahariya S, Gautam DK, Paddibhatla I, Gutti RK. Virodhamine, an endocannabinoid, induces megakaryocyte differentiation by regulating MAPK activity and function of mitochondria. J Cell Physiol 2020; 236:1445-1453. [PMID: 32696508 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are well-known regulators of neurotransmission by activating the cannabinoid (CB) receptors. Endocannabinoids are being used extensively for the treatment of various neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Although endocannabinoids are well studied in cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation in various neurological disorders and several cancers, the functional role in the regulation of blood cell development is less examined. In the present study, virodhamine, which is an agonist of CB receptor-2, was used to examine its effect on megakaryocytic development from a megakaryoblastic cell. We observed that virodhamine increases cell adherence, cell size, and cytoplasmic protrusions. Interestingly, we have also observed large nucleus and increased expression of megakaryocytic marker (CD61), which are the typical hallmarks of megakaryocytic differentiation. Furthermore, the increased expression of CB2 receptor was noticed in virodhamine-induced megakaryocytic cells. The effect of virodhamine on megakaryocytic differentiation could be mediated through CB2 receptor. Therefore, we have studied virodhamine induced molecular regulation of megakaryocytic differentiation; mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity, mitochondrial function, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were majorly affected. The altered mitochondrial functions and ROS production is the crucial event associated with megakaryocytic differentiation and maturation. In the present study, we report that virodhamine induces megakaryocytic differentiation by triggering MAPK signaling and ROS production either through MAPK effects on ROS-generating enzymes or by the target vanilloid receptor 1-mediated regulation of mitochondrial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Durga Shankar Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sanjeev Raghuwanshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Narasaiah Kovuru
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Swati Dahariya
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | | | - Indira Paddibhatla
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Ravi Kumar Gutti
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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15
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Marino S, Carrasco G, Li B, Shah KM, Lath DL, Sophocleous A, Lawson MA, Idris AI. JZL184, A Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibitor, Induces Bone Loss in a Multiple Myeloma Model of Immunocompetent Mice. Calcif Tissue Int 2020; 107:72-85. [PMID: 32285169 PMCID: PMC7271071 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-020-00689-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) patients develop osteolysis characterised by excessive osteoclastic bone destruction and lack of osteoblast bone formation. Pharmacological manipulation of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), an enzyme responsible for the degradation of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), reduced skeletal tumour burden and osteolysis associated with osteosarcoma and advanced breast and prostate cancers. MM and hematopoietic, immune and bone marrow cells express high levels of type 2 cannabinoid receptor and osteoblasts secrete 2-AG. However, the effects of MAGL manipulation on MM have not been investigated. Here, we report that treatment of pre-osteoclasts with non-cytotoxic concentrations of JZL184, a verified MAGL inhibitor, enhanced MM- and RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and size in vitro. Exposure of osteoblasts to JZL184 in the presence of MM cell-derived factors reduced osteoblast growth but had no effect on the ability of these cells to mature or form bone nodules. In vivo, administration of JZL184 induced a modest, yet significant, bone loss at both trabecular and cortical compartments of long bones of immunocompetent mice inoculated with the syngeneic 5TGM1-GFP MM cells. Notably, JZL184 failed to inhibit the in vitro growth of a panel of mouse and human MM cell lines, or reduce tumour burden in mice. Thus, MAGL inhibitors such as JZL184 can exacerbate MM-induced bone loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Marino
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
- IU School of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Giovana Carrasco
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Boya Li
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Karan M Shah
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Darren L Lath
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Antonia Sophocleous
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, 6 Diogenes Street, Nicosia, 1516, Cyprus
| | - Michelle A Lawson
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Aymen I Idris
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK.
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Piscitelli F, Silvestri C. Role of the Endocannabinoidome in Human and Mouse Atherosclerosis. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 25:3147-3164. [PMID: 31448709 DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666190826162735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The Endocannabinoid (eCB) system and its role in many physiological and pathological conditions is well described and accepted, and includes cardiovascular disorders. However, the eCB system has been expanded to an "-ome"; the endocannabinoidome (eCBome) that includes endocannabinoid-related mediators, their protein targets and metabolic enzymes, many of which significantly impact upon cardiometabolic health. These recent discoveries are here summarized with a special focus on their potential involvement in atherosclerosis. We described the role of classical components of the eCB system (eCBs, CB1 and CB2 receptors) and eCB-related lipids, their regulatory enzymes and molecular targets in atherosclerosis. Furthermore, since increasing evidence points to significant cross-talk between the eCBome and the gut microbiome and the gut microbiome and atherosclerosis, we explore the possibility that a gut microbiome - eCBome axis has potential implications in atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Piscitelli
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Council of Research, Pozzuoli (NA), Italy
| | - Cristoforo Silvestri
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), 2725 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC, G1V 4G5, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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17
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Obesity Affects the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis and the Regulation Thereof by Endocannabinoids and Related Mediators. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21051554. [PMID: 32106469 PMCID: PMC7084914 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21051554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamus regulates energy homeostasis by integrating environmental and internal signals to produce behavioral responses to start or stop eating. Many satiation signals are mediated by microbiota-derived metabolites coming from the gastrointestinal tract and acting also in the brain through a complex bidirectional communication system, the microbiota–gut–brain axis. In recent years, the intestinal microbiota has emerged as a critical regulator of hypothalamic appetite-related neuronal networks. Obesogenic high-fat diets (HFDs) enhance endocannabinoid levels, both in the brain and peripheral tissues. HFDs change the gut microbiota composition by altering the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio and causing endotoxemia mainly by rising the levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the most potent immunogenic component of Gram-negative bacteria. Endotoxemia induces the collapse of the gut and brain barriers, interleukin 1β (IL1β)- and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-mediated neuroinflammatory responses and gliosis, which alter the appetite-regulatory circuits of the brain mediobasal hypothalamic area delimited by the median eminence. This review summarizes the emerging state-of-the-art evidence on the function of the “expanded endocannabinoid (eCB) system” or endocannabinoidome at the crossroads between intestinal microbiota, gut-brain communication and host metabolism; and highlights the critical role of this intersection in the onset of obesity.
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18
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Turcotte C, Archambault AS, Dumais É, Martin C, Blanchet MR, Bissonnette E, Ohashi N, Yamamoto K, Itoh T, Laviolette M, Veilleux A, Boulet LP, Di Marzo V, Flamand N. Endocannabinoid hydrolysis inhibition unmasks that unsaturated fatty acids induce a robust biosynthesis of 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol and its congeners in human myeloid leukocytes. FASEB J 2020; 34:4253-4265. [PMID: 32012340 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902916r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid (eCB) 2-arachidonoyl-gycerol (2-AG) modulates immune responses by activating cannabinoid receptors or through its multiple metabolites, notably eicosanoids. Thus, 2-AG hydrolysis inhibition might represent an interesting anti-inflammatory strategy that would simultaneously increase the levels of 2-AG and decrease those of eicosanoids. Accordingly, 2-AG hydrolysis inhibition increased 2-AG half-life in neutrophils. Under such setting, neutrophils, eosinophils, and monocytes synthesized large amounts of 2-AG and other monoacylglycerols (MAGs) in response to arachidonic acid (AA) and other unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). Arachidonic acid and UFAs were ~1000-fold more potent than G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists. Triascin C and thimerosal, which, respectively, inhibit fatty acyl-CoA synthases and acyl-CoA transferases, prevented the UFA-induced MAG biosynthesis, implying glycerolipid remodeling. 2-AG and other MAG biosynthesis was preceded by that of the corresponding lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). However, we could not directly implicate LPA dephosphorylation in MAG biosynthesis. While GPCR agonists poorly induced 2-AG biosynthesis, they inhibited that induced by AA by 25%-50%, suggesting that 2-AG biosynthesis is decreased when leukocytes are surrounded by a pro-inflammatory entourage. Our data strongly indicate that human leukocytes use AA and UFAs to biosynthesize biologically significant concentrations of 2-AG and other MAGs and that hijacking the immune system with 2-AG hydrolysis inhibitors might diminish inflammation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Turcotte
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Anne-Sophie Archambault
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Élizabeth Dumais
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Cyril Martin
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Renée Blanchet
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Elyse Bissonnette
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Nami Ohashi
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, Japan
| | - Keiko Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, Japan
| | - Toshimasa Itoh
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, Japan
| | - Michel Laviolette
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Alain Veilleux
- École de nutrition, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Louis-Philippe Boulet
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,École de nutrition, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Joint International Unit between the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy and Université Laval on Chemical and Biomolecular Research on the Microbiome and its Impact on Metabolic Health and Nutrition (UMI-MicroMeNu), Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, CNR, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Nicolas Flamand
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
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19
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Hanlon EC. Impact of circadian rhythmicity and sleep restriction on circulating endocannabinoid (eCB) N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide). Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 111:104471. [PMID: 31610409 PMCID: PMC7001881 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is involved in diverse aspects of human physiology and behavior but little is known about the impact of circadian rhythmicity on the system. The two most studied endocannabinoids, AEA (ananamide) and 2-AG (2-arachidonoylglycerol), can be measured in peripheral blood however the functional relevance of peripheral eCB levels is not clear. Having previously detailed the 24-h profile of serum 2-AG, here we report the 24-h serum profile of AEA to determine if these two endocannabinoids vary in parallel across the biological day including a nocturnal 8.5-h sleep period. Further, we assessed and compared the effect of a physiological challenge, in the form of sleep restriction to 4.5-h, on these two profiles. METHODS In this randomized crossover study, we examined serum concentrations of AEA across a 24-h period in fourteen young adults. Congeners of AEA, the structural analogs oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) were simultaneously assayed. Prior to 24-h blood sampling, each participant was exposed to two nights of normal (8.5 h) or restricted sleep (4.5 h). The two sleep conditions were separated by at least one month. In both sleep conditions, during the period of blood sampling, each individual ate the same high-carbohydrate meal at 0900, 1400, and 1900. RESULTS Mean 24-h concentrations of AEA were 0.697 ± 0.11 pmol/ml. A reproducible biphasic 24-h profile of AEA was observed with a first peak occurring during early sleep (0200) and a second peak in the mid-afternoon (1500) while a nadir was detected in the mid-morning (1000). The 24-h profiles for both OEA and PEA followed a similar pattern to that observed for AEA. AEA, OEA, and PEA levels were not affected by sleep restriction at any time of day, contrasting with the elevation of early afternoon levels previously observed for 2-AG. CONCLUSIONS The 24-h rhythm of AEA is markedly different from that of 2-AG, being of lesser amplitude and biphasic, rather than monophasic. These observations suggest distinct regulatory pathways of the two eCB and indicate that time of day needs to be carefully controlled in studies attempting to delineate their relative roles. Moreover, unlike 2-AG, AEA is not altered by sleep restriction, suggesting that physiological perturbations may affect AEA and 2-AG differently. Similar 24-h profiles were observed for OEA and PEA following normal and restricted sleep, further corroborating the validity of the wave-shape and lack of response to sleep loss observed for the AEA profile. Therapeutic approaches involving agonism or antagonism of peripheral eCB signaling will likely need to be tailored according to time of day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin C Hanlon
- University of Chicago, Department of Medicine, MC 1027, Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States.
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20
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Tripathi RKP. A perspective review on fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 188:111953. [PMID: 31945644 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is an important enzyme creditworthy of hydrolyzing endocannabinoids and related-amidated signalling lipids, discovery of which has pioneered novel arena of pharmacological canvasses to unwrap its curative potency in various diseased circumstances. It presents contemporary basis for understanding molecules regulating and mediating inflammatory reactions, pain, anxiety, depression, and neurodegeneration. FAAH inhibitors form vital approach for discovery of therapeutic agents that are concerned with local elevation of endocannabinoids under certain stimuli, debarring adverse/unwanted secondary effects from global activation of cannabinoid receptors by exogenous cannabimimetics. During past decades, several molecules with excellent potency developed through tailor-made approaches entered into clinical trials, but none could reach market. Hence, hunt for novel, non-toxic and selective FAAH inhibitors are on horizon. This review summarizes present perception on FAAH in conjunction with its structure, mechanism of catalysis and biological functions. It also foregrounds recent development of molecules belonging to diverse chemical classes as potential FAAH inhibitors bobbing up from in-depth chemical, mechanistic and computational studies published since 2015-November 2019, focusing on their potency. This review will assist readers to obtain rationale on FAAH as potential target for addressing various disease conditions, acquiring significant knowledge on recently established inhibitor scaffolds and their development potentials. New technologies including MD-MM simulations and 3D-QSAR studies allow mechanistic characterization of enzyme. Assessment of in-vitro and in-vivo efficacy of existing FAAH inhibitors will facilitate researchers to design novel ligands utilizing modern drug design methods. The discussions will also impose precaution in decision making process, quashing possibility of late stage failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rati Kailash Prasad Tripathi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Sushruta School of Medical and Paramedical Sciences, Assam University (A Central University), Silchar, Assam, 788011, India; Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India.
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21
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The Systemic Administration of the Chemokine CCL1 Evokes Thermal Analgesia in Mice Through the Activation of the Endocannabinoid System. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2019; 39:1115-1124. [DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00706-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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22
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Espinosa-Riquer ZP, Ibarra-Sánchez A, Vibhushan S, Bratti M, Charles N, Blank U, Rodríguez-Manzo G, González-Espinosa C. TLR4 Receptor Induces 2-AG-Dependent Tolerance to Lipopolysaccharide and Trafficking of CB2 Receptor in Mast Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 202:2360-2371. [PMID: 30814309 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mast cells (MCs) contribute to the control of local inflammatory reactions and become hyporesponsive after prolonged TLR4 activation by bacterial LPS. The molecular mechanisms involved in endotoxin tolerance (ET) induction in MCs are not fully understood. In this study, we demonstrate that the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and its receptor, cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), play a role in the establishment of ET in bone marrow-derived MCs from C57BL/6J mice. We found that CB2 antagonism prevented the development of ET and that bone marrow-derived MCs produce 2-AG in a TLR4-dependent fashion. Exogenous 2-AG induced ET similarly to LPS, blocking the phosphorylation of IKK and the p65 subunit of NF-κB and inducing the synthesis of molecular markers of ET. LPS caused CB2 receptor trafficking in Rab11-, Rab7-, and Lamp2-positive vesicles, indicating recycling and degradation of the receptor. 2-AG also prevented LPS-induced TNF secretion in vivo, in a MC-dependent model of endotoxemia, demonstrating that TLR4 engagement leads to 2-AG secretion, which contributes to the negative control of MCs activation. Our study uncovers a functional role for the endocannabinoid system in the inhibition of MC-dependent innate immune responses in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zyanya P Espinosa-Riquer
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, CP 14330 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alfredo Ibarra-Sánchez
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, CP 14330 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Shamila Vibhushan
- INSERM U1149, Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation, 75018 Paris, France.,CNRS ERL8252, 75018 Paris, France; and.,Laboratoire d'Excellence Inflamex, Faculté de Médecine Xavier Bichat, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Manuela Bratti
- INSERM U1149, Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation, 75018 Paris, France.,CNRS ERL8252, 75018 Paris, France; and.,Laboratoire d'Excellence Inflamex, Faculté de Médecine Xavier Bichat, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Charles
- INSERM U1149, Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation, 75018 Paris, France.,CNRS ERL8252, 75018 Paris, France; and.,Laboratoire d'Excellence Inflamex, Faculté de Médecine Xavier Bichat, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Ulrich Blank
- INSERM U1149, Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation, 75018 Paris, France.,CNRS ERL8252, 75018 Paris, France; and.,Laboratoire d'Excellence Inflamex, Faculté de Médecine Xavier Bichat, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Gabriela Rodríguez-Manzo
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, CP 14330 Mexico City, Mexico;
| | - Claudia González-Espinosa
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, CP 14330 Mexico City, Mexico;
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Freundt-Revilla J, Heinrich F, Zoerner A, Gesell F, Beyerbach M, Shamir M, Oevermann A, Baumgärtner W, Tipold A. The endocannabinoid system in canine Steroid-Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis and Intraspinal Spirocercosis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0187197. [PMID: 29408878 PMCID: PMC5800546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocannabinoids (ECs) are involved in immunomodulation, neuroprotection and control of inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). Activation of cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2) is known to diminish the release of pro-inflammatory factors and enhance the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) has been proved to induce the migration of eosinophils in a CB2 receptor-dependent manner in peripheral blood and activate neutrophils independent of CB activation in humans. The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of the endocannabinoid system in two different CNS inflammatory diseases of the dog, i.e. Steroid-Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis (SRMA) and Intraspinal Spirocercosis (IS). The two main endocannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) and 2-AG, were quantified by mass spectrometry in CSF and serum samples of dogs affected with Steroid- Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis in the acute phase (SRMA A), SRMA under treatment with prednisolone (SRMA Tr), intraspinal Spirocercosis and healthy dogs. Moreover, expression of the CB2 receptor was evaluated in inflammatory lesions of SRMA and IS and compared to healthy controls using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Dogs with SRMA A showed significantly higher concentrations of total AG and AEA in serum in comparison to healthy controls and in CSF compared to SRMA Tr (p<0.05). Furthermore, dogs with IS displayed the highest ECs concentrations in CSF, being significantly higher than in CSF samples of dogs with SRMA A (p<0.05). CSF samples that demonstrated an eosinophilic pleocytosis had the highest levels of ECs, exceeding those with neutrophilic pleocytosis, suggesting that ECs have a major effect on migration of eosinophils in the CSF. Furthermore, CB2 receptor expression was found in glial cells in the spinal cord of healthy dogs, whereas in dogs with SRMA and IS, CB2 was strongly expressed not only in glial cells but also on the cellular surface of infiltrating leukocytes (i.e. neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and macrophages) at lesion sites. The present study revealed an upregulated endocannabinoid system in dogs with inflammatory CNS diseases, highlighting the endocannabinoid system as a potential target for treatment of inflammatory CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Freundt-Revilla
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Franciska Heinrich
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexander Zoerner
- Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Felix Gesell
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Beyerbach
- Institute for Biometry, Epidemiology, and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Merav Shamir
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Anna Oevermann
- Department Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang Baumgärtner
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Tipold
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
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Circulating Endocannabinoids: From Whence Do They Come and Where are They Going? Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:155-172. [PMID: 28653665 PMCID: PMC5719092 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this review is to summarize studies in which concentrations of circulating endocannabinoids in humans have been examined in relationship to physiological measurements and pathological status. The roles of endocannabinoids in the regulation of energy intake and storage have been well studied and the data obtained consistently support the hypothesis that endocannabinoid signaling is associated with increased consumption and storage of energy. Physical exercise mobilizes endocannabinoids, which could contribute to refilling of energy stores and also to the analgesic and mood-elevating effects of exercise. Circulating concentrations of 2-arachidonoylglycerol are very significantly circadian and dysregulated when sleep is disrupted. Other conditions under which circulating endocannabinoids are altered include inflammation and pain. A second important role for endocannabinoid signaling is to restore homeostasis following stress. Circulating endocannabinoids are stress-responsive and there is evidence that their concentrations are altered in disorders associated with excessive stress, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Although determination of circulating endocannabinoids can provide important information about the state of endocannabinoid signaling and thus allow for hypotheses to be defined and tested, the large number of physiological factors that contribute to their circulating concentrations makes it difficult to use them in isolation as a biomarker for a specific disorder.
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Abstract
The maintenance of the body weight at a stable level is a major determinant in keeping the higher animals and mammals survive. Th e body weight depends on the balance between the energy intake and energy expenditure. Increased food intake over the energy expenditure of prolonged time period results in an obesity. Th e obesity has become an important worldwide health problem, even at low levels. The obesity has an evil effect on the health and is associated with a shorter life expectancy. A complex of central and peripheral physiological signals is involved in the control of the food intake. Centrally, the food intake is controlled by the hypothalamus, the brainstem, and endocannabinoids and peripherally by the satiety and adiposity signals. Comprehension of the signals that control food intake and energy balance may open a new therapeutic approaches directed against the obesity and its associated complications, as is the insulin resistance and others. In conclusion, the present review summarizes the current knowledge about the complex system of the peripheral and central regulatory mechanisms of food intake and their potential therapeutic implications in the treatment of obesity.
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Owens RA, Mustafa MA, Ignatowska-Jankowska BM, Damaj MI, Beardsley PM, Wiley JL, Niphakis MJ, Cravatt BF, Lichtman AH. Inhibition of the endocannabinoid-regulating enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase elicits a CB 1 receptor-mediated discriminative stimulus in mice. Neuropharmacology 2017; 125:80-86. [PMID: 28673548 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 06/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Substantial challenges exist for investigating the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1)-mediated discriminative stimulus effects of the endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; AEA), compared with exogenous CB1 receptor agonists, such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the synthetic cannabinoid CP55,940. Specifically, each endocannabinoid is rapidly degraded by the respective hydrolytic enzymes, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Whereas MAGL inhibitors partially substitute for THC and fully substitute for CP55,940, FAAH inhibitors do not substitute for either drug. Interestingly, combined FAAH-MAGL inhibition results in full THC substitution, and the dual FAAH-MAGL inhibitor SA-57 serves as its own discriminative training stimulus. Because MAGL inhibitors fully substitute for SA-57, we tested whether the selective MAGL inhibitor MJN110 would serve as a training stimulus. Twelve of 13 C57BL/6J mice learned to discriminate MJN110 from vehicle, and the CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant dose-dependently blocked its discriminative stimulus. CP55,940, SA-57, and another MAGL inhibitor JZL184, fully substituted for MJN110. In contrast, the FAAH inhibitor PF-3845 failed to substitute for the MJN110 discriminative stimulus, but produced a 1.6 (1.1-2.2; 95% confidence interval) leftward shift in the MJN110 dose-response curve. Inhibitors of other relevant enzymes (i.e., ABHD6, COX-2) and nicotine did not engender substitution. Diazepam partially substituted for MJN110, but rimonabant failed to block this partial effect. These findings suggest that MAGL normally throttles 2-AG stimulation of CB1 receptors to a magnitude insufficient to produce cannabimimetic subjective effects. Accordingly, inhibitors of this enzyme may release this endogenous brake producing effects akin to those produced by exogenously administered cannabinoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Owens
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Mohammed A Mustafa
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Bogna M Ignatowska-Jankowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - M Imad Damaj
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Patrick M Beardsley
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jenny L Wiley
- RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709-2194, USA
| | - Micah J Niphakis
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Benjamin F Cravatt
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Aron H Lichtman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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Dócs K, Mészár Z, Gonda S, Kiss-Szikszai A, Holló K, Antal M, Hegyi Z. The Ratio of 2-AG to Its Isomer 1-AG as an Intrinsic Fine Tuning Mechanism of CB1 Receptor Activation. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:39. [PMID: 28265242 PMCID: PMC5316530 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are pleiotropic lipid messengers that play pro-homeostatic role in cellular physiology by strongly influencing intracellular Ca2+ concentration through the activation of cannabinoid receptors. One of the best-known endocannabinoid ‘2-AG’ is chemically unstable in aqueous solutions, thus its molecular rearrangement, resulting in the formation of 1-AG, may influence 2-AG-mediated signaling depending on the relative concentration and potency of the two isomers. To predict whether this molecular rearrangement may be relevant in physiological processes and in experiments with 2-AG, here we studied if isomerization of 2-AG has an impact on 2-AG-induced, CB1-mediated Ca2+ signaling in vitro. We found that the isomerization-dependent drop in effective 2-AG concentration caused only a weak diminution of Ca2+ signaling in CB1 transfected COS7 cells. We also found that 1-AG induces Ca2+ transients through the activation of CB1, but its working concentration is threefold higher than that of 2-AG. Decreasing the concentration of 2-AG in parallel to the prevention of 1-AG formation by rapid preparation of 2-AG solutions, caused a significant diminution of Ca2+ signals. However, various mixtures of the two isomers in a fix total concentration – mimicking the process of isomerization over time – attenuated the drop in 2-AG potency, resulting in a minor decrease in CB1 mediated Ca2+ transients. Our results indicate that release of 2-AG into aqueous medium is accompanied by its isomerization, resulting in a drop of 2-AG concentration and simultaneous formation of the similarly bioactive isomer 1-AG. Thus, the relative concentration of the two isomers with different potency and efficacy may influence CB1 activation and the consequent biological responses. In addition, our results suggest that 1-AG may play role in stabilizing the strength of cannabinoid signal in case of prolonged 2-AG dependent cannabinoid mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Dócs
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Mészár
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sándor Gonda
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Attila Kiss-Szikszai
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Holló
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Miklós Antal
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Hegyi
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
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Barbonetti A, Bisogno T, Battista N, Piscitelli F, Micillo A, Francavilla S, Maccarrone M, Francavilla F. 2-arachidonoylglycerol levels are increased in leukocytospermia and correlate with seminal macrophages. Andrology 2016; 5:87-94. [DOI: 10.1111/andr.12283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Barbonetti
- San Raffaele Sulmona Institute; Sulmona Italy
- Andrology Unit; Department of Life, Health and Environment Sciences; University of L'Aquila; L'Aquila Italy
| | - T. Bisogno
- Endocannabinoid Research Group; Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry; National Research Council; Pozzuoli Italy
- Department of Medicine; Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - N. Battista
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment; University of Teramo; Teramo Italy
| | - F. Piscitelli
- Endocannabinoid Research Group; Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry; National Research Council; Pozzuoli Italy
| | - A. Micillo
- Andrology Unit; Department of Life, Health and Environment Sciences; University of L'Aquila; L'Aquila Italy
| | - S. Francavilla
- Andrology Unit; Department of Life, Health and Environment Sciences; University of L'Aquila; L'Aquila Italy
| | - M. Maccarrone
- Department of Medicine; Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - F. Francavilla
- Andrology Unit; Department of Life, Health and Environment Sciences; University of L'Aquila; L'Aquila Italy
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Mecha M, Carrillo-Salinas F, Feliú A, Mestre L, Guaza C. Microglia activation states and cannabinoid system: Therapeutic implications. Pharmacol Ther 2016; 166:40-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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The endocannabinoid system and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): From preclinical findings to innovative therapeutic approaches in clinical settings. Pharmacol Res 2016; 111:668-678. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Interaction between Cannabinoid System and Toll-Like Receptors Controls Inflammation. Mediators Inflamm 2016; 2016:5831315. [PMID: 27597805 PMCID: PMC4997072 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5831315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the endocannabinoid system consisting of cannabinoid receptors, endogenous ligands, and biosynthetic and metabolizing enzymes, interest has been renewed in investigating the promise of cannabinoids as therapeutic agents. Abundant evidence indicates that cannabinoids modulate immune responses. An inflammatory response is triggered when innate immune cells receive a danger signal provided by pathogen- or damage-associated molecular patterns engaging pattern-recognition receptors. Toll-like receptor family members are prominent pattern-recognition receptors expressed on innate immune cells. Cannabinoids suppress Toll-like receptor-mediated inflammatory responses. However, the relationship between the endocannabinoid system and innate immune system may not be one-sided. Innate immune cells express cannabinoid receptors and produce endogenous cannabinoids. Hence, innate immune cells may play a role in regulating endocannabinoid homeostasis, and, in turn, the endocannabinoid system modulates local inflammatory responses. Studies designed to probe the interaction between the innate immune system and the endocannabinoid system may identify new potential molecular targets in developing therapeutic strategies for chronic inflammatory diseases. This review discusses the endocannabinoid system and Toll-like receptor family and evaluates the interaction between them.
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Owens RA, Ignatowska-Jankowska B, Mustafa M, Beardsley PM, Wiley JL, Jali A, Selley DE, Niphakis MJ, Cravatt BF, Lichtman AH. Discriminative Stimulus Properties of the Endocannabinoid Catabolic Enzyme Inhibitor SA-57 in Mice. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2016; 358:306-14. [PMID: 27307500 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.115.229492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas the inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) or monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), the respective major hydrolytic enzymes of N-arachidonoyl ethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), elicits no or partial substitution for Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in drug-discrimination procedures, combined inhibition of both enzymes fully substitutes for THC, as well as produces a constellation of cannabimimetic effects. The present study tested whether C57BL/6J mice would learn to discriminate the dual FAAH-MAGL inhibitor SA-57 (4-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]-1-piperidinecarboxylic acid 2-(methylamino)-2-oxoethyl ester) from vehicle in the drug-discrimination paradigm. In initial experiments, 10 mg/kg SA-57 fully substituted for CP55,940 ((-)-cis-3-[2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)phenyl]-trans-4-(3-hydroxypropyl)cyclohexanol), a high-efficacy CB1 receptor agonist in C57BL/6J mice and for AEA in FAAH (-/-) mice. Most (i.e., 23 of 24) subjects achieved criteria for discriminating SA-57 (10 mg/kg) from vehicle within 40 sessions, with full generalization occurring 1 to 2 hours postinjection. CP55,940, the dual FAAH-MAGL inhibitor JZL195 (4-nitrophenyl 4-(3-phenoxybenzyl)piperazine-1-carboxylate), and the MAGL inhibitors MJN110 (2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl 4-(bis(4-chlorophenyl)methyl)piperazine-1-carboxylate) and JZL184 (4-[Bis(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)hydroxymethyl]-1-piperidinecarboxylic acid 4-nitrophenyl ester) fully substituted for SA-57. Although the FAAH inhibitors PF-3845 ((N-3-pyridinyl-4-[[3-[[5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]oxy]phenyl]methyl]-1-piperidinecarboxamide) and URB597 (cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3'-(aminocarbonyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-yl ester) did not substitute for SA-57, PF-3845 produced a 2-fold leftward shift in the MJN110 substitution dose-response curve. In addition, the CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant blocked the generalization of SA-57, as well as substitution of CP55,940, JZL195, MJN110, and JZL184. These findings suggest that MAGL inhibition plays a major role in the CB1 receptor-mediated SA-57 training dose, which is further augmented by FAAH inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Owens
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Bogna Ignatowska-Jankowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Mohammed Mustafa
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Patrick M Beardsley
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Jenny L Wiley
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Abdulmajeed Jali
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Dana E Selley
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Micah J Niphakis
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Benjamin F Cravatt
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
| | - Aron H Lichtman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (R.A.O., B.I.J., M.M., P.M.B., A.J., D.E.S., A.H.L.); RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.L.W.); and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (M.J.N.; B.F.C.)
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Pirone A, Cantile C, Miragliotta V, Lenzi C, Giannessi E, Cozzi B. Immunohistochemical distribution of the cannabinoid receptor 1 and fatty acid amide hydrolase in the dog claustrum. J Chem Neuroanat 2016; 74:21-7. [PMID: 26907575 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) are part of the endocannabinoid system (ECB) which exerts a neuromodulatory activity on different brain functions and plays a key role in neurogenesis. Although many studies have reported FAAH and CB1R expression in the brain of different animal species, to the best of our knowledge they have never been described in the canine claustrum. Claustrum samples, obtained from necropsy of four neurologically normal dogs, were formalin fixed for paraffin embedding. Sections were either stained for morpho-histological analysis or immunostained for CB1R and FAAH. Analysis of adjacent sections incubated with the two antisera showed a complementary labeling pattern in the claustrum, with CB1R antibody staining fibers while anti-FAAH antibody stained cell bodies and the proximal portion of dendrites; this particular anatomical relationship suggests a retrograde endocannabinoid action via CB1R. CB1R and FAAH complementary immunostaining and their cellular localization reported here provide the first anatomical evidence for existence of the ECB in the dog claustrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pirone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Carlo Cantile
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Carla Lenzi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Hillard CJ. The Endocannabinoid Signaling System in the CNS: A Primer. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 125:1-47. [PMID: 26638763 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2015.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an introduction to the mechanisms for the regulation of endocannabinoid signaling through CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system. The processes involved in the synthesis and degradation of the two most well-studied endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonoylglycerol and N-arachidonylethanolamine are outlined along with information regarding the regulation of the proteins involved. Signaling mechanisms and pharmacology of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor are outlined, as is the paradigm of endocannabinoid/CB1 receptor regulation of neurotransmitter release. The reader is encouraged to appreciate the importance of the endocannabinoid/CB1 receptor signaling system in the regulation of synaptic activity in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia J Hillard
- Neuroscience Research Center, and Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
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Mecha M, Feliú A, Carrillo-Salinas FJ, Rueda-Zubiaurre A, Ortega-Gutiérrez S, de Sola RG, Guaza C. Endocannabinoids drive the acquisition of an alternative phenotype in microglia. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 49:233-45. [PMID: 26086345 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of microglia to acquire diverse states of activation, or phenotypes, reflects different features that are determinant for their contribution to homeostasis in the adult CNS, and their activity in neuroinflammation, repair or immunomodulation. Despite the widely reported immunomodulatory effects of cannabinoids in both the peripheral immune system and the CNS, less is known about how the endocannabinoid signaling system (eCBSS) influence the microglial phenotype. The general aim of the present study was to investigate the role of endocannabinoids in microglia polarization by using microglia cell cultures. We show that alternative microglia (M2a) and acquired deactivated microglia (M2c) exhibit changes in the eCB machinery that favor the selective synthesis of 2-AG and AEA, respectively. Once released, these eCBs might be able to act through CB1 and/or CB2 receptors in order to influence the acquisition of an M2 phenotype. We present three lines of evidence that the eCBSS is critical for the acquisition of the M2 phenotype: (i) M2 polarization occurs on exposure to the two main endocannabinoids 2-AG and AEA in microglia cultures; (ii) cannabinoid receptor antagonists block M2 polarization; and (iii) M2 polarization is dampened in microglia from CB2 receptor knockout mice. Taken together, these results indicate the interest of eCBSS for the regulation of microglial activation in normal and pathological conditions.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Arachidonic Acids/metabolism
- Cell Polarity
- Cells, Cultured
- Endocannabinoids/metabolism
- Glycerides/metabolism
- Lipoprotein Lipase/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Microglia/metabolism
- Microglia/physiology
- Phenotype
- Polyunsaturated Alkamides/metabolism
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mecha
- Department of Functional and Systems Neurobiology, Neuroimmunology Group, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
| | - A Feliú
- Department of Functional and Systems Neurobiology, Neuroimmunology Group, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - F J Carrillo-Salinas
- Department of Functional and Systems Neurobiology, Neuroimmunology Group, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Rueda-Zubiaurre
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Faculty, University Complutense of Madrid, Spain
| | - S Ortega-Gutiérrez
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Faculty, University Complutense of Madrid, Spain
| | - R García de Sola
- Clinical Neurophysiology Service, Hospital Universitario la Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | - C Guaza
- Department of Functional and Systems Neurobiology, Neuroimmunology Group, Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Gasperi V, Evangelista D, Savini I, Del Principe D, Avigliano L, Maccarrone M, Catani MV. Downstream effects of endocannabinoid on blood cells: implications for health and disease. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:3235-52. [PMID: 25957591 PMCID: PMC11113859 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-1924-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids (eCBs), among which N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are the most biologically active members, are polyunsaturated lipids able to bind cannabinoid, vanilloid and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. Depending on the target engaged, these bioactive mediators can regulate different signalling pathways, at both central and peripheral levels. The biological action of eCBs is tightly controlled by a plethora of metabolic enzymes which, together with the molecular targets of these substances, form the so-called "endocannabinoid system". The ability of eCBs to control manifold peripheral functions has received a great deal of attention, especially in the light of their widespread distribution in the body. In particular, eCBs are important regulators in blood, where they modulate haematopoiesis, platelet aggregation and apoptosis, as well as chemokine release and migration of immunocompetent cells. Here, we shall review the current knowledge on the pathophysiological roles of eCBs in blood. We shall also discuss the involvement of eCBs in those disorders affecting the haematological system, including cancer and inflammation. Knowledge gained to date underlines a fundamental role of the eCB system in blood, thus suggesting that it may represent a therapeutic promise for a broad range of diseases involving impaired hematopoietic cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Gasperi
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Evangelista
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Savini
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Luciana Avigliano
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Maccarrone
- Center of Integrated Research, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- European Center for Brain Research (CERC)/Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Valeria Catani
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
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37
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Turcotte C, Chouinard F, Lefebvre JS, Flamand N. Regulation of inflammation by cannabinoids, the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol and arachidonoyl-ethanolamide, and their metabolites. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 97:1049-70. [PMID: 25877930 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.3ru0115-021r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
2-Arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG) and arachidonyl-ethanolamide (AEA) are endocannabinoids that have been implicated in many physiologic disorders, including obesity, metabolic syndromes, hepatic diseases, pain, neurologic disorders, and inflammation. Their immunomodulatory effects are numerous and are not always mediated by cannabinoid receptors, reflecting the presence of an arachidonic acid (AA) molecule in their structure, the latter being the precursor of numerous bioactive lipids that are pro- or anti-inflammatory. 2-AG and AEA can thus serve as a source of AA but can also be metabolized by most eicosanoid biosynthetic enzymes, yielding additional lipids. In this regard, enhancing endocannabinoid levels by using endocannabinoid hydrolysis inhibitors is likely to augment the levels of these lipids that could regulate inflammatory cell functions. This review summarizes the metabolic pathways involved in the biosynthesis and metabolism of AEA and 2-AG, as well as the biologic effects of the 2-AG and AEA lipidomes in the regulation of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Turcotte
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - François Chouinard
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Julie S Lefebvre
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Nicolas Flamand
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
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38
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Nicolussi S, Gertsch J. Endocannabinoid transport revisited. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2015; 98:441-85. [PMID: 25817877 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are arachidonic acid-derived endogenous lipids that activate the endocannabinoid system which plays a major role in health and disease. The primary endocannabinoids are anandamide (AEA, N-arachidonoylethanolamine) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol. While their biosynthesis and metabolism have been studied in detail, it remains unclear how endocannabinoids are transported across the cell membrane. In this review, we critically discuss the different models of endocannabinoid trafficking, focusing on AEA cellular uptake which is best studied. The evolution of the current knowledge obtained with different AEA transport inhibitors is reviewed and the confusions caused by the lack of their specificity discussed. A comparative summary of the most important AEA uptake inhibitors and the studies involving their use is provided. Based on a comprehensive literature analysis, we propose a model of facilitated AEA membrane transport followed by intracellular shuttling and sequestration. We conclude that novel and more specific probes will be essential to identify the missing targets involved in endocannabinoid membrane transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Nicolussi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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39
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Manna JD, Wepy JA, Hsu KL, Chang JW, Cravatt BF, Marnett LJ. Identification of the major prostaglandin glycerol ester hydrolase in human cancer cells. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:33741-53. [PMID: 25301951 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.582353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostaglandin glycerol esters (PG-Gs) are produced as a result of the oxygenation of the endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, by cyclooxygenase 2. Understanding the role that PG-Gs play in a biological setting has been difficult because of their sensitivity to enzymatic hydrolysis. By comparing PG-G hydrolysis across human cancer cell lines to serine hydrolase activities determined by activity-based protein profiling, we identified lysophospholipase A2 (LYPLA2) as a major enzyme responsible for PG-G hydrolysis. The principal role played by LYPLA2 in PGE2-G hydrolysis was confirmed by siRNA knockdown. Purified recombinant LYPLA2 hydrolyzed PG-Gs in the following order of activity: PGE2-G > PGF2α-G > PGD2-G; LYPLA2 hydrolyzed 1- but not 2-arachidonoylglycerol or arachidonoylethanolamide. Chemical inhibition of LYPLA2 in the mouse macrophage-like cell line, RAW264.7, elicited an increase in PG-G production. Our data indicate that LYPLA2 serves as a major PG-G hydrolase in human cells. Perturbation of this enzyme should enable selective modulation of PG-Gs without alterations in endocannabinoids, thereby providing a means to decipher the unique functions of PG-Gs in biology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Manna
- From the A. B. Hancock Jr. Memorial Laboratory for Cancer Research, Departments of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Center in Molecular Toxicology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 and
| | - James A Wepy
- From the A. B. Hancock Jr. Memorial Laboratory for Cancer Research, Departments of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Center in Molecular Toxicology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 and
| | - Ku-Lung Hsu
- the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and the Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Jae Won Chang
- the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and the Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Benjamin F Cravatt
- the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and the Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Lawrence J Marnett
- From the A. B. Hancock Jr. Memorial Laboratory for Cancer Research, Departments of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Center in Molecular Toxicology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 and
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40
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Rivera P, Arrabal S, Cifuentes M, Grondona JM, Pérez-Martín M, Rubio L, Vargas A, Serrano A, Pavón FJ, Suárez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F. Localization of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor and the 2-AG synthesizing (DAGLα) and degrading (MAGL, FAAH) enzymes in cells expressing the Ca(2+)-binding proteins calbindin, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the adult rat hippocampus. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:56. [PMID: 25018703 PMCID: PMC4073216 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The retrograde suppression of the synaptic transmission by the endocannabinoid sn-2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is mediated by the cannabinoid CB1 receptors and requires the elevation of intracellular Ca2+ and the activation of specific 2-AG synthesizing (i.e., DAGLα) enzymes. However, the anatomical organization of the neuronal substrates that express 2-AG/CB1 signaling system-related molecules associated with selective Ca2+-binding proteins (CaBPs) is still unknown. For this purpose, we used double-label immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy for the characterization of the expression of the 2-AG/CB1 signaling system (CB1 receptor, DAGLα, MAGL, and FAAH) and the CaBPs calbindin D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the rat hippocampus. CB1, DAGLα, and MAGL labeling was mainly localized in fibers and neuropil, which were differentially organized depending on the hippocampal CaBPs-expressing cells. CB+1 fiber terminals localized in all hippocampal principal cell layers were tightly attached to calbindin+ cells (granular and pyramidal neurons), and calretinin+ and parvalbumin+ interneurons. DAGLα neuropil labeling was selectively found surrounding calbindin+ principal cells in the dentate gyrus and CA1, and in the calretinin+ and parvalbumin+ interneurons in the pyramidal cell layers of the CA1/3 fields. MAGL+ terminals were only observed around CA1 calbindin+ pyramidal cells, CA1/3 calretinin+ interneurons and CA3 parvalbumin+ interneurons localized in the pyramidal cell layers. Interestingly, calbindin+ pyramidal cells expressed FAAH specifically in the CA1 field. The identification of anatomically related-neuronal substrates that expressed 2-AG/CB1 signaling system and selective CaBPs should be considered when analyzing the cannabinoid signaling associated with hippocampal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Rivera
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga-Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga (UGC Salud Mental) Málaga, Spain ; CIBER OBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Arrabal
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga-Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga (UGC Salud Mental) Málaga, Spain ; CIBER OBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Cifuentes
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga Málaga, Spain ; CIBER BBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús M Grondona
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga Málaga, Spain
| | - Margarita Pérez-Martín
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga Málaga, Spain
| | - Leticia Rubio
- Departamento de Anatomía y Medicina Legal, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga Málaga, Spain
| | - Antonio Vargas
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga-Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga (UGC Salud Mental) Málaga, Spain
| | - Antonia Serrano
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga-Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga (UGC Salud Mental) Málaga, Spain ; CIBER OBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco J Pavón
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga-Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga (UGC Salud Mental) Málaga, Spain ; CIBER OBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Suárez
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga-Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga (UGC Salud Mental) Málaga, Spain ; CIBER OBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga-Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga (UGC Salud Mental) Málaga, Spain ; CIBER OBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Madrid, Spain
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41
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Malfitano AM, Basu S, Maresz K, Bifulco M, Dittel BN. What we know and do not know about the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2). Semin Immunol 2014; 26:369-79. [PMID: 24877594 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
It has been well appreciated that the endocannabinoid system can regulate immune responses via the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), which is primarily expressed by cells of the hematopoietic system. The endocannabinoid system is composed of receptors, ligands and enzymes controlling the synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids. Along with endocannabinoids, both plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoids have been shown to bind to and signal through CB2 via G proteins leading to both inhibitory and stimulatory signals depending on the biological process. Because no cannabinoid ligand has been identified that only binds to CB2, the generation of mice deficient in CB2 has greatly expanded our knowledge of how CB2 contributes to immune cell development and function in health and disease. In regards to humans, genetic studies have associated CB2 with a variety of human diseases. Here, we review the endocannabinoid system with an emphasis on CB2 and its role in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Malfitano
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Salerno Facoltà di Medicina, Baronissi Campus, Baronissi 84081, (SA), Italy; Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Salerno, Fisciano 84084, (SA), Italy
| | - Sreemanti Basu
- Blood Research Institute, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Katarzyna Maresz
- Blood Research Institute, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Maurizio Bifulco
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Salerno Facoltà di Medicina, Baronissi Campus, Baronissi 84081, (SA), Italy; Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Salerno, Fisciano 84084, (SA), Italy
| | - Bonnie N Dittel
- Blood Research Institute, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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42
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Ignatowska-Jankowska BM, Ghosh S, Crowe MS, Kinsey SG, Niphakis MJ, Abdullah RA, Tao Q, O' Neal ST, Walentiny DM, Wiley JL, Cravatt BF, Lichtman AH. In vivo characterization of the highly selective monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor KML29: antinociceptive activity without cannabimimetic side effects. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 171:1392-407. [PMID: 23848221 PMCID: PMC3954480 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Since monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) has been firmly established as the predominant catabolic enzyme of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), a great need has emerged for the development of highly selective MAGL inhibitors. Here, we tested the in vivo effects of one such compound, KML29 (1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropan-2-yl 4-(bis(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)(hydroxy)methyl)piperidine-1-carboxylate). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH In the present study, we tested KML29 in murine inflammatory (i.e. carrageenan) and sciatic nerve injury pain models, as well as the diclofenac-induced gastric haemorrhage model. KML29 was also evaluated for cannabimimetic effects, including measurements of locomotor activity, body temperature, catalepsy, and cannabinoid interoceptive effects in the drug discrimination paradigm. KEY RESULTS KML29 attenuated carrageenan-induced paw oedema and completely reversed carrageenan-induced mechanical allodynia. These effects underwent tolerance after repeated administration of high-dose KML29, which were accompanied by cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1 ) receptor desensitization. Acute or repeated KML29 administration increased 2-AG levels and concomitantly reduced arachidonic acid levels, but without elevating anandamide (AEA) levels in the whole brain. Furthermore, KML29 partially reversed allodynia in the sciatic nerve injury model and completely prevented diclofenac-induced gastric haemorrhages. CB1 and CB2 receptors played differential roles in these pharmacological effects of KML29. In contrast, KML29 did not elicit cannabimimetic effects, including catalepsy, hypothermia and hypomotility. Although KML29 did not substitute for Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in C57BL/6J mice, it fully and dose-dependantly substituted for AEA in fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) (-/-) mice, consistent with previous work showing that dual FAAH and MAGL inhibition produces THC-like subjective effects. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These results indicate that KML29, a highly selective MAGL inhibitor, reduces inflammatory and neuropathic nociceptive behaviour without occurrence of cannabimimetic side effects. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids 2013. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-6.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - S Ghosh
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA, USA
| | - M S Crowe
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV, USA
| | - S G Kinsey
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV, USA
| | - M J Niphakis
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research InstituteLa Jolla, CA, USA
| | - R A Abdullah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA, USA
| | - Q Tao
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA, USA
| | - S T O' Neal
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA, USA
| | - D M Walentiny
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA, USA
| | - J L Wiley
- Research Triangle InstituteResearch Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - B F Cravatt
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research InstituteLa Jolla, CA, USA
| | - A H Lichtman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA, USA
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43
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Hillard CJ, Liu QS. Endocannabinoid signaling in the etiology and treatment of major depressive illness. Curr Pharm Des 2014; 20:3795-811. [PMID: 24180398 PMCID: PMC4002665 DOI: 10.2174/13816128113196660735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to examine human and preclinical data that are relevant to the following hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that deficient CB1R-mediated signaling results in symptoms that mimic those seen in depression. The second hypothesis is that activation of CB1R-mediated signaling results in behavioral, endocrine and other effects that are similar to those produced by currently used antidepressants. The third hypothesis is that conventional antidepressant therapies act through enhanced CB1R mediated signaling. Together the available data indicate that activators of CB1R signaling, particularly inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase, should be considered for clinical trials for the treatment of depression.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology
- Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/enzymology
- Brain/metabolism
- Brain/pathology
- Cannabis
- Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy
- Depressive Disorder, Major/etiology
- Depressive Disorder, Major/genetics
- Depressive Disorder, Major/pathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Endocannabinoids/genetics
- Endocannabinoids/metabolism
- Humans
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Neurogenesis/drug effects
- Polymorphism, Genetic
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qing-song Liu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226.
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44
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Nasr ML, Shi X, Bowman AL, Johnson M, Zvonok N, Janero DR, Vemuri VK, Wales TE, Engen JR, Makriyannis A. Membrane phospholipid bilayer as a determinant of monoacylglycerol lipase kinetic profile and conformational repertoire. Protein Sci 2013; 22:774-87. [PMID: 23553709 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Revised: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The membrane-associated serine hydrolase, monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL), is a well-recognized therapeutic target that regulates endocannabinoid signaling. Crystallographic studies, while providing structural information about static MGL states, offer no direct experimental insight into the impact of MGL's membrane association upon its structure-function landscape. We report application of phospholipid bilayer nanodiscs as biomembrane models with which to evaluate the effect of a membrane system on the catalytic properties and conformational dynamics of human MGL (hMGL). Anionic and charge-neutral phospholipid bilayer nanodiscs enhanced hMGL's kinetic properties [apparent maximum velocity (Vmax) and substrate affinity (Km)]. Hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry (HX MS) was used as a conformational analysis method to profile experimentally the extent of hMGL-nanodisc interaction and its impact upon hMGL structure. We provide evidence that significant regions of hMGL lid-domain helix α4 and neighboring helix α6 interact with the nanodisc phospholipid bilayer, anchoring hMGL in a more open conformation to facilitate ligand access to the enzyme's substrate-binding channel. Covalent modification of membrane-associated hMGL by the irreversible carbamate inhibitor, AM6580, shielded the active site region, but did not increase solvent exposure of the lid domain, suggesting that the inactive, carbamylated enzyme remains intact and membrane associated. Molecular dynamics simulations generated conformational models congruent with the open, membrane-associated topology of active and inhibited, covalently-modified hMGL. Our data indicate that hMGL interaction with a phospholipid membrane bilayer induces regional changes in the enzyme's conformation that favor its recruiting lipophilic substrate/inhibitor from membrane stores to the active site via the lid, resulting in enhanced hMGL catalytic activity and substrate affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud L Nasr
- Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Chemistry, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115-5000, USA
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Fowler CJ. Transport of endocannabinoids across the plasma membrane and within the cell. FEBS J 2013; 280:1895-904. [PMID: 23441874 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2012] [Revised: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are readily accumulated from the extracellular space by cells. Although their uptake properties have the appearance of a process of facilitated diffusion, it is by no means clear as to whether there is a plasma membrane transporter dedicated to this task. Intracellular carrier proteins that shuttle the endocannabinoid anandamide from the plasma membrane to its intracellular targets such as the metabolic enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase, have been identified. These include proteins with other primary functions, such as fatty-acid-binding proteins and heat shock protein 70, and possibly a fatty acid amide hydrolase-like anandamide transporter protein. Thus, anandamide uptake can be adequately described as a diffusion process across the plasma membrane followed by intracellular carrier-mediated transport to effector molecules, catabolic enzymes and sequestration sites, although it is recognized that different cells are likely to utilize different mechanisms of endocannabinoid transport depending upon the utility of the endocannabinoid for the cell in question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Fowler
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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Zogopoulos P, Vasileiou I, Patsouris E, Theocharis S. The neuroprotective role of endocannabinoids against chemical-induced injury and other adverse effects. J Appl Toxicol 2013; 33:246-64. [DOI: 10.1002/jat.2828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Zogopoulos
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Ioanna Vasileiou
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Efstratios Patsouris
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
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Zogopoulos P, Vasileiou I, Patsouris E, Theocharis SE. The role of endocannabinoids in pain modulation. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2013; 27:64-80. [PMID: 23278562 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Revised: 09/03/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ES) is comprised of cannabinoid (CB) receptors, their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids), and proteins responsible for their metabolism. Endocannabinoids serve as retrograde signaling messengers in GABAergic and glutamatergic synapses, as well as modulators of postsynaptic transmission, that interact with other neurotransmitters. Physiological stimuli and pathological conditions lead to differential increases in brain endocannabinoids that regulate distinct biological functions. Furthermore, endocannabinoids modulate neuronal, glial, and endothelial cell function and exert neuromodulatory, anti-excitotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects. Analgesia is one of the principal therapeutic targets of cannabinoids. Cannabinoid analgesia is based on the suppression of spinal and thalamic nociceptive neurons, but peripheral sites of action have also been identified. The chronic pain that occasionally follows peripheral nerve injury differs fundamentally from inflammatory pain and is an area of considerable unmet therapeutic need. Over the last years, considerable progress has been made in understanding the role of the ES in the modulation of pain. Endocannabinoids have been shown to behave as analgesics in models of both acute nociception and clinical pain such as inflammation and painful neuropathy. The framework for such analgesic effects exists in the CB receptors, which are found in areas of the nervous system important for pain processing and in immune cells that regulate the neuro-immune interactions that mediate the inflammatory hyperalgesia. The purpose of this review is to present the available research and clinical data, up to date, regarding the ES and its role in pain modulation, as well as its possible therapeutic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Zogopoulos
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Goudi, Athens, Greece
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Abstract
The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is involved in processes as diverse as control of appetite, perception of pain and the limitation of cancer cell growth and invasion. The enzymes responsible for eCB breakdown are attractive pharmacological targets, and fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors, which potentiate the levels of the eCB anandamide, are now undergoing pharmaceutical development. 'Drugable' selective inhibitors of monoacylglycerol lipase, a key enzyme regulating the levels of the other main eCB, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, were however not identified until very recently. Their availability has resulted in a large expansion of our knowledge concerning the pharmacological consequences of monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition and hence the role(s) played by the enzyme in the body. In this review, the pharmacology of monoacylglycerol lipase will be discussed, together with an analysis of the therapeutic potential of monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors as analgesics and anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Fowler
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Sweden.
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Abstract
Stress plays an important role in psychiatric disorders, and preclinical evidence indicates that the central endocannabinoid system modulates endocrine and neuronal responses to stress. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acute stress on circulating concentrations of endocannabinoids (eCBs) in healthy humans. A total of 71 adults participated in two sessions in which they were exposed to either a standardized psychosocial stress procedure (Trier Social Stress Test) or a control task. Blood samples for eCB and cortisol assays and cardiovascular and subjective measures were obtained before and at regular intervals after the tasks. Serum concentrations of the eCBs, N-arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide, AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), as well as of the N-acylethanolamides (NAEs), N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA) and N-oleoylethanolamine (OEA), and of the O-acylglycerol, 2-oleoylglycerol (2-OG), were determined. Compared with the control condition, stress increased serum concentrations of AEA and the other NAEs immediately after the stress period. Increases in PEA were positively correlated with increases in serum cortisol after stress. Furthermore, anxiety ratings at baseline were negatively correlated with baseline concentrations of AEA. The sex and menstrual cycle status of the subject affected the NAE responses to stress. Interestingly, subjects of Asian and African-American races exhibited different patterns of stress responses compared with the Caucasian subjects. These results indicate that stress increases circulating NAEs in healthy human volunteers. This finding supports a protective role for eCBs in anxiety. Further research is needed to elucidate the function of these lipid mediators, and to determine the mechanisms that regulate their appearance in the circulation.
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Chicca A, Marazzi J, Nicolussi S, Gertsch J. Evidence for bidirectional endocannabinoid transport across cell membranes. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:34660-82. [PMID: 22879589 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.373241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research on the trafficking of anandamide (AEA) across cell membranes, little is known about the membrane transport of other endocannabinoids, such as 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Previous studies have provided data both in favor and against a cell membrane carrier-mediated transport of endocannabinoids, using different methodological approaches. Because AEA and 2-AG undergo rapid and almost complete intracellular hydrolysis, we employed a combination of radioligand assays and absolute quantification of cellular and extracellular endocannabinoid levels. In human U937 leukemia cells, 100 nm AEA and 1 μm 2-AG were taken up through a fast and saturable process, reaching a plateau after 5 min. Employing differential pharmacological blockage of endocannabinoid uptake, breakdown, and interaction with intracellular binding proteins, we show that eicosanoid endocannabinoids harboring an arachidonoyl chain compete for a common membrane target that regulates their transport, whereas other N-acylethanolamines did not interfere with AEA and 2-AG uptake. By combining fatty acid amide hydrolase or monoacyl glycerol lipase inhibitors with hydrolase-inactive concentrations of the AEA transport inhibitors UCM707 (1 μm) and OMDM-2 (5 μm), a functional synergism on cellular AEA and 2-AG uptake was observed. Intriguingly, structurally unrelated AEA uptake inhibitors also blocked the cellular release of AEA and 2-AG. We show, for the first time, that UCM707 and OMDM-2 inhibit the bidirectional movement of AEA and 2-AG across cell membranes. Our findings suggest that a putative endocannabinoid cell membrane transporter controls the cellular AEA and 2-AG trafficking and metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Chicca
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, National Center of Competence in Research TransCure, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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