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Cannabis use and posttraumatic stress disorder comorbidity: Epidemiology, biology and the potential for novel treatment approaches. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 157:143-193. [PMID: 33648669 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use is increasing among some demographics in the United States and is tightly linked to anxiety, trauma, and stress reactivity at the epidemiological and biological level. Stress-coping motives are highly cited reasons for cannabis use. However, with increased cannabis use comes the increased susceptibility for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Indeed, CUD is highly comorbid with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Importantly, endogenous cannabinoid signaling systems play a key role in the regulation of stress reactivity and anxiety regulation, and preclinical data suggest deficiencies in this signaling system could contribute to the development of stress-related psychopathology. Furthermore, endocannabinoid deficiency states, either pre-existing or induced by trauma exposure, could provide explanatory insights into the high rates of comorbid cannabis use in patients with PTSD. Here we review clinical and preclinical literature related to the cannabis use-PTSD comorbidity, the role of endocannabinoids in the regulation of stress reactivity, and potential therapeutic implications of recent work in this area.
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Abstract
Cannabis contains over 700 known cannabinoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and so on; however, the roles and importance of these components have yet to be fully understood. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is believed the most psychoactive component in cannabis, whereas cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol, and cannabigerol are the most well-known non-psychoactive components. THC, but not CBD, has been shown to produce abnormal behavior in animals; these effects are caused, at least in part, by binding to cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) in the brain. Regarding the risks associated with cannabis use, acute effects of THC, such as a "high", cognitive deficits, and irritability, are considered more important than potential dependence. On the other hand, CBD has shown anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, analgesic, and anticancer effects. However, CBD has very low affinity (in the micromolar range) for the CB1 receptor, as well as for the CB2 receptor, and its underlying mechanism remains obscure. In this review, we demonstrate that THC induces abnormal behavior such as catalepsy-like immobilization, spatial memory impairment, and high and low sensitivity to ultrasonic vocalization after an aversive air-puff stimulus. Moreover, we demonstrate that THC and CBD improve brain injury in middle cerebral artery occlusion in a mouse model through different mechanisms. These findings suggest the need to discuss the recent development of "THC and CBD pharmacology" in animal studies, as well as the utility and risk of various cannabis components in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Keiichi Irie
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Fukuoka University
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Santori A, Colucci P, Mancini GF, Morena M, Palmery M, Trezza V, Puglisi-Allegra S, Hill MN, Campolongo P. Anandamide modulation of circadian- and stress-dependent effects on rat short-term memory. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 108:155-162. [PMID: 31302498 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system plays a key role in the control of emotional responses to environmental challenges. CB1 receptors are highly expressed within cortico-limbic brain areas, where they modulate stress effects on memory processes. Glucocorticoid and endocannabinoid release is influenced by circadian rhythm. Here, we investigated how different stress intensities immediately after encoding influence rat short-term memory in an object recognition task, whether the effects depend on circadian rhythm and if exogenous augmentation of anandamide levels could restore any observed impairment. Two separate cohorts of male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were tested at two different times of the day, morning (inactivity phase) or afternoon (before the onset of the activity phase) in an object recognition task. The anandamide hydrolysis inhibitor URB597 was intraperitoneally administered immediately after the training trial. Rats were thereafter subjected to a forced swim stress under low or high stress conditions and tested 1 h after training. Control rats underwent the same experimental procedure except for the forced swim stress (no stress). We further investigated whether URB597 administration might modulate corticosterone release in rats subjected to the different stress conditions, both in the morning or afternoon. The low stressor elevated plasma corticosterone levels and impaired 1 h recognition memory performance when animals were tested in the morning. Exposure to the higher stress condition elevated plasma corticosterone levels and impaired memory performance, independently of the testing time. These findings show that stress impairing effects on short-term recognition memory are dependent on the intensity of stress and circadian rhythm. URB597 (0.3 mg kg-1) rescued the altered memory performance and decreased corticosterone levels in all the impaired groups yet leaving memory unaltered in the non-impaired groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Santori
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Colucci
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Maria Morena
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Depts. of Cell Biology and Anatomy &Psychiatry, University of Calgary, T2N 4N1, Calgary, Canada
| | - Maura Palmery
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Dept. of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University Roma Tre, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Matthew N Hill
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Depts. of Cell Biology and Anatomy &Psychiatry, University of Calgary, T2N 4N1, Calgary, Canada
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy; Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy.
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Myose T, Shirakawa A, Irie K, Yamashita Y, Nakano T, Takase Y, Matsuo K, Satho T, Tuchihashi R, Kinjo J, Tanaka H, Morimoto S, Funada M, Sano K, Mishima K. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol elicited 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalization changes after air puff stimulus through CB1 receptor in adult rats. Neurosci Lett 2019; 701:132-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of marijuana on athletic performance. DESIGN We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AMED, and SPORTDiscus from their beginning to September 2016. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane collaboration tool for assessing risk of bias and the Cochrane GRADE scale. No meta-analyses were performed for this review. SETTING Subjects in a track, gym, or recreational ward. PARTICIPANTS Any primary study which included male and female adults of any athletic background between ages 18 and 65, with no other comorbid conditions. INTERVENTIONS Any primary study which used marijuana cigarettes and included a control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Vital signs, pulmonary measures, physical work capacity, grip strength, and exercise duration were determined to be relevant outcomes. RESULTS Three trials examined marijuana and its effects on athletic performance. Two trials had a high risk of bias and 1 trial had an unclear risk of bias. The effect of marijuana on outcomes including heart rate, blood pressure, and exercise duration remains unclear. Low quality evidence suggests that treatment, sham, and inactive control groups do not have a significant difference for grip strength. Low quality evidence suggests that there is an ergogenic effect of treatment demonstrated by increased bronchodilation and FEV1 compared with inactive control and that there is an ergolytic effect of treatment demonstrated by decreased physical work capacity compared with sham and inactive control groups. CONCLUSION Because the number and quality of studies was low, the effects of marijuana on athletic performance remain unclear.
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Integrating Endocannabinoid Signaling and Cannabinoids into the Biology and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:80-102. [PMID: 28745306 PMCID: PMC5719095 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to stress is an undeniable, but in most cases surmountable, part of life. However, in certain individuals, exposure to severe or cumulative stressors can lead to an array of pathological conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by debilitating trauma-related intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, hyperarousal, as well as depressed mood and anxiety. In the context of the rapidly changing political and legal landscape surrounding use of cannabis products in the USA, there has been a surge of public and research interest in the role of cannabinoids in the regulation of stress-related biological processes and in their potential therapeutic application for stress-related psychopathology. Here we review the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids in PTSD and the preclinical and clinical literature on the effects of cannabinoids and endogenous cannabinoid signaling systems in the regulation of biological processes related to the pathogenesis of PTSD. Potential therapeutic implications of the reviewed literature are also discussed. Finally, we propose that a state of endocannabinoid deficiency could represent a stress susceptibility endophenotype predisposing to the development of trauma-related psychopathology and provide biologically plausible support for the self-medication hypotheses used to explain high rates of cannabis use in patients with trauma-related disorders.
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Fosnocht AQ, Briand LA. Substance use modulates stress reactivity: Behavioral and physiological outcomes. Physiol Behav 2016; 166:32-42. [PMID: 26907955 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a major public health concern in the United States costing taxpayers billions in health care costs, lost productivity and law enforcement. However, the availability of effective treatment options remains limited. The development of novel therapeutics will not be possible without a better understanding of the addicted brain. Studies in both clinical and preclinical models indicate that chronic drug use leads to alterations in the body and brain's response to stress. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may shed light on the ability of stress to increase vulnerability to relapse. Further, within both the HPA axis and limbic brain regions, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is critically involved in the brain's response to stress. Alterations in both central and peripheral CRF activity seen following chronic drug use provide a mechanism by which substance use can alter stress reactivity, thus mediating addictive phenotypes. While many reviews have focused on how stress alters drug-mediated changes in physiology and behavior, the goal of this review is to focus on how substance use alters responses to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, United States.
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Stopponi S, Soverchia L, Ubaldi M, Cippitelli A, Serpelloni G, Ciccocioppo R. Chronic THC during adolescence increases the vulnerability to stress-induced relapse to heroin seeking in adult rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:1037-45. [PMID: 24412506 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis derivatives are among the most widely used illicit substances among young people. The addictive potential of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major active ingredient of cannabis is well documented in scientific literature. However, the consequence of THC exposure during adolescence on occurrence of addiction for other drugs of abuse later in life is still controversial. To explore this aspect of THC pharmacology, in the present study, we treated adolescent rats from postnatal day (PND) 35 to PND-46 with increasing daily doses of THC (2.5-10mg/kg). One week after intoxication, the rats were tested for anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. One month later (starting from PND 75), rats were trained to operantly self-administer heroin intravenously. Finally, following extinction phase, reinstatement of lever pressing elicited by the pharmacological stressor, yohimbine (1.25mg/kg) was evaluated. Data revealed that in comparison to controls, animals treated with chronic THC during adolescence showed a higher level of anxiety-like behavior. When tested for heroin (20μg per infusion) self-administration, no significant differences were observed in both the acquisition of operant responding and heroin intake at baseline. Noteworthy, following the extinction phase, administration of yohimbine elicited a significantly higher level of heroin seeking in rats previously exposed to THC. Altogether these findings demonstrate that chronic exposure to THC during adolescence is responsible for heightened anxiety and increased vulnerability to drug relapse in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Stopponi
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Laura Soverchia
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Massimo Ubaldi
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Andrea Cippitelli
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Giovanni Serpelloni
- Dipartimento Politiche Antidroga, Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, Italy
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy.
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Aliczki M, Zelena D, Mikics E, Varga ZK, Pinter O, Bakos NV, Varga J, Haller J. Monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition-induced changes in plasma corticosterone levels, anxiety and locomotor activity in male CD1 mice. Horm Behav 2013; 63:752-8. [PMID: 23578952 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis is strongly controlled by the endocannabinoid system. The specific impact of enhanced 2-arachidonoylglycerol signaling on corticosterone plasma levels, however, was not investigated so far. Here we studied the effects of the recently developed monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor JZL184 on basal and stress-induced corticosterone levels in male CD1 mice, and found that this compound dramatically increased basal levels without affecting stress responses. Since acute changes in corticosterone levels can affect behavior, JZL184 was administered concurrently with the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone, to investigate whether the previously shown behavioral effects of JZL184 are dependent on corticosterone. We found that in the elevated plus-maze, the effects of JZL184 on "classical" anxiety-related measures were abolished by corticosterone synthesis blockade. By contrast, effects on the "ethological" measures of anxiety (i.e. risk assessment) were not affected by metyrapone. In the open-field, the locomotion-enhancing effects of the compound were not changed either. These findings show that monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition dramatically increases basal levels of corticosterone. This endocrine effect partly affects the anxiolytic, but not the locomotion-enhancing effects of monoacylglycerol lipase blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mano Aliczki
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Science, Budapest, Hungary
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Silvestri C, Di Marzo V. Second generation CB1 receptor blockers and other inhibitors of peripheral endocannabinoid overactivity and the rationale of their use against metabolic disorders. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2012; 21:1309-22. [DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2012.704019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristoforo Silvestri
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry – CNR, Endocannabinoid Research Group,
Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli (NA), Italy ;
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry – CNR, Endocannabinoid Research Group,
Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli (NA), Italy ;
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Structural and pharmacological analysis of O-2050, a putative neutral cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist. Eur J Pharmacol 2010; 651:96-105. [PMID: 21114999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.10.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2010] [Revised: 10/14/2010] [Accepted: 10/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Rimonabant, the prototypic antagonist of cannabinoid CB(1) receptors, has been reported to have inverse agonist properties at higher concentrations, which may complicate its use as a tool for mechanistic evaluation of cannabinoid pharmacology. Consequently, recent synthesis efforts have concentrated on discovery of a neutral antagonist using a variety of structural templates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacological properties of the putative neutral cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist O-2050, a sulfonamide side chain analog of Δ(8)-tetrahydrocannabinol. O-2050 and related sulfonamide cannabinoids exhibited good affinity for both cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) receptors. While the other sulfonamide analogs produced cannabinoid agonist effects in vivo (e.g., activity suppression, antinociception, and hypothermia), O-2050 stimulated activity and was inactive in the other two tests. O-2050 also decreased food intake in mice, an effect that was reminiscent of that produced by rimonabant. Unlike rimonabant, however, O-2050 did not block the effects of cannabinoid agonists in vivo, even when administered i.c.v. In contrast, O-2050 antagonized the in vitro effects of cannabinoid agonists in [(35)S]GTPγS and mouse vas deferens assays without having activity on its own in either assay. Further evaluation revealed that O-2050 fully and dose-dependently substituted for Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol in a mouse drug discrimination procedure (a cannabinoid agonist effect) and that it inhibited forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP signaling with a maximum efficacy of approximately half that of the full agonist CP55,940 [(-)-cis-3-[2-hydroxy-4(1,1-dimethyl-heptyl)phenyl]-trans-4-(3-hydroxy-propyl)cyclohexanol]. Together, these results suggest that O-2050 is not a viable candidate for classification as a neutral cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist.
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