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Buechler HM, Sumi M, Madhuranthakam IM, Donegan C, DiGiorgio F, Acosta AA, Uribe S, Rahman MA, Sorbello A, Fischer BD, Keck TM. The CB1 negative allosteric modulator PSNCBAM-1 reduces ethanol self-administration via a nonspecific hypophagic effect. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 240:173776. [PMID: 38679080 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects >15 million people in the United States. Current pharmacotherapeutic treatments for AUD are only modestly effective, necessitating the identification of new targets for medications development. The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) has been a target of interest for the development of medications for substance use disorders and other compulsive disorders. However, CB1 antagonists/inverse agonists (e.g., rimonabant) have severe side effects that limit their clinical utility, including anxiety, depression, and suicide. Recent development of CB1 negative allosteric modulators (NAMs), including PSNCBAM-1, may provide an alternative mechanism of attenuating CB1 signaling with reduced side effects. PSNCBAM-1 has not yet been evaluated for effects in models of AUD. In this study, we investigated the effects of the CB1 NAM, PSNCBAM-1, in rodent models of AUD using adult male mice. PSNCBAM-1 dose-dependently attenuated oral ethanol self-administration (8 % w/v ethanol in water), significantly reducing ethanol rewards at a dose of 30 mg/kg, but not at 10 or 18 mg/kg. PSNCBAM-1 also dose-dependently attenuated palatable food self-administration (diluted vanilla Ensure), significantly reducing food rewards at 18 and 30 mg/kg PSNCBAM-1. PSNCBAM-1 did not affect conditioned place preference for 2 g/kg ethanol. These results suggest PSNCBAM-1 reduces ethanol-taking behavior via a nonspecific hypophagic effect and does not reduce the rewarding effects of ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mousumi Sumi
- Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Sarah Uribe
- Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, United States
| | | | | | - Bradford D Fischer
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08103, United States
| | - Thomas M Keck
- Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, United States.
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Gobira PH, Joca SR, Moreira FA. Roles of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors in the modulation of psychostimulant responses. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2024; 36:67-77. [PMID: 35993329 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2022.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Addiction to psychostimulant drugs, such as cocaine, D-amphetamine, and methamphetamine, is a public health issue that substantially contributes to the global burden of disease. Psychostimulant drugs promote an increase in dopamine levels within the mesocorticolimbic system, which is central to the rewarding properties of such drugs. Cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R) are expressed in the main areas of this system and implicated in the neuronal mechanisms underlying the rewarding effect of psychostimulant drugs. Here, we reviewed studies focusing on pharmacological intervention targeting cannabinoid CB1R and CB2R and their interaction in the modulation of psychostimulant responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- P H Gobira
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - S R Joca
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - F A Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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Spelta LEW, Real CC, Bruno V, Buchpiguel CA, Garcia RCT, Torres LH, de Paula Faria D, Marcourakis T. Impact of cannabidiol on brain glucose metabolism of C57Bl/6 male mice previously exposed to cocaine. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25327. [PMID: 38588037 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Despite evidence of the beneficial effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in animal models of cocaine use disorder (CUD), CBD neuronal mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of CBD treatment on brain glucose metabolism, in a CUD animal model, using [18F]FDG positron emission tomography (PET). Male C57Bl/6 mice were injected with cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) every other day for 9 days, followed by 8 days of CBD administration (30 mg/kg, i.p.). After 48 h, animals were challenged with cocaine. Control animals received saline/vehicle. [18F]FDG PET was performed at four time points: baseline, last day of sensitization, last day of withdrawal/CBD treatment, and challenge. Subsequently, the animals were euthanized and immunohistochemistry was performed on the hippocampus and amygdala to assess the CB1 receptors, neuronal nuclear protein, microglia (Iba1), and astrocytes (GFAP). Results showed that cocaine administration increased [18F]FDG uptake following sensitization. CBD treatment also increased [18F]FDG uptake in both saline and cocaine groups. However, animals that were sensitized and challenged with cocaine, and those receiving only an acute cocaine injection during the challenge phase, did not exhibit increased [18F]FDG uptake when treated with CBD. Furthermore, CBD induced modifications in the integrated density of NeuN, Iba, GFAP, and CB1R in the hippocampus and amygdala. This is the first study addressing the impact of CBD on brain glucose metabolism in a preclinical model of CUD using PET. Our findings suggest that CBD disrupts cocaine-induced changes in brain energy consumption and activity, which might be correlated with alterations in neuronal and glial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Emmanuela Wiazowski Spelta
- Laboratory of Neurotoxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Cristiano Real
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nuclear Medicine and PET Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Vitor Bruno
- Laboratory of Neurotoxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Buchpiguel
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Larissa Helena Torres
- Department of Food and Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Daniele de Paula Faria
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Laboratory of Neurotoxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Briânis RC, Iglesias LP, Bedeschi LG, Moreira FA. Effects of cannabidiol on reward contextual memories induced by cocaine in male and female mice. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2023:1-8. [PMID: 37968964 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2023.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Preclinical studies suggest that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid, may reduce addiction-related behaviours for various drug classes in rodents, including ethanol, opiates, and psychostimulants. CBD modulates contextual memories and responses to reward stimuli. Nonetheless, research on the impact of CBD on cocaine addiction-like behaviors is limited and requires further clarification. This study tested the hypothesis that CBD administration inhibits the acquisition and retrieval of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in adult male and female C57BL6/J mice. We also ought to characterise a 5-day CPP protocol in these animals. METHODS Male and female C57BL/6J mice were administered CBD (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg) 30 minutes before cocaine (15 mg/kg) acquisition of expression of CPP. RESULTS Cocaine induces a CPP in both female and male mice in the 5-day CPP protocol. CBD failed to prevent the acquisition or retrieval of place preference induced by cocaine. CBD did not decrease the time spent on the side paired with cocaine at any of the doses tested in male and female mice, in either acquisition or expression of contextual memory. CONCLUSION This study found no support for the hypothesis that CBD decreases reward memory involved in the formation of cocaine addiction. Further research is necessary to investigate the involvement of CBD in other behavioural responses to cocaine and other psychostimulant drugs. This study, however, characterised a 5-day CPP protocol for both female and male C57BL/6J mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayssa C Briânis
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lia P Iglesias
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lucas G Bedeschi
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fabrício A Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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Gobira PH, LaMar J, Marques J, Sartim A, Silveira K, Santos L, Wegener G, Guimaraes FS, Mackie K, Lu HC, Joca S. CB1 Receptor Silencing Attenuates Ketamine-Induced Hyperlocomotion Without Compromising Its Antidepressant-Like Effects. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2023; 8:768-778. [PMID: 36067014 PMCID: PMC10771879 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The antidepressant properties of ketamine have been extensively demonstrated in experimental and clinical settings. However, the psychotomimetic side effects still limit its wider use as an antidepressant. It was recently observed that endocannabinoids are inolved in ketamine induced reward properties. As an increase in endocannabinoid signaling induces antidepressant effects, this study aimed to investigate the involvement of cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1R) in the antidepressant and psychostimulant effects induced by ketamine. Methods: We tested the effects of genetic and pharmacological inhibition of CB1R in the hyperlocomotion and antidepressant-like properties of ketamine. The effects of ketamine (10-20 mg/kg) were assessed in the open-field and the forced swim tests (FSTs) in CB1R knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice (male and female), and mice pre-treated with rimonabant (CB1R antagonist, 3-10 mg/kg). Results: We found that the motor hyperactivity elicited by ketamine was impaired in CB1R male and female KO mice. A similar effect was observed upon pharmacological blockade of CB1R in WT mice. However, genetic CB1R deletion did not modify the antidepressant effect of ketamine in male mice submitted to the FST. Surprisingly, pharmacological blockade of CB1R induced an antidepressant-like effect in both male and female mice, which was not further potentiated by ketamine. Conclusions: Our results support the hypothesis that CB1R mediate the psychostimulant side effects induced by ketamine, but not its antidepressant properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Gobira
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jacob LaMar
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Jade Marques
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ariandra Sartim
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Kennia Silveira
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Luana Santos
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gregers Wegener
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Ken Mackie
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Hui-Chen Lu
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Sâmia Joca
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Alegre-Zurano L, García-Baos A, Castro-Zavala A, Medrano M, Gallego-Landin I, Valverde O. The FAAH inhibitor URB597 reduces cocaine intake during conditioned punishment and mitigates cocaine seeking during withdrawal. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115194. [PMID: 37499453 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system is prominently implicated in the control of cocaine reinforcement due to its relevant role in synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter modulation in the mesocorticolimbic system. The inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), and the resulting increase in anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines, represents a promising strategy for reducing drug seeking. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effects of the FAAH inhibitor URB597 (1 mg/kg) on crucial features of cocaine addictive-like behaviour in mice. Therefore, we tested the effects of URB597 on acquisition of cocaine (0.6 mg/kg/inf) self-administration, compulsive-like cocaine intake and cue-induced drug-seeking behaviour during withdrawal. URB597 reduced cocaine intake under conditioned punishment while having no impact on acquisition. This result was associated to increased cannabinoid receptor 1 gene expression in the ventral striatum and medium spiny neurons activation in the nucleus accumbens shell. Moreover, URB597 mitigated cue-induced drug-seeking behaviour during prolonged abstinence and prevented the withdrawal-induced increase in FAAH gene expression in the ventral striatum. In this case, URB597 decreased activation of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core. Our findings evidence the prominent role of endocannabinoids in the development of cocaine addictive-like behaviours and support the potential of FAAH inhibition as a therapeutical target for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Alegre-Zurano
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba García-Baos
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroscience Research Program, IMIM-Hospital Del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adriana Castro-Zavala
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Medrano
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ines Gallego-Landin
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Valverde
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroscience Research Program, IMIM-Hospital Del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
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7
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Maccarrone M, Di Marzo V, Gertsch J, Grether U, Howlett AC, Hua T, Makriyannis A, Piomelli D, Ueda N, van der Stelt M. Goods and Bads of the Endocannabinoid System as a Therapeutic Target: Lessons Learned after 30 Years. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:885-958. [PMID: 37164640 PMCID: PMC10441647 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.122.000600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The cannabis derivative marijuana is the most widely used recreational drug in the Western world and is consumed by an estimated 83 million individuals (∼3% of the world population). In recent years, there has been a marked transformation in society regarding the risk perception of cannabis, driven by its legalization and medical use in many states in the United States and worldwide. Compelling research evidence and the Food and Drug Administration cannabis-derived cannabidiol approval for severe childhood epilepsy have confirmed the large therapeutic potential of cannabidiol itself, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other plant-derived cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids). Of note, our body has a complex endocannabinoid system (ECS)-made of receptors, metabolic enzymes, and transporters-that is also regulated by phytocannabinoids. The first endocannabinoid to be discovered 30 years ago was anandamide (N-arachidonoyl-ethanolamine); since then, distinct elements of the ECS have been the target of drug design programs aimed at curing (or at least slowing down) a number of human diseases, both in the central nervous system and at the periphery. Here a critical review of our knowledge of the goods and bads of the ECS as a therapeutic target is presented to define the benefits of ECS-active phytocannabinoids and ECS-oriented synthetic drugs for human health. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The endocannabinoid system plays important roles virtually everywhere in our body and is either involved in mediating key processes of central and peripheral diseases or represents a therapeutic target for treatment. Therefore, understanding the structure, function, and pharmacology of the components of this complex system, and in particular of key receptors (like cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2) and metabolic enzymes (like fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase), will advance our understanding of endocannabinoid signaling and activity at molecular, cellular, and system levels, providing new opportunities to treat patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Maccarrone
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Uwe Grether
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Allyn C Howlett
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Tian Hua
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Alexandros Makriyannis
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Natsuo Ueda
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
| | - Mario van der Stelt
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy (M.M.); European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy (M.M.); Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, University of Laval, Quebec, Canada (V.D.); Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (J.G.); Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (U.G.); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (A.C.H.); iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China (T.H.); Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (A.M.); Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California (D.P.); Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Miki, Kagawa, Japan (N.U.); Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands (M.S.)
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8
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Bai X, Batallé G, Martínez-Martel I, Pol O. Hydrogen Sulfide Interacting with Cannabinoid 2 Receptors during Sciatic Nerve Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1179. [PMID: 37371911 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12061179] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors make opioids more effective in inhibiting nociception during inflammatory and neuropathic pain. We examined whether the analgesic, anxiolytic and/or antidepressant actions of the cannabinoid 2 receptor (CB2R) agonist, JWH-133, might be improved by pretreatment with H2S donors, DADS and GYY4137 in mice with sciatic nerve injury-provoked neuropathy (CCI). The reversion of the antinociceptive effects of these treatments with the CB2R antagonist, AM630, and the regulatory actions of H2S in the phosphorylation of NF-κB inhibitor alpha (IKBα) and in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), CB2R, Nrf2 and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) levels in prefrontal cortex (PFC), ventral hippocampus (vHIP) and periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), were examined. Data showed that the analgesic effects of JWH-133, systemically and locally administered, were improved by the DADS or GYY4137 pretreatment. The co-treatment of GYY4137 with JWH-133 also stopped anxiodepressive-like activities that concur with neuropathy. Our data likewise showed that both H2S donors normalized the inflammatory (p-IKBα), neurotrophic (BDNF) variations caused by CCI, increased the expression of CB2R and activated the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway in PFC, v-HIP and/or PAG of animals with neuropathic pain. In addition, the blockade of the analgesia produced by high doses of DADS and GYY4137 with AM630 indicated the contribution of the endocannabinoid system in the effects of H2S during neuropathic pain, thus supporting the positive interaction between H2S and CB2R. Therefore, this study demonstrates the potential use of CB2R agonists combined with H2S donors as a possible treatment for peripheral nerve injury-caused neuropathic pain and the associated emotional disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Bai
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gerard Batallé
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez-Martel
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Pol
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Dos Santos Barbosa LA, Dutra RC, Moreira ELG, de Carvalho CR. β-caryophyllene, a cannabinoid receptor 2 agonist, decreases the motivational salience and conditioning place preference for palatable food in female mice. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13249. [PMID: 36577722 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a cannabinoid receptor CB2 agonist plant-derived terpenoid found in different essential oil plants, including rosemary, black pepper, copaiba and cannabis. It has GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status and is approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for food use. BCP displays agonist activity on the CB2 receptor and is a potential therapeutic target in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety and drug addiction. Unlike CB1 receptors, activation of the CB2 receptors is devoid of psychotomimetic and addictive properties. In this regard, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of BCP on incentive salience ("wanting") performance and motivational properties elicited by sweetened palatable foods in female Swiss mice. After 9 days of training for incentive salience performance for a sweet reward (hazelnut cream with chocolate), food-restricted mice received a systemic injection of BCP (50 and 100 mg/kg) before testing over 3 days. Moreover, independent groups of female mice were tested on sweet reward-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) for 22 consecutive days. To evaluate BCP effects on the expression of seeking behaviour for sweetened food, mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of BCP (50 mg/kg) 30 min before testing on the CPP task. BCP significantly decreased the incentive performance for a sweet reward compared with the control group in a CB2 receptor-dependent manner. Also, BCP suppressed the expression of sweet reward-CPP. Altogether, these preclinical data demonstrate the potential role of BCP in treating disorders associated with food addiction-like behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael Cypriano Dutra
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Brazil.,Laboratório de Autoimunidade e Imunofarmacologia (LAIF), Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Campus Araranguá, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Araranguá, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Luiz Gasnhar Moreira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Brazil.,Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Ribeiro de Carvalho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Brazil.,Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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10
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Asth L, Cruz LC, Soyombo N, Rigo P, Moreira FA. Effects of β -caryophyllene, A Dietary Cannabinoid, in Animal Models of Drug Addiction. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:213-218. [PMID: 36173065 PMCID: PMC10190141 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220927115811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene found in Cannabis and other plants. BCP is currently used as a food additive, although pharmacological studies suggest its potential therapeutic application for the treatment of certain brain disorders. The mechanisms of action of BCP remain uncertain, possibly including full agonism at the cannabinoid CB2 receptor (CB2R). OBJECTIVE The study aims to investigate BCP's potential as a new drug for the treatment of substance use disorders by reviewing preclinical studies with animal models. RESULTS BCP has been investigated in behavioral paradigms, including drug self-administration, conditioned place preference, and intracranial self-stimulation; the drugs tested were cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, and methamphetamine. Remarkably, BCP prevented or reversed behavioral changes resulting from drug exposure. As expected, the mechanism of action entails CB2R activation, although this is unlikely to constitute the only molecular target to explain such effects. Another potential target is the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor. CONCLUSION Preclinical studies have reported promising results with BCP in animal models of substance use disorders. Further research, including studies in humans, are warranted to establish its therapeutic potential and its mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Asth
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Cardoso Cruz
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Nicholas Soyombo
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Pedro Rigo
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Fabrício A. Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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11
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Atehortua Martinez LA, Curis E, Mekdad N, Larrieu C, Courtin C, Jourdren L, Blugeon C, Laplanche JL, Megarbane B, Marie-Claire C, Benturquia N. Individual differences in cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in male rats: Behavioral and transcriptomic evidence. J Psychopharmacol 2022; 36:1161-1175. [PMID: 36121009 PMCID: PMC9548661 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221123047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use disorder emerges in a small proportion of drug users and has the characteristics of a chronic relapsing pathology. AIMS Our study aimed to demonstrate and characterize the variability in the expression of the rewarding effects of cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. METHODS A cocaine-CPP paradigm in male Sprague-Dawley rats with an extinction period of 12 days and reinstatement was conducted. A statistical model was developed to distinguish rats expressing or not a cocaine-induced place preference. RESULTS Two groups of rats were identified: rats that did express rewarding effects (CPP expression (CPPE), score >102 s) and rats that did not (no CPP expression (nCPPE), score between -85 and 59 s). These two groups did not show significant differences in a battery of behavioral tests. To identify differentially expressed genes in the CPPE and nCPPE groups, a whole-transcriptome ribonucleic acid-sequencing analysis was performed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) 24 h after the CPP test. Four immediate early genes (Fos, Egr2, Nr4a1, and Zbtb37) were differentially expressed in the NAc of CPPE rats after expression of CPP. Variability in cocaine-induced place preference persisted in the CPPE and nCPPE groups after the extinction and reinstatement phases. Transcriptomic differences observed after reinstatement were distinct from those observed immediately after expression of CPP. CONCLUSION These new findings provide insights into the identification of mechanisms underlying interindividual variability in the response to cocaine's rewarding effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Alessandra Atehortua Martinez
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Curis
- UR 7537 BioSTM, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France,Laboratoire d’Hématologie, Hôpital Lariboisière, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Nawel Mekdad
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Claire Larrieu
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Cindie Courtin
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Jourdren
- Genomic Facility, Institut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure, École Normale Supérieure, Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Corinne Blugeon
- Genomic Facility, Institut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure, École Normale Supérieure, Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Louis Laplanche
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Megarbane
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Cynthia Marie-Claire
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Nadia Benturquia
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France,Nadia Benturquia, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neurospsychopharmacologie, Université de Paris Cité, Paris 75006, France.
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12
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Asth L, Santos AC, Moreira FA. The endocannabinoid system and drug-associated contextual memories. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:90-104. [PMID: 33491992 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Drug abuse and addiction can be initiated and reinstated by contextual stimuli previously paired with the drug use. The influence exerted by the context on drug-seeking behaviour can be modelled in experimental animals with place-conditioning protocols. Here, we review the effects of cannabinoids in place conditioning and the therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid system for interfering with drug-related memories. The phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) tends to induce conditioned place preference (CPP) at low doses and conditioned place aversion at high doses; cannabidiol is devoid of any effect, yet it inhibits CPP induced by some drugs. Synthetic CB1 receptor agonists tend to recapitulate the biphasic profile observed with THC, whereas selective antagonists/inverse agonists inhibit CPP induced by cocaine, nicotine, alcohol and opioids. However, their therapeutic use is limited by potential psychiatric side effects. The CB2 receptor has also attracted attention, because selective CB2 receptor agonists inhibit cocaine-induced CPP. Inhibitors of endocannabinoid membrane transport and hydrolysis yield mixed results. In targeting the endocannabinoid system for developing new treatments for drug addiction, future research should focus on 'neutral' CB1 receptor antagonists and CB2 receptor agonists. Such compounds may offer a well-tolerated pharmacological profile and curb addiction by preventing drug-seeking triggered by conditioned contextual cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Asth
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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13
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El-Atawneh S, Goldblum A. Candidate Therapeutics by Screening for Multitargeting Ligands: Combining the CB2 Receptor With CB1, PPARγ and 5-HT4 Receptors. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:812745. [PMID: 35295337 PMCID: PMC8918518 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.812745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) has become a major target for treating many disease conditions. The old therapeutic paradigm of “one disease-one target-one drug” is being transformed to “complex disease-many targets-one drug.” Multitargeting, therefore, attracts much attention as a promising approach. We thus focus on designing single multitargeting agents (MTAs), which have many advantages over combined therapies. Using our ligand-based approach, the “Iterative Stochastic Elimination” (ISE) algorithm, we produce activity models of agonists and antagonists for desired therapeutic targets and anti-targets. These models are used for sequential virtual screening and scoring large libraries of molecules in order to pick top-scored candidates for testing in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we built activity models for CB2R and other targets for combinations that could be used for several indications. Those additional targets are the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and 5-Hydroxytryptamine receptor 4 (5-HT4R). All these models have high statistical parameters and are reliable. Many more CB2R/CBIR agonists were found than combined CB2R agonists with CB1R antagonist activity (by 200 fold). CB2R agonism combined with PPARγ or 5-HT4R agonist activity may be used for treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Combining CB2R agonism with 5-HT4R generates more candidates (14,008) than combining CB2R agonism with agonists for the nuclear receptor PPARγ (374 candidates) from an initial set of ∼2.1 million molecules. Improved enrichment of true vs. false positives may be achieved by requiring a better ISE score cutoff or by performing docking. Those candidates can be purchased and tested experimentally to validate their activity. Further, we performed docking to CB2R structures and found lower statistical performance of the docking (“structure-based”) compared to ISE modeling (“ligand-based”). Therefore, ISE modeling may be a better starting point for molecular discovery than docking.
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14
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De Sa Nogueira D, Bourdy R, Alcala-Vida R, Filliol D, Andry V, Goumon Y, Zwiller J, Romieu P, Merienne K, Olmstead MC, Befort K. Hippocampal Cannabinoid 1 Receptors Are Modulated Following Cocaine Self-administration in Male Rats. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:1896-1911. [PMID: 35032317 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02722-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is a complex pathology inducing long-term neuroplastic changes that, in turn, contribute to maladaptive behaviors. This behavioral dysregulation is associated with transcriptional reprogramming in brain reward circuitry, although the mechanisms underlying this modulation remain poorly understood. The endogenous cannabinoid system may play a role in this process in that cannabinoid mechanisms modulate drug reward and contribute to cocaine-induced neural adaptations. In this study, we investigated whether cocaine self-administration induces long-term adaptations, including transcriptional modifications and associated epigenetic processes. We first examined endocannabinoid gene expression in reward-related brain regions of the rat following self-administered (0.33 mg/kg intravenous, FR1, 10 days) cocaine injections. Interestingly, we found increased Cnr1 expression in several structures, including prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, dorsal striatum, hippocampus, habenula, amygdala, lateral hypothalamus, ventral tegmental area, and rostromedial tegmental nucleus, with most pronounced effects in the hippocampus. Endocannabinoid levels, measured by mass spectrometry, were also altered in this structure. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by qPCR in the hippocampus revealed that two activating histone marks, H3K4Me3 and H3K27Ac, were enriched at specific endocannabinoid genes following cocaine intake. Targeting CB1 receptors using chromosome conformation capture, we highlighted spatial chromatin re-organization in the hippocampus, as well as in the nucleus accumbens, suggesting that destabilization of the chromatin may contribute to neuronal responses to cocaine. Overall, our results highlight a key role for the hippocampus in cocaine-induced plasticity and broaden the understanding of neuronal alterations associated with endocannabinoid signaling. The latter suggests that epigenetic modifications contribute to maladaptive behaviors associated with chronic drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- David De Sa Nogueira
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Romain Bourdy
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Rafael Alcala-Vida
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dominique Filliol
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Virginie Andry
- Institut Des Neurosciences Cellulaires Et Intégratives (INCI), UPR 3212, CNRS, 8 Allée du Général Rouvillois, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yannick Goumon
- Institut Des Neurosciences Cellulaires Et Intégratives (INCI), UPR 3212, CNRS, 8 Allée du Général Rouvillois, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean Zwiller
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pascal Romieu
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Karine Merienne
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mary C Olmstead
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Katia Befort
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
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15
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Silva NR, Gomes FIF, Lopes AHP, Cortez IL, Dos Santos JC, Silva CEA, Mechoulam R, Gomes FV, Cunha TM, Guimarães FS. The Cannabidiol Analog PECS-101 Prevents Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain via PPARγ Receptors. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:434-449. [PMID: 34904193 PMCID: PMC9130439 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01164-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is the main dose-limiting adverse effect of chemotherapy drugs such as paclitaxel (PTX). PTX causes marked molecular and cellular damage, mainly in the peripheral nervous system, including sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Several studies have shown the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), the major non-psychotomimetic compound found in the Cannabis plant, to treat peripheral neuropathies. Here, we investigated the efficacy of PECS-101 (former HUF-101), a CBD fluorinated analog, on PTX-induced neuropathic pain in mice. PECS-101, administered after the end of treatment with PTX, did not reverse mechanical allodynia. However, PECS-101 (1 mg/kg) administered along with PTX treatment caused a long-lasting relief of the mechanical and cold allodynia. These effects were blocked by a PPARγ, but not CB1 and CB2 receptor antagonists. Notably, the effects of PECS-101 on the relief of PTX-induced mechanical and cold allodynia were not found in macrophage-specific PPARγ-deficient mice. PECS-101 also decreased PTX-induced increase in Tnf, Il6, and Aif1 (Iba-1) gene expression in the DRGs and the loss of intra-epidermal nerve fibers. PECS-101 did not alter motor coordination, produce tolerance, or show abuse potential. In addition, PECS-101 did not interfere with the chemotherapeutic effects of PTX. Thus, PECS-101, a new fluorinated CBD analog, could represent a novel therapeutic alternative to prevent mechanical and cold allodynia induced by PTX potentially through the activation of PPARγ in macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rodrigues Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Isadora Lopes Cortez
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Conceição Elidianne Aníbal Silva
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Raphael Mechoulam
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Hebrew University Medical Faculty, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Felipe Villela Gomes
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Thiago Mattar Cunha
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
| | - Francisco Silveira Guimarães
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
- National Institute of Science and Translational Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
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16
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Gobira PH, Roncalho AL, Silva NR, Silote GP, Sales AJ, Joca SR. Adolescent cannabinoid exposure modulates the vulnerability to cocaine-induced conditioned place preference and DNMT3a expression in the prefrontal cortex in Swiss mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:3107-3118. [PMID: 34328516 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05926-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cannabis sativa is the most widely used drug by adolescents globally. The recreational use of synthetic cannabinoids by teenagers has also grown in recent years. Despite the wrong perception that exposure to these drugs does not cause harm, repeated exposure to cannabinoids at early stages of life compromises important maturation processes and brain development. Chronic early cannabinoid use has been related to a higher risk of psychiatric outcomes, including cocaine addiction. Evidence suggests that exposure to natural and synthetic cannabinoids during adolescence modifies molecular and behavioral effects of cocaine in adulthood. Responses to cocaine are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, in the brain's reward regions. However, the involvement of these processes in modulation of the vulnerability to the effects of cocaine induced by prior exposure to cannabinoids remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES Investigate whether exposure to the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2 during adolescence modulates anxiety- and depression-like behavior, memory, and cocaine reward in adult mice. We also evaluated whether exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence modulates the expression of enzymes that are involved in DNA methylation. RESULTS Exposure to WIN55,212-2 during adolescence did not alter anxiety- or depressive-like behavior. However, prior exposure to cannabinoids inhibited cocaine-induced conditioned place preference without modulating cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion, accompanied by an increase in expression of the enzyme DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a) in the prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that exposure to WIN55,212-2 during adolescence leads to changes in DNMT3a expression, and this pathway appears to be relevant to modulating the rewarding effects of cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- P H Gobira
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Café Av, s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil.
| | - A L Roncalho
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Café Av, s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil
| | - N R Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - G P Silote
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Café Av, s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil
| | - A J Sales
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - S R Joca
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Café Av, s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil. .,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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17
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He XH, Galaj E, Bi GH, He Y, Hempel B, Wang YL, Gardner EL, Xi ZX. β-caryophyllene, an FDA-Approved Food Additive, Inhibits Methamphetamine-Taking and Methamphetamine-Seeking Behaviors Possibly via CB2 and Non-CB2 Receptor Mechanisms. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:722476. [PMID: 34566647 PMCID: PMC8458938 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.722476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent research indicates that brain cannabinoid CB2 receptors are involved in drug reward and addiction. However, it is unclear whether β-caryophyllene (BCP), a natural product with a CB2 receptor agonist profile, has therapeutic effects on methamphetamine (METH) abuse and dependence. In this study, we used animal models of self-administration, electrical brain-stimulation reward (BSR) and in vivo microdialysis to explore the effects of BCP on METH-taking and METH-seeking behavior. We found that systemic administration of BCP dose-dependently inhibited METH self-administration under both fixed-ratio and progressive-ratio reinforcement schedules in rats, indicating that BCP reduces METH reward, METH intake, and incentive motivation to seek and take METH. The attenuating effects of BCP were partially blocked by AM 630, a selective CB2 receptor antagonist. Genetic deletion of CB2 receptors in CB2-knockout (CB2-KO) mice also blocked low dose BCP-induced reduction in METH self-administration, suggesting possible involvement of a CB2 receptor mechanism. However, at high doses, BCP produced a reduction in METH self-administration in CB2-KO mice in a manner similar as in WT mice, suggesting that non-CB2 receptor mechanisms underlie high dose BCP-produced effects. In addition, BCP dose-dependently attenuated METH-enhanced electrical BSR and inhibited METH-primed and cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking in rats. In vivo microdialysis assays indicated that BCP alone did not produce a significant reduction in extracellular dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), while BCP pretreatment significantly reduced METH-induced increases in extracellular NAc DA in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a DA-dependent mechanism involved in BCP action. Together, the present findings suggest that BCP might be a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of METH use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Hu He
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei, China
| | - Ewa Galaj
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Guo-Hua Bi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yi He
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Briana Hempel
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yan-Lin Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei, China
| | - Eliot L Gardner
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
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18
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Hashiesh HM, Jha NK, Sharma C, Gupta PK, Jha SK, Patil CR, Goyal SN, Ojha SK. Pharmacological potential of JWH133, a cannabinoid type 2 receptor agonist in neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 909:174398. [PMID: 34332924 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174398] [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: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
The pharmacological activation of cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2R) gained attention due to its ability to mitigate neuroinflammatory events without eliciting psychotropic actions, a limiting factor for the drugs targeting cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1R). Therefore, ligands activating CB2R are receiving enormous importance for therapeutic targeting in numerous neurological diseases including neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders as well as traumatic injuries and neuropathic pain where neuroinflammation is a common accompaniment. Since the characterization of CB2R, many CB2R selective synthetic ligands have been developed with high selectivity and functional activity. Among numerous ligands, JWH133 has been found one of the compounds with high selectivity for CB2R. JWH133 has been reported to exhibit numerous pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, nephroprotective, and immunomodulatory. Recent studies have shown that JWH133 possesses potent neuroprotective properties in several neurological disorders, including neuropathic pain, anxiety, epilepsy, depression, alcoholism, psychosis, stroke, and neurodegeneration. Additionally, JWH133 showed to protect neurons from oxidative damage and inflammation, promote neuronal survival and neurogenesis, and serve as an immunomodulatory agent. The present review comprehensively examined neuropharmacological activities of JWH133 in neurological disorders including neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric using synoptic tables and elucidated pharmacological mechanisms based on reported observations. Considering the cumulative data, JWH133 appears to be a promising CB2R agonist molecule for further evaluation and it can be a prototype agent in drug discovery and development for a unique class of agents in neurotherapeutics. Further, regulatory toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies are required to determine safety and proceed for clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hebaallah Mamdouh Hashiesh
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, PO Box - 17666, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India
| | - Charu Sharma
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, PO Box - 17666, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Piyush Kumar Gupta
- Department of Life Science, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Saurabh Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India
| | - Chandragouda R Patil
- Department of Pharmacology, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research University, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, 110017, India
| | - Sameer N Goyal
- Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal's Institute of Pharmacy, Dhule, 424001, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shreesh K Ojha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, PO Box - 17666, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
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19
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Orihuel J, Gómez-Rubio L, Valverde C, Capellán R, Roura-Martínez D, Ucha M, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Cocaine-induced Fos expression in the rat brain: Modulation by prior Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during adolescence and sex-specific effects. Brain Res 2021; 1764:147480. [PMID: 33861997 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that cannabis consumption during adolescence may be an initial step to cocaine use in adulthood. Indeed, previous preclinical data show that adolescent exposure to cannabinoids (both natural and synthetic) potentiates cocaine self-administration in rats. Here we aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the cellular activation patterns induced by cocaine as revealed by Fos imaging and how these patterns may change due to adolescent exposure to THC. Male and female Wistar rats were administered every other day THC (3 mg/kg i.p.) or vehicle from postnatal day 28-44. At adulthood (PND90) they were given an injection of cocaine (20 mg/kg i.p.) or saline and sacrificed 90 min later. Cocaine-induced Fos activation was measured by immunohistochemistry as an index of cellular activation. We found that cocaine-induced activation in the motor cortex was stronger in THC-exposed rats. Moreover, there was significant sex-dependent interaction between cocaine and adolescent THC exposure in the dorsal hypothalamus, suggesting that cocaine induced a more robust cellular activation in THC-exposed females but not in THC-treated males. Other THC- and cocaine-induced effects were also evident. These results add to the previous literature suggesting that the behavioral, cellular, molecular, and brain-activating actions of cocaine are modulated by early experience with cannabinoids and provide additional knowledge that may explain the enhanced actions of cocaine in rats exposed to cannabinoids during their adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain; International Graduate School at UNED (Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, UNED), Spain
| | - Laura Gómez-Rubio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudia Valverde
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roura-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
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20
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Galaj E, Bi GH, Moore A, Chen K, He Y, Gardner E, Xi ZX. Beta-caryophyllene inhibits cocaine addiction-related behavior by activation of PPARα and PPARγ: repurposing a FDA-approved food additive for cocaine use disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:860-870. [PMID: 33069159 PMCID: PMC8026612 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00885-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine abuse continues to be a serious health problem worldwide. Despite intense research, there is still no FDA-approved medication to treat cocaine use disorder (CUD). In this report, we explored the potential utility of beta-caryophyllene (BCP), an FDA-approved food additive for the treatment of CUD. We found that BCP, when administered intraperitoneally or intragastrically, dose-dependently attenuated cocaine self-administration, cocaine-conditioned place preference, and cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug seeking in rats. In contrast, BCP failed to alter food self-administration or cocaine-induced hyperactivity. It also failed to maintain self-administration in a drug substitution test, suggesting that BCP has no abuse potential. BCP was previously reported to be a selective CB2 receptor agonist. Unexpectedly, pharmacological blockade or genetic deletion of CB1, CB2, or GPR55 receptors in gene-knockout mice failed to alter BCP's action against cocaine self-administration, suggesting the involvement of non-CB1, non-CB2, and non-GPR55 receptor mechanisms. Furthermore, pharmacological blockade of μ opioid receptor or Toll-like receptors complex failed to alter, while blockade of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα, PPARγ) reversed BCP-induced reduction in cocaine self-administration, suggesting the involvement of PPARα and PPARγ in BCP's action. Finally, we used electrical and optogenetic intracranial self-stimulation (eICSS, oICSS) paradigms to study the underlying neural substrate mechanisms. We found that BCP is more effective in attenuation of cocaine-enhanced oICSS than eICSS, the former driven by optical activation of midbrain dopamine neurons in DAT-cre mice. These findings indicate that BCP may be useful for the treatment of CUD, likely by stimulation of PPARα and PPARγ in the mesolimbic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Galaj
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Addiction Biology Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Guo-Hua Bi
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Addiction Biology Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Allamar Moore
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Neuropychopharmacology Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Kai Chen
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Addiction Biology Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA ,grid.413247.7Present Address: Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071 China
| | - Yi He
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Addiction Biology Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Present Address: Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Eliot Gardner
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Neuropychopharmacology Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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21
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Zou M, Liu Y, Xie S, Wang L, Li D, Li L, Wang F, Zhang Y, Xia W, Sun C, Wu L. Alterations of the endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic potential in autism spectrum disorder. Open Biol 2021; 11:200306. [PMID: 33529552 PMCID: PMC8061688 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disabilities, the aetiology of which remains elusive. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system modulates neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity. Evidence points to the involvement of this neuromodulatory system in the pathophysiology of ASD. We investigated whether there is a disruption to the eCB system in ASD and whether pharmacological modulation of the eCB system might offer therapeutic potential. We examined three major components of the eCB system—endogenous cannabinoids, their receptors and associated enzymes—in ASD children as well as in the valproic acid (VPA) induced animal model in autism. Furthermore, we specifically increased 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) levels by administering JZL184, a selective inhibitor of monoacylglycerol lipase which is the hydrolytic enzyme for 2-AG, to examine ASD-like behaviours in VPA-induced rats. Results showed that autistic children and VPA-induced rats exhibited reduced eCB content, increased degradation of enzymes and upregulation of CBRs. We found that repetitive and stereotypical behaviours, hyperactivity, sociability, social preference and cognitive functioning improved after acute and chronic JZL184 treatment. The major efficacy of JZL184 was observed after administration of a dosage regimen of 3 mg kg−1, which affected both the eCB system and ASD-like behaviours. In conclusion, a reduced eCB signalling was observed in autistic children and in the ASD animal model, and boosting 2-AG could ameliorate ASD-like phenotypes in animals. Collectively, the results suggested a novel approach to ASD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyang Zou
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu Xie
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Luxi Wang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Dexin Li
- Department of Children Psychology, Zhuhai Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Zhuhai 519001, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Li
- Office of Leading Group for Control and Prevention of Major Diseases and Infectious diseases, Dezhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dezhou 253011, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujue Zhang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xia
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Caihong Sun
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijie Wu
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
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22
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Effects of the monoamine stabilizer, (-)-OSU6162, on cocaine-induced locomotion and conditioned place preference in mice. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2021; 394:1143-1152. [PMID: 33471153 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-021-02053-x] [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: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is a severe mental disorder for which few treatment options are available. The underlying mechanisms include facilitation of monoamine-neurotransmission, particularly dopamine. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the monoamine stabilizers, (-)-OSU6162 ((3S)-3-(3-methylsulfonylphenyl)-1-propylpiperidine) and aripiprazole (7-[4-[4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl]butoxy]-3,4-dihydro-1H-quinolin-2-one), prevent cocaine-induced behaviors. Male Swiss mice received injections of (-)-OSU6162 or aripiprazole and cocaine and were tested for cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion, locomotor sensitization, and acquisition and expression of conditioned place preference (CPP). The increase in the distance traveled induced by cocaine (20 mg/kg) was prevented by pretreatment with aripiprazole (1 and 10 mg/kg), whereas (-)-OSU6162 (3 mg/kg) exerted a minor effect. Aripiprazole, however, also impaired spontaneous locomotion. Neither (-)-OSU6162 nor aripiprazole interfered with the locomotor sensitization and expression of CPP induced by cocaine (15 mg/kg). (-)-OSU6162 (3 mg/kg), but not aripiprazole, prevented the acquisition of CPP induced by cocaine (15 mg/kg). (-)-OSU6162 exerts a minor effect in reducing cocaine-induced stimulatory activity and context-related memories, which are responsible for triggering drug seeking. Further studies are required to establish whether (-)-OSU6162 could be a candidate drug for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
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Gasparyan A, Navarrete F, Rodríguez-Arias M, Miñarro J, Manzanares J. Cannabidiol Modulates Behavioural and Gene Expression Alterations Induced by Spontaneous Cocaine Withdrawal. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:615-623. [PMID: 33230690 PMCID: PMC8116402 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00976-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on the behavioural and gene expression changes in a new animal model of spontaneous cocaine withdrawal. For this purpose, male CD-1 mice were exposed to progressive increasing doses of cocaine for 12 days (15 to 60 mg/kg/day, i.p.), evaluating spontaneous cocaine withdrawal 6 h after the last cocaine administration. The effects of CBD (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) were evaluated on cocaine withdrawal-induced alterations in motor activity, somatic signs, and anxiety-like behaviour. Furthermore, gene expression changes in dopamine transporter (DAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the ventral tegmental area, and in cannabinoid receptors 1 (CNR1) and 2 (CNR2) in the nucleus accumbens, were analysed by real-time PCR. The results obtained in the study showed that mice exposed to the spontaneous cocaine withdrawal model presented increased motor activity, somatic withdrawal signs, and high anxiety-like behaviour. Interestingly, the administration of CBD normalized motor and somatic signs disturbances and induced an anxiolytic effect. Moreover, the administration of CBD blocked the increase of DAT and TH gene expression in mice exposed to the cocaine withdrawal, regulated the decrease of CNR1 and induced an additional upregulation of CNR2 gene expression. Thus, this model of spontaneous cocaine withdrawal induces clear behavioural and gene expression changes in mice. Interestingly, CBD alleviates these behavioural and gene expression alterations suggesting its potential for the management of cocaine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550, Alicante, Spain
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Navarrete
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550, Alicante, Spain
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - José Miñarro
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550, Alicante, Spain.
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain.
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Mohammadkhani A, Borgland SL. Cellular and behavioral basis of cannabinioid and opioid interactions: Implications for opioid dependence and withdrawal. J Neurosci Res 2020; 100:278-296. [PMID: 33352618 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The brain's endogenous opioid and endocannabinoid systems are neuromodulatory of synaptic transmission, and play key roles in pain, memory, reward, and addiction. Recent clinical and pre-clinical evidence suggests that opioid use may be reduced with cannabinoid intake. This suggests the presence of a functional interaction between these two systems. Emerging research indicates that cannabinoids and opioids can functionally interact at different levels. At the cellular level, opioid and cannabinoids can have direct receptor associations, alterations in endogenous opioid peptide or cannabinoid release, or post-receptor activation interactions via shared signal transduction pathways. At the systems level, the nature of cannabinoid and opioid interaction might differ in brain circuits underlying different behavioral phenomenon, including reward-seeking or antinociception. Given the rising use of opioid and cannabinoid drugs, a better understanding of how these endogenous signaling systems interact in the brain is of significant interest. This review focuses on the potential relationship of these neural systems in addiction-related processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Mohammadkhani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Stephanie L Borgland
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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25
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Lobina C, Maccioni P, Lorrai I, Zaru A, Collu M, Carai MAM, Brizzi A, Mugnaini C, Gessa GL, Corelli F, Colombo G. Suppressing effect of the novel positive allosteric modulator of the GABA B receptor, COR659, on locomotor hyperactivity induced by different drugs of abuse. Behav Brain Res 2020; 400:113045. [PMID: 33309750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
COR659 is a recently synthesized positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the GABAB receptor. Similarly to all GABAB PAMs tested to date, COR659 has been reported to suppress different alcohol-related behaviors in rodents. The present study was designed to assess whether the anti-addictive properties of COR659 extend to drugs of abuse other than alcohol. Specifically, it investigated the effect of COR659 on cocaine-, amphetamine-, nicotine-, and morphine-induced locomotor hyperactivity in mice. To this aim, independent groups of CD1 mice were acutely pretreated with COR659 (0, 10, and 20 mg/kg; i.p.), then acutely treated with cocaine (0 and 10 mg/kg, s.c.), amphetamine (0 and 5 mg/kg; s.c.), nicotine (0 and 0.05 mg/kg; s.c.), or morphine (0 and 20 mg/kg; s.c.), and finally exposed for 60 min to a photocell-equipped motility cage. When given alone, both doses of COR659 were ineffective on spontaneous locomotor activity. Pretreatment with COR659 reduced, or even suppressed, the increase in motility counts induced by cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, and morphine. Since locomotor hyperactivity is an attribute common to drugs of abuse, the results of the present study constitute the first line of evidence on the extension of the preclinical, anti-addictive profile of COR659 to cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, and morphine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lobina
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Paola Maccioni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Irene Lorrai
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zaru
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Maria Collu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Mauro A M Carai
- Cagliari Pharmacological Research, Cagliari, CA, I-09127, Italy
| | - Antonella Brizzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, SI, I-53100, Italy
| | - Claudia Mugnaini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, SI, I-53100, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy
| | - Federico Corelli
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, SI, I-53100, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Colombo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council of Italy, Monserrato, CA, I-09042, Italy.
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Jordan CJ, Feng ZW, Galaj E, Bi GH, Xue Y, Liang Y, McGuire T, Xie XQ, Xi ZX. Xie2-64, a novel CB 2 receptor inverse agonist, reduces cocaine abuse-related behaviors in rodents. Neuropharmacology 2020; 176:108241. [PMID: 32712273 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108241] [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: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine abuse remains a public health threat around the world. There are no pharmacological treatments approved for cocaine use disorder. Cannabis has received growing attention as a treatment for many conditions, including addiction. Most cannabis-based medication development has focused on cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) antagonists (and also inverse agonists) such as rimonabant, but clinical trials with rimonabant have failed due to its significant side-effects. Here we sought to determine whether a novel and selective CB2R inverse agonist, Xie2-64, has similar therapeutic potential for cocaine use disorder. Computational modeling indicated that Xie2-64 binds to CB2R in a way similar to SR144528, another well-characterized but less selective CB2R antagonist/inverse agonist, suggesting that Xie2-64 may also have CB2R antagonist profiles. Unexpectedly, systemic administration of Xie2-64 or SR144528 dose-dependently inhibited intravenous cocaine self-administration and shifted cocaine dose-response curves downward in rats and wild-type, but not in CB2R-knockout, mice. Xie2-64 also dose-dependently attenuated cocaine-enhanced brain-stimulation reward maintained by optical stimulation of ventral tegmental area dopamine (DA) neurons in DAT-Cre mice, while Xie2-64 or SR144528 alone inhibited optical brain-stimulation reward. In vivo microdialysis revealed that systemic or local administration of Xie2-64 into the nucleus accumbens reduced extracellular dopamine levels in a dose-dependent manner in rats. Together, these results suggest that Xie2-64 has significant anti-cocaine reward effects likely through a dopamine-dependent mechanism, and therefore, deserves further study as a new pharmacotherapy for cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe J Jordan
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Zhi-Wei Feng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Computational Chemical Genomics Screen (CCGS) Center and Dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy; NIDA National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research (CDAR), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Ewa Galaj
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Guo-Hua Bi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Ying Xue
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Computational Chemical Genomics Screen (CCGS) Center and Dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy; NIDA National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research (CDAR), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Ying Liang
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Terence McGuire
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Computational Chemical Genomics Screen (CCGS) Center and Dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy; NIDA National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research (CDAR), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Xiang-Qun Xie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Computational Chemical Genomics Screen (CCGS) Center and Dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy; NIDA National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research (CDAR), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA; Drug Discovery Institute; Departments of Computational Biology and of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Stasiulewicz A, Znajdek K, Grudzień M, Pawiński T, Sulkowska JI. A Guide to Targeting the Endocannabinoid System in Drug Design. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082778. [PMID: 32316328 PMCID: PMC7216112 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is one of the most crucial systems in the human organism, exhibiting multi-purpose regulatory character. It is engaged in a vast array of physiological processes, including nociception, mood regulation, cognitive functions, neurogenesis and neuroprotection, appetite, lipid metabolism, as well as cell growth and proliferation. Thus, ECS proteins, including cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands’ synthesizing and degrading enzymes, are promising therapeutic targets. Their modulation has been employed in or extensively studied as a treatment of multiple diseases. However, due to a complex nature of ECS and its crosstalk with other biological systems, the development of novel drugs turned out to be a challenging task. In this review, we summarize potential therapeutic applications for ECS-targeting drugs, especially focusing on promising synthetic compounds and preclinical studies. We put emphasis on modulation of specific proteins of ECS in different pathophysiological areas. In addition, we stress possible difficulties and risks and highlight proposed solutions. By presenting this review, we point out information pivotal in the spotlight of ECS-targeting drug design, as well as provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on ECS-related pharmacodynamics and show possible directions for needed research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Stasiulewicz
- Department of Drug Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (M.G.); (T.P.)
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Biological Systems Modelling, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (J.I.S.)
| | - Katarzyna Znajdek
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Biological Systems Modelling, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Grudzień
- Department of Drug Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (M.G.); (T.P.)
| | - Tomasz Pawiński
- Department of Drug Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (M.G.); (T.P.)
| | - Joanna I. Sulkowska
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Biological Systems Modelling, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
- Materials and Process Simulation Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (J.I.S.)
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Lopes JB, Bastos JR, Costa RB, Aguiar DC, Moreira FA. The roles of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and conditioned place preference in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:385-394. [PMID: 31667531 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05370-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cocaine is a psychostimulant drug that facilitates monoaminergic neurotransmission. The endocannabinoid system, comprising the cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R), the endocannabinoids, and their metabolizing-enzymes, modulates the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway and represents a potential target for the treatment of addiction. OBJECTIVES Here, we tested the hypothesis that the cannabinoid receptors are implicated in cocaine-induced motor sensitization, conditioned place preference (CPP), and hippocampal activation. METHODS Male Swiss mice received injections of AM251 (CB1R antagonist; 0.3-10 mg/kg) or JWH133 (CB2R agonist; 1-10 mg/kg) before acquisition or expression of cocaine (20 mg/kg)-induced sensitization and CPP. After the CPP test, cFos-staining was employed as a marker of neuronal activation in the hippocampus. RESULTS AM251 inhibited the acquisition (0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg) and expression (1 and 3 mg/kg) of sensitization, as well as the acquisition (10 mg/kg) of CPP. JWH133 inhibited the acquisition (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) and expression (1 and 3 mg/kg) of both sensitization and CPP. JWH133 effects were reversed by AM630 (CB2R antagonist; 5 mg/kg). AM251 and JWH133 also prevented neuronal activation (c-Fos expression) in the hippocampus of CPP-exposed animals. CONCLUSIONS CB1R and CB2R have opposite roles in modulating cocaine-induced sensitization and CPP, possibly by preventing neuronal activation in the hippocampus.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cannabinoids/pharmacology
- Central Nervous System Stimulants/pharmacology
- Cocaine/pharmacology
- Conditioning, Classical/drug effects
- Conditioning, Classical/physiology
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Hippocampus/drug effects
- Hippocampus/physiology
- Male
- Mice
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Pyrazoles/pharmacology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/physiology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Jadna B Lopes
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Juliana R Bastos
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Rayssa B Costa
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Daniele C Aguiar
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Fabrício A Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
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John WS, Martin TJ, Nader MA. Cannabinoid Modulation of Food-Cocaine Choice in Male Rhesus Monkeys. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2020; 373:44-50. [PMID: 31941717 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.119.263707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Marijuana and other cannabinoid compounds are widely used by cocaine users. Preclinical animal studies suggest that these compounds can increase the reinforcing effects of cocaine under some schedules of cocaine self-administration and reinstatement, but not in all cases. To date, no studies have used a food-cocaine concurrent choice procedure, which allows for assessment of drug effects on response allocation, not just changes in cocaine self-administration. The goal of the present study was to examine the effects of compounds differing in their efficacy at the cannabinoid receptor (CBR) on cocaine self-administration using a food-drug choice procedure in monkeys. Four adult male rhesus monkeys were trained to self-administer cocaine in the context of an alternative food (1.0-g banana-flavored pellets) reinforcer, such that complete cocaine dose-response curves (0, 0.003-0.1 mg/kg per injection) were determined each session. Monkeys were tested acutely with the CBR full agonist CP 55,940 (0.001-0.01 mg/kg); the CBR partial agonist Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; 0.03-0.3 mg/kg), which is also the primary active ingredient in marijuana and the CBR antagonist rimonabant (0.3-3.0 mg/kg). Cocaine choice increased in a dose-dependent manner. Acute treatment with CP 55,940 decreased cocaine choice, whereas THC and rimonabant enhanced the reinforcing effects of cocaine. Chronic (7-day) treatment with CP 55,940 resulted in tolerance to the decreases in cocaine choice. These findings with Δ9-THC provide support for a potential mechanism for co-abuse of marijuana and cocaine. Additional research with chronic treatment with full CBR agonists on attenuating the reinforcing strength of cocaine is warranted. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Co-abuse of tetrahydrocannabinol and cocaine is a significant public health problem. The use of animal models allows for the determination of how cannabinoid receptor stimulation or blockade influences the reinforcing strength of cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- William S John
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S.J., M.A.N.) and Anesthesiology (T.J.M.), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Thomas J Martin
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S.J., M.A.N.) and Anesthesiology (T.J.M.), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Michael A Nader
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S.J., M.A.N.) and Anesthesiology (T.J.M.), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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30
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Abstract
LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on 8th European Workshop on Cannabinoid Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.10/issuetoc.
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31
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Gobira PH, Oliveira AC, Gomes JS, da Silveira VT, Asth L, Bastos JR, Batista EM, Issy AC, Okine BN, de Oliveira AC, Ribeiro FM, Del Bel EA, Aguiar DC, Finn DP, Moreira FA. Opposing roles of CB 1 and CB 2 cannabinoid receptors in the stimulant and rewarding effects of cocaine. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 176:1541-1551. [PMID: 30101419 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) bind to CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in the brain and modulate the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway. This neurocircuitry is engaged by psychostimulant drugs, including cocaine. Although CB1 receptor antagonism and CB2 receptor activation are known to inhibit certain effects of cocaine, they have been investigated separately. Here, we tested the hypothesis that there is a reciprocal interaction between CB1 receptor blockade and CB2 receptor activation in modulating behavioural responses to cocaine. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Male Swiss mice received i.p. injections of cannabinoid-related drugs followed by cocaine, and were then tested for cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion, c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens and conditioned place preference. Levels of endocannabinoids after cocaine injections were also analysed. KEY RESULTS The CB1 receptor antagonist, rimonabant, and the CB2 receptor agonist, JWH133, prevented cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion. The same results were obtained by combining sub-effective doses of both compounds. The CB2 receptor antagonist, AM630, reversed the inhibitory effects of rimonabant in cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion and c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens. Selective inhibitors of anandamide and 2-AG hydrolysis (URB597 and JZL184, respectively) failed to modify this response. However, JZL184 prevented cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion when given after a sub-effective dose of rimonabant. Cocaine did not change brain endocannabinoid levels. Finally, CB2 receptor blockade reversed the inhibitory effect of rimonabant in the acquisition of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS The present data support the hypothesis that CB1 and CB2 receptors work in concert with opposing functions to modulate certain addiction-related effects of cocaine. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on 8th European Workshop on Cannabinoid Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.10/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro H Gobira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana C Oliveira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Julia S Gomes
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Vivian T da Silveira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Laila Asth
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Juliana R Bastos
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Edleusa M Batista
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana C Issy
- Department of Morphology, Stomatology and Basic Pathology, Faculty of Odontology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Bright N Okine
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Antonio C de Oliveira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fabiola M Ribeiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Elaine A Del Bel
- Department of Morphology, Stomatology and Basic Pathology, Faculty of Odontology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Daniele C Aguiar
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - David P Finn
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Fabricio A Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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