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Fischer C, Thomas D, Gurke R, Tegeder I. Brain region specific regulation of anandamide (down) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (up) in association with anxiety (AEA) and resilience (S1P) in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress. Pflugers Arch 2024:10.1007/s00424-024-03012-0. [PMID: 39177699 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-024-03012-0] [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: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Chronic unpredictable and unavoidable stress is associated with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, whereas cycles of stress and stress relief strengthen resilience. It has been suggested that increased breakdown of brain endocannabinoids (eCB) promotes a feeling of adversity. To assess the impact of stress on bioactive lipid homeostasis, we analyzed eCB, sphingolipids, and ceramides in seven brain regions and plasma in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) was associated with low levels of anandamide in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in association with indicators of anxiety (elevated plus maze). Oppositely, CUMS caused elevated levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P d18:1) and sphinganine-1-phosphate (S1P d18:0) in the midbrain and thalamus, which was associated with readouts of increased stress resilience, i.e., marble burying and struggling in the tail suspension tests. In the periphery, elevated plasma levels of ceramides revealed similarities with human major depression and suggested unfavorable effects of stress on metabolism, but plasma lipids were not associated with body weight, sucrose consumption, or behavioral features of depression or anxiety. The observed brain site-specific lipid changes suggest that the forebrain succumbs to adverse stress effects while the midbrain takes up defensive adjustments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Fischer
- Goethe-University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Dominique Thomas
- Goethe-University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Robert Gurke
- Goethe-University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Irmgard Tegeder
- Goethe-University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany.
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2
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Jamal T, Yan X, Lantyer ADS, Ter Horst JG, Celikel T. Experience-dependent regulation of dopaminergic signaling in the somatosensory cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 239:102630. [PMID: 38834131 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102630] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine critically influences reward processing, sensory perception, and motor control. Yet, the modulation of dopaminergic signaling by sensory experiences is not fully delineated. Here, by manipulating sensory experience using bilateral single-row whisker deprivation, we demonstrated that gene transcription in the dopaminergic signaling pathway (DSP) undergoes experience-dependent plasticity in both granular and supragranular layers of the primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex (S1). Sensory experience and deprivation compete for the regulation of DSP transcription across neighboring cortical columns, and sensory deprivation-induced changes in DSP are topographically constrained. These changes in DSP extend beyond cortical map plasticity and influence neuronal information processing. Pharmacological regulation of D2 receptors, a key component of DSP, revealed that D2 receptor activation suppresses excitatory neuronal excitability, hyperpolarizes the action potential threshold, and reduces the instantaneous firing rate. These findings suggest that the dopaminergic drive originating from midbrain dopaminergic neurons, targeting the sensory cortex, is subject to experience-dependent regulation and might create a regulatory feedback loop for modulating sensory processing. Finally, using topological gene network analysis and mutual information, we identify the molecular hubs of experience-dependent plasticity of DSP. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms by which sensory experience shapes dopaminergic signaling in the brain and might help unravel the sensory deficits observed after dopamine depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tousif Jamal
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Xuan Yan
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Judith G Ter Horst
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tansu Celikel
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Socha J, Grochecki P, Marszalek-Grabska M, Skrok A, Smaga I, Slowik T, Prazmo W, Kotlinski R, Filip M, Kotlinska JH. Cannabidiol Protects against the Reinstatement of Oxycodone-Induced Conditioned Place Preference in Adolescent Male but Not Female Rats: The Role of MOR and CB1R. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6651. [PMID: 38928357 PMCID: PMC11204276 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126651] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid, appeared to satisfy several criteria for a safe approach to preventing drug-taking behavior, including opioids. However, most successful preclinical and clinical results come from studies in adult males. We examined whether systemic injections of CBD (10 mg/kg, i.p.) during extinction of oxycodone (OXY, 3 mg/kg, i.p.) induced conditioned place preference (CPP) could attenuate the reinstatement of CPP brought about by OXY (1.5 mg/kg, i.p.) priming in adolescent rats of both sexes, and whether this effect is sex dependent. Accordingly, a priming dose of OXY produced reinstatement of the previously extinguished CPP in males and females. In both sexes, this effect was linked to locomotor sensitization that was blunted by CBD pretreatments. However, CBD was able to prevent the reinstatement of OXY-induced CPP only in adolescent males and this outcome was associated with an increased cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) and a decreased mu opioid receptor (MOR) expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The reinstatement of CCP in females was associated with a decreased MOR expression, but no changes were detected in CB1R in the hippocampus (HIP). Moreover, CBD administration during extinction significantly potentialized the reduced MOR expression in the PFC of males and showed a tendency to potentiate the reduced MOR in the HIP of females. Additionally, CBD reversed OXY-induced deficits of recognition memory only in males. These results suggest that CBD could reduce reinstatement to OXY seeking after a period of abstinence in adolescent male but not female rats. However, more investigation is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Socha
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.S.); (P.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Pawel Grochecki
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.S.); (P.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Marta Marszalek-Grabska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8b, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Aleksandra Skrok
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.S.); (P.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Irena Smaga
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Krakow, Poland; (I.S.); (M.F.)
| | - Tymoteusz Slowik
- Experimental Medicine Center, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Wojciech Prazmo
- Breast Surgery Department, Provincial Specialist Hospital, Al. Krasnicka 100, 20-718 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Robert Kotlinski
- Clinical Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rzeszow, Lwowska 60, 35-301 Rzeszow, Poland;
| | - Malgorzata Filip
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Krakow, Poland; (I.S.); (M.F.)
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.S.); (P.G.); (A.S.)
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Braunscheidel K, Okas M, Woodward JJ. Toluene alters the intrinsic excitability and excitatory synaptic transmission of basolateral amygdala neurons. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1366216. [PMID: 38595974 PMCID: PMC11002899 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1366216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Inhalant abuse is an important health issue especially among children and adolescents who often encounter these agents in the home. Research into the neurobiological targets of inhalants has lagged behind that of other drugs such as alcohol and psychostimulants. However, studies from our lab and others have begun to reveal how inhalants such as the organic solvent toluene affect neurons in key addiction related areas of the brain including the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex. In the present study, we extend these findings and examine the effect of toluene on electrophysiological responses of pyramidal neurons in the basolateral amygdala BLA, a region important for generating emotional and reward based information needed to guide future behavior. Methods Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology recordings of BLA pyramidal neurons in rat brain slices were used to assess toluene effects on intrinsic excitability and excitatory glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Results Acute application of 3 mM but not 0.3 mM toluene produced a small but significant (~20%) increase in current-evoked action potential (AP) firing that reversed following washout of the toluene containing solution. The change in firing during exposure to 3 mM toluene was accompanied by selective changes in AP parameters including reduced latency to first spike, increased AP rise time and decay and a reduction in the fast after-hyperpolization. To examine whether toluene also affects excitatory synaptic signaling, we expressed channelrhodopsin-2 in medial prefrontal cortex neurons and elicited synaptic currents in BLA neurons via light pulses. Toluene (3 mM) reduced light-evoked AMPA-mediated synaptic currents while a lower concentration (0.3 mM) had no effect. The toluene-induced reduction in AMPA-mediated BLA synaptic currents was prevented by the cannabinoid receptor-1 antagonist AM281. Discussion These findings are the first to demonstrate effects of acute toluene on BLA pyramidal neurons and add to existing findings showing that abused inhalants such as toluene have significant effects on neurons in brain regions involved in natural and drug induced reward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John J. Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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Engin A. The Unrestrained Overeating Behavior and Clinical Perspective. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1460:167-198. [PMID: 39287852 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-63657-8_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
Obesity-related co-morbidities decrease life quality, reduce working ability, and lead to early death. In the adult population, eating addiction manifests with excessive food consumption and the unrestrained overeating behavior, which is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality and defined as the binge eating disorder (BED). This hedonic intake is correlated with fat preference and the total amount of dietary fat consumption is the most potent risk factor for weight gain. Long-term BED leads to greater sensitivity to the rewarding effects of palatable foods and results in obesity fatefully. Increased plasma concentrations of non-esterified free fatty acids and lipid-overloaded hypertrophic adipocytes may cause insulin resistance. In addition to dietary intake of high-fat diet, sedentary lifestyle leads to increased storage of triglycerides not only in adipose tissue but also ectopically in other tissues. Lipid-induced apoptosis, ceramide accumulation, reactive oxygen species overproduction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction play role in the pathogenesis of lipotoxicity. Food addiction and BED originate from complex action of dopaminergic, opioid, and cannabinoid systems. BED may also be associated with both obesity and major depressive disorder. For preventing morbidity and mortality, as well as decreasing the impact of obesity-related comorbidities in appropriately selected patients, opiate receptor antagonists and antidepressant combination are recommended. Pharmacotherapy alongside behavioral management improves quality of life and reduces the obesity risk; however, the number of licensed drugs is very few. Thus, stereotactic treatment is recommended to break down the refractory obesity and binge eating in obese patient. As recent applications in the field of non-invasive neuromodulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation are thought to be important in image-guided deep brain stimulation in humans. Chronic overnutrition most likely provides repetitive and persistent signals that up-regulate inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) kinase beta subunit/NF-κB (IKKβ/NF-κB) in the hypothalamus before the onset of obesity. However, how the mechanisms of high-fat diet-induced peripheral signals affect the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus remain largely unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atilla Engin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Gazi University, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey.
- Mustafa Kemal Mah. 2137. Sok. 8/14, 06520, Cankaya, Ankara, Turkey.
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Luján MÁ, Covey DP, Young-Morrison R, Zhang L, Kim A, Morgado F, Patel S, Bass CE, Paladini C, Cheer JF. Mobilization of endocannabinoids by midbrain dopamine neurons is required for the encoding of reward prediction. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7545. [PMID: 37985770 PMCID: PMC10662422 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43131-3] [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: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) shape motivated behavior and nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine release. However, it is not clear whether mobilization of 2-AG specifically from midbrain dopamine neurons is necessary for dopaminergic responses to external stimuli predicting forthcoming reward. Here, we use a viral-genetic strategy to prevent the expression of the 2-AG-synthesizing enzyme diacylglycerol lipase α (DGLα) from ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine cells in adult mice. We find that DGLα deletion from VTA dopamine neurons prevents depolarization-induced suppression of excitation (DSE), a form of 2-AG-mediated synaptic plasticity, in dopamine neurons. DGLα deletion also decreases effortful, cue-driven reward-seeking but has no effect on non-cued or low-effort operant tasks and other behaviors. Moreover, dopamine recording in the NAc reveals that deletion of DGLα impairs the transfer of accumbal dopamine signaling from a reward to its earliest predictors. These results demonstrate that 2-AG mobilization from VTA dopamine neurons is a necessary step for the generation of dopamine-based predictive associations that are required to direct and energize reward-oriented behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á Luján
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dan P Covey
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Reana Young-Morrison
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - LanYuan Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrew Kim
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Fiorella Morgado
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Caroline E Bass
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Carlos Paladini
- UTSA Neuroscience Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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7
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Kroll SL, Hulka LM, Kexel AK, Vonmoos M, Preller KH, Treyer V, Ametamey SM, Baumgartner MR, Boost C, Pahlisch F, Rohleder C, Leweke FM, Quednow BB. Plasma endocannabinoids in cocaine dependence and their relation to cerebral metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 density. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:325. [PMID: 37857616 PMCID: PMC10587180 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02628-7] [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: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models indicate that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a modulatory role in stress and reward processing, both crucially impaired in addictive disorders. Preclinical findings showed endocannabinoid-modulated synaptic plasticity in reward brain networks linked to the metabotropic-glutamate-5 receptor (mGluR5), contributing to drug-reinforcing effects and drug-seeking behavior. Although animal models postulate a link between ECS and cocaine addiction, human translational studies are lacking. Here, we tested previous preclinical findings by investigating plasma endocannabinoids (eCBs) anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and the related N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and oleoylethanolamide (OEA), including their interaction with cerebral mGluR5, in chronic cocaine users (CU). We compared basal plasma concentrations between chronic CU (N = 103; 69 recreational CU and 34 dependent CU) and stimulant-naïve healthy controls (N = 92). Follow-up basal eCB/NAE plasma levels after 12 months were used for reliability and stability check (CU: N = 33; controls: N = 43). In an additional analysis using 11C-ABP688 positron emission tomography (PET) in a male subsample (CU: N = 18; controls: N = 16), we investigated the relationships between eCBs/NAEs and mGluR5 density in the brain. We found higher 2-AG plasma levels in dependent CU compared to controls and recreational CU. 2-AG levels were stable over time across all groups. In the PET-subsample, a positive association between 2-AG and mGluR5 brain density only in CU was found. Our results corroborate animal findings suggesting an alteration of the ECS in cocaine dependence and an association between peripheral 2-AG levels and cerebral mGluR5 in humans. Therefore, the ECS might be a promising pharmaco-therapeutic target for novel treatments of cocaine dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara L Kroll
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Lea M Hulka
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ann-Kathrin Kexel
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Vonmoos
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katrin H Preller
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valerie Treyer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon M Ametamey
- Radiopharmaceutical Science, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus R Baumgartner
- Center for Forensic Hair Analytics, Zurich Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carola Boost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Franziska Pahlisch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Cathrin Rohleder
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Brain and Mind Centre, Translational Research Collective, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - F Markus Leweke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Brain and Mind Centre, Translational Research Collective, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
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Boachie N, Gaudette E, Bazinet RP, Lin L, Tyndale RF, Mansouri E, Huestis MA, Tong J, Le Foll B, Kish SJ, George TP, Boileau I. Circulating Endocannabinoids and N-Acylethanolamines in Individuals with Cannabis Use Disorder-Preliminary Findings. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1375. [PMID: 37891745 PMCID: PMC10605789 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101375] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endocannabinoids and related N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are bioactive lipids with important physiological functions and putative roles in mental health and addictions. Although chronic cannabis use is associated with endocannabinoid system changes, the status of circulating endocannabinoids and related NAEs in people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) is uncertain. METHODS Eleven individuals with CUD and 54 healthy non-cannabis using control participants (HC) provided plasma for measurement by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of endocannabinoids (2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA)) and related NAE fatty acids (N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine (DHEA) and N-oleoylethanolamine (OEA)). Participants were genotyped for the functional gene variant of FAAH (rs324420, C385A) which may affect concentrations of AEA as well as other NAEs (OEA, DHEA). RESULTS In overnight abstinent CUD, AEA, OEA and DHEA concentrations were significantly higher (31-40%; p < 0.05) and concentrations of the endocannabinoid 2-AG were marginally elevated (55%, p = 0.13) relative to HC. There were no significant correlations between endocannabinoids/NAE concentrations and cannabis analytes, self-reported cannabis use frequency or withdrawal symptoms. DHEA concentration was inversely related with marijuana craving (r = -0.86; p = 0.001). Genotype had no significant effect on plasma endocannabinoids/NAE concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary findings, requiring replication, might suggest that activity of the endocannabinoid system is elevated in chronic cannabis users. It is unclear whether this elevation is a compensatory response or a predating state. Studies examining endocannabinoids and NAEs during prolonged abstinence as well as the potential role of DHEA in craving are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Boachie
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada; (N.B.)
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Erin Gaudette
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada; (N.B.)
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Richard P. Bazinet
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Rachel F. Tyndale
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Esmaeil Mansouri
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada; (N.B.)
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Marilyn A. Huestis
- Institute of Emerging Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, Severna Park, Philadelphia, PA 19144, USA
| | - Junchao Tong
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada; (N.B.)
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada; (N.B.)
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Addictions Division and Institute of Mental Health Policy and Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
- Departments of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Waypoint Research Institute, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1G3, Canada
| | - Stephen J. Kish
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada; (N.B.)
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Tony P. George
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada; (N.B.)
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Addictions Division and Institute of Mental Health Policy and Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
| | - Isabelle Boileau
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada; (N.B.)
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Addictions Division and Institute of Mental Health Policy and Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON N6B 1Y6, Canada
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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: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [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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10
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McReynolds JR, Wolf CP, Starck DM, Mathy JC, Schaps R, Krause LA, Hillard CJ, Mantsch JR. Role of mesolimbic cannabinoid receptor 1 in stress-driven increases in cocaine self-administration in male rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1121-1132. [PMID: 37188846 PMCID: PMC10267161 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01589-1] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Stress is prevalent in the lives of those with substance use disorders (SUDs) and influences SUD outcomes. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms through which stress promotes drug use is important for the development of effective SUD interventions. We have developed a model wherein exposure to a stressor, uncontrollable electric footshock, daily at the time of cocaine self-administration escalates intake in male rats. Here we test the hypothesis that stress-induced escalation of cocaine self-administration requires the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. Male Sprague-Dawley rats self-administered cocaine (0.5 mg/kg/inf, i.v.) during 2-h sessions comprised of four 30-min self-administration components separated by 5-min shock sequences or 5-min shock-free periods for 14 days. Footshock produced an escalation of cocaine self-administration that persisted following shock removal. Systemic administration of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) antagonist/inverse agonist, AM251, attenuated cocaine intake only in rats with a history of stress. This effect was localized to the mesolimbic system, as intra-nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and intra-ventral tegmental area (VTA) micro-infusions of AM251 attenuated cocaine intake only in stress-escalated rats. Cocaine self-administration, regardless of stress history, increased CB1R binding site density in the VTA, but not NAc shell. Following extinction, cocaine-primed reinstatement (10 mg/kg, ip) was increased in rats with prior footshock during self-administration. AM251 attenuated reinstatement only in rats with a stress history. Altogether, these data demonstrate that mesolimbic CB1Rs are required to escalate intake and heighten relapse susceptibility and suggest that repeated stress at the time of cocaine use regulates mesolimbic CB1R activity through a currently unknown mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayme R McReynolds
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology and Center for Addiction Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Colten P Wolf
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Dylan M Starck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jacob C Mathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Rebecca Schaps
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Leslie A Krause
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - John R Mantsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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11
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Xie JF, Wang LX, Ren WT, Wang C, Gao JX, Chen HL, Zhao XQ, Ren YL, Xie YP, Shao YF, Hou YP. An α-hemoglobin-derived peptide (m)VD-hemopressin (α) promotes NREM sleep via the CB 1 cannabinoid receptor. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1213215. [PMID: 37456761 PMCID: PMC10347404 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1213215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemopressin and related peptides have shown to function as the endogenous ligands or the regulator of cannabinoid receptors. The previous studies demonstrated that the endocannabinoid system played important roles in modulating several physiological functions such as sleep, olfaction, emotion, learning and memory, and reward behaviors. Mouse VD-hemopressin (α) [(m)VD-HPα], an 11-residue peptide derived from the α1 chain of hemoglobin, was recently presumed as a selective agonist of the CB1 receptor. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of (m)VD-HPα on the sleep-wake cycle and power spectrum of cortical EEG in freely moving rats and the potential neurons in the brain activated by (m)VD-HPα. The results showed that 20.1 nmol of (m)VD-HPα i.c.v. administration increased non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in the first 2 h section accompanied by an increase in EEG delta (0.5-4 Hz) activity. The (m)VD-HPα-induced NREM sleep enhancement was due to extended episode duration instead of the episode number. In addition, the effect of (m)VD-HPα (20.1 nmol) on sleep-wake states was significantly attenuated by an antagonist of the CB1 receptor, AM251 (20 nmol, i.c.v.) but not by the CB2 receptor antagonist, AM630 (20 nmol, i.c.v.). In comparison with vehicle, (m)VD-HPα increased Fos-immunoreactive (-ir) neurons in the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO), but reduced Fos-ir neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN), and locus coeruleus (LC). These findings suggest that (m)VD-HPα promotes NREM sleep via the CB1 cannabinoid receptor to probably activate VLPO GABAergic neurons, but inactivates the LH orexinergic, LC noradrenergic, and TMN histaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Fan Xie
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lin-Xin Wang
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Departments of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wen-Ting Ren
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Can Wang
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Departments of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Jin-Xian Gao
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Sleep Medicine Center of Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hai-Lin Chen
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xue-Qi Zhao
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yan-Li Ren
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ping Xie
- Sleep Medicine Center of Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yu-Feng Shao
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yi-Ping Hou
- Departments of Neuroscience, Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Rodríguez-Manzo G, Canseco-Alba A. The endogenous cannabinoid system modulates male sexual behavior expression. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1198077. [PMID: 37324524 PMCID: PMC10264596 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1198077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a key neuromodulatory role in the brain. Main features of endocannabinoids (eCBs) are that they are produced on demand, in response to enhanced neuronal activity, act as retrograde messengers, and participate in the induction of brain plasticity processes. Sexual activity is a motivated behavior and therefore, the mesolimbic dopaminergic system (MSL) plays a central role in the control of its appetitive component (drive to engage in copulation). In turn, copulation activates mesolimbic dopamine neurons and repeated copulation produces the continuous activation of the MSL system. Sustained sexual activity leads to the achievement of sexual satiety, which main outcome is the transient transformation of sexually active male rats into sexually inhibited animals. Thus, 24 h after copulation to satiety, the sexually satiated males exhibit a decreased sexual motivation and do not respond to the presence of a sexually receptive female with sexual activity. Interestingly, blockade of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) during the copulation to satiety process, interferes with both the appearance of the long-lasting sexual inhibition and the decrease in sexual motivation in the sexually satiated males. This effect is reproduced when blocking CB1R at the ventral tegmental area evidencing the involvement of MSL eCBs in the induction of this sexual inhibitory state. Here we review the available evidence regarding the effects of cannabinoids, including exogenously administered eCBs, on male rodent sexual behavior of both sexually competent animals and rat sub populations spontaneously showing copulatory deficits, considered useful to model some human male sexual dysfunctions. We also include the effects of cannabis preparations on human male sexual activity. Finally, we review the role played by the ECS in the control of male sexual behavior expression with the aid of the sexual satiety phenomenon. Sexual satiety appears as a suitable model for the study of the relationship between eCB signaling, MSL synaptic plasticity and the modulation of male sexual motivation under physiological conditions that might be useful for the understanding of MSL functioning, eCB-mediated plasticity and their relationship with motivational processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Rodríguez-Manzo
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav-Sede Sur), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ana Canseco-Alba
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Formación Reticular, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Oscoz-Irurozqui M, Almodóvar-Payá C, Guardiola-Ripoll M, Guerrero-Pedraza A, Hostalet N, Salvador R, Carrión MI, Maristany T, Pomarol-Clotet E, Fatjó-Vilas M. Cannabis Use and Endocannabinoid Receptor Genes: A Pilot Study on Their Interaction on Brain Activity in First-Episode Psychosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087501. [PMID: 37108689 PMCID: PMC10142622 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087501] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of both cannabis use and genetic background has been shown in the risk for psychosis. However, the effect of the interplay between cannabis and variability at the endocannabinoid receptor genes on the neurobiological underpinnings of psychosis remains inconclusive. Through a case-only design, including patients with a first-episode of psychosis (n = 40) classified as cannabis users (50%) and non-users (50%), we aimed to evaluate the interaction between cannabis use and common genetic variants at the endocannabinoid receptor genes on brain activity. Genetic variability was assessed by genotyping two Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) at the cannabinoid receptor type 1 gene (CNR1; rs1049353) and cannabinoid receptor type 2 gene (CNR2; rs2501431). Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data were obtained while performing the n-back task. Gene × cannabis interaction models evidenced a combined effect of CNR1 and CNR2 genotypes and cannabis use on brain activity in different brain areas, such as the caudate nucleus, the cingulate cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex. These findings suggest a joint role of cannabis use and cannabinoid receptor genetic background on brain function in first-episode psychosis, possibly through the impact on brain areas relevant to the reward circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitane Oscoz-Irurozqui
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Av Jordà 8, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Salud Mental Errenteria-Osakidetza, Av Galtzaraborda 69-75, 20100 Errenteria, Guipúzcoa, Spain
| | - Carmen Almodóvar-Payá
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Av Jordà 8, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Guardiola-Ripoll
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Av Jordà 8, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Amalia Guerrero-Pedraza
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Av Jordà 8, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital Benito Menni CASM, C/Doctor Antoni Pujadas 38, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Noemí Hostalet
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Av Jordà 8, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raymond Salvador
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Av Jordà 8, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Teresa Maristany
- Diagnostic Imaging Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Research Foundation, Passeig de Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Edith Pomarol-Clotet
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Av Jordà 8, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Fatjó-Vilas
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Av Jordà 8, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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Serra V, Aroni S, Bortolato M, Frau R, Melis M. Endocannabinoid-dependent decrease of GABAergic transmission on dopaminergic neurons is associated with susceptibility to cocaine stimulant effects in pre-adolescent male MAOA hypomorphic mice exposed to early life stress. Neuropharmacology 2023; 233:109548. [PMID: 37080337 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109548] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Vulnerability to cocaine use disorder depends upon a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors. While early life adversity is a critical environmental vulnerability factor for drug misuse, allelic variants of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene have been shown to moderate its influence on the risk of drug-related problems. However, data on the interactions between MAOA variants and early life stress (ES) with respect to predisposition to cocaine abuse are limited. Here, we show that a mouse model capturing the interaction of genetic (low-activity alleles of the Maoa gene; MAOANeo) and environmental (i.e., ES) vulnerability factors displays an increased sensitivity to repeated in vivo cocaine psychomotor stimulant actions associated with a reduction of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition of dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), a 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG)-dependent form of short-term plasticity, also becomes readily expressed by dopamine neurons from male MAOANeo ES mice repeatedly treated with cocaine. The activation of either dopamine D2 or CB1 receptors contributes to cocaine-induced DSI expression, decreased GABA synaptic efficacy, and hyperlocomotion. Next, in vivo pharmacological enhancement of 2AG signaling during repeated cocaine exposure occludes its actions both in vivo and ex vivo. This data extends our knowledge of the multifaceted sequelae imposed by this gene-environment interaction in VTA dopamine neurons of male pre-adolescent mice and contributes to our understanding of neural mechanisms of vulnerability for early onset cocaine use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Serra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Sonia Aroni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112, USA
| | - Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Miriam Melis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, Italy.
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15
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The Effects of the Inhalant Toluene on Cognitive Function and Behavioral Flexibility: A Review of Recent Findings. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 5:100059. [PMID: 36798693 PMCID: PMC9928149 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is characterized, in part, by lack of control over drug seeking and taking. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is highly involved in control of behavior and deficits in PFC structure and function have been demonstrated in clinical and preclinical studies of SUD. Of the various classes of drugs associated with the development of SUD, inhalants are among the least studied despite their widespread use among adolescents and children. In this work, we review what is currently known regarding the sites and mechanisms of action of inhalants with a focus on the volatile solvent toluene that is contained in a wide variety of legal and easily obtained products. We then describe how inhalants including toluene affect various behaviors with an emphasis on those associated with PFC function and how chronic use of inhalants alters brain structure and neuronal signaling. Findings from these studies highlight advances made in recent years that have expanded our understanding of the effects of inhalants on brain structure and reinforce the need for continued work in this field.
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16
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Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 5 Gene Deletion Enhances Nicotine-Conditioned Place Preference: Illuminating the Putative Gateway Mechanisms. FUTURE PHARMACOLOGY 2023; 3:108-116. [PMID: 36864947 PMCID: PMC9969817 DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol3010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that the endogenous cannabinoid system modulates the behavioral and physiological effects of nicotine. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are among the primary intracellular trafficking mechanisms of endogenous cannabinoids, such as anandamide. To this end, changes in FABP expression may similarly impact the behavioral manifestations associated with nicotine, particularly its addictive properties. FABP5 +/+ and FABP5 -/- mice were tested for nicotine-conditioned place preference (CPP) at two different doses (0.1 or 0.5 mg/kg). The nicotine-paired chamber was assigned as their least preferred chamber during preconditioning. Following 8 days of conditioning, the mice were injected with either nicotine or saline. The mice were allowed to access to all the chambers on the test day, and their times spent in the drug chamber on the preconditioning versus the test days were used to examine the drug preference score. The CPP results showed that the FABP5 -/- mice displayed a higher place preference for 0.1 mg/kg nicotine than the FABP5 +/+ mice, while no CPP difference was observed for 0.5 mg/kg nicotine between the genotypes. In conclusion, FABP5 plays an important role in regulating nicotine place preference. Further research is warranted to identify the precise mechanisms. The results suggest that dysregulated cannabinoid signaling may impact nicotine-seeking behavior.
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17
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Hasbi A, Madras BK, George SR. Endocannabinoid System and Exogenous Cannabinoids in Depression and Anxiety: A Review. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020325. [PMID: 36831868 PMCID: PMC9953886 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: There is a growing liberalization of cannabis-based preparations for medical and recreational use. In multiple instances, anxiety and depression are cited as either a primary or a secondary reason for the use of cannabinoids. Aim: The purpose of this review is to explore the association between depression or anxiety and the dysregulation of the endogenous endocannabinoid system (ECS), as well as the use of phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids in the remediation of depression/anxiety symptoms. After a brief description of the constituents of cannabis, cannabinoid receptors and the endocannabinoid system, the most important evidence is presented for the involvement of cannabinoids in depression and anxiety both in human and from animal models of depression and anxiety. Finally, evidence is presented for the clinical use of cannabinoids to treat depression and anxiety. Conclusions: Although the common belief that cannabinoids, including cannabis, its main studied components-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)-or other synthetic derivatives have been suggested to have a therapeutic role for certain mental health conditions, all recent systematic reviews that we report have concluded that the evidence that cannabinoids improve depressive and anxiety disorders is weak, of very-low-quality, and offers no guidance on the use of cannabinoids for mental health conditions within a regulatory framework. There is an urgent need for high-quality studies examining the effects of cannabinoids on mental disorders in general and depression/anxiety in particular, as well as the consequences of long-term use of these preparations due to possible risks such as addiction and even reversal of improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Hasbi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Correspondence: (A.H.); (S.R.G.)
| | - Bertha K. Madras
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Susan R. George
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Correspondence: (A.H.); (S.R.G.)
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18
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Therapeutic Molecular Insights into the Active Engagement of Cannabinoids in the Therapy of Parkinson's Disease: A Novel and Futuristic Approach. Neurotox Res 2023; 41:85-102. [PMID: 36567416 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-022-00619-y] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which is characterised mostly by loss of dopaminergic nerve cells throughout the nigral area mainly as a consequence of oxidative stress. Muscle stiffness, disorganised bodily responses, disturbed sleep, weariness, amnesia, and voice impairment are all symptoms of dopaminergic neuron degeneration and existing symptomatic treatments are important to arrest additional neuronal death. Some cannabinoids have recently been demonstrated as robust antioxidants that might protect the nerve cells from degeneration even when cannabinoid receptors are not triggered. Cannabinoids are likely to have property to slow or presumably cease the steady deterioration of the brain's dopaminergic systems, a condition for which there is now no treatment. The use of cannabinoids in combination with currently available drugs has the potential to introduce a radically new paradigm for treatment of Parkinson's disease, making it immensely useful in the treatment of such a debilitating illness.
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19
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Cannabinoid CB1 Receptors Are Expressed in a Subset of Dopamine Neurons and Underlie Cannabinoid-Induced Aversion, Hypoactivity, and Anxiolytic Effects in Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:373-385. [PMID: 36517243 PMCID: PMC9864584 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1493-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids modulate dopamine (DA) transmission and DA-related behavior, which has been thought to be mediated initially by activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) on GABA neurons. However, there is no behavioral evidence supporting it. In contrast, here we report that CB1Rs are also expressed in a subset of DA neurons and functionally underlie cannabinoid action in male and female mice. RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH) assays demonstrated CB1 mRNA in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1)-positive GABA neurons. The CB1R-expressing DA neurons were located mainly in the middle portion of the VTA with the number of CB1-TH colocalization progressively decreasing from the medial to the lateral VTA. Triple-staining assays indicated CB1R mRNA colocalization with both TH and vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VgluT2, a glutamate neuronal marker) in the medial VTA close to the midline of the brain. Optogenetic activation of this population of DA neurons was rewarding as assessed by optical intracranial self-stimulation. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) or ACEA (a selective CB1R agonist) dose-dependently inhibited optical intracranial self-stimulation in DAT-Cre control mice, but not in conditional knockout mice with the CB1R gene absent in DA neurons. In addition, deletion of CB1Rs from DA neurons attenuated Δ9-THC-induced reduction in DA release in the NAc, locomotion, and anxiety. Together, these findings indicate that CB1Rs are expressed in a subset of DA neurons that corelease DA and glutamate, and functionally underlie cannabinoid modulation of DA release and DA-related behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cannabinoids produce a series of psychoactive effects, such as aversion, anxiety, and locomotor inhibition in rodents. However, the cellular and receptor mechanisms underlying these actions are not fully understood. Here we report that CB1 receptors are expressed not only in GABA neurons but also in a subset of dopamine neurons, which are located mainly in the medial VTA close to the midline of the midbrain and corelease dopamine and glutamate. Optogenetic activation of these dopamine neurons is rewarding, which is dose-dependently inhibited by cannabinoids. Selective deletion of CB1 receptor from dopamine neurons blocked cannabinoid-induced aversion, hypoactivity, and anxiolytic effects. These findings demonstrate that dopaminergic CB1 receptors play an important role in mediating cannabinoid action.
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20
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Scheyer A, Yasmin F, Naskar S, Patel S. Endocannabinoids at the synapse and beyond: implications for neuropsychiatric disease pathophysiology and treatment. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:37-53. [PMID: 36100658 PMCID: PMC9700791 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01438-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are lipid neuromodulators that suppress neurotransmitter release, reduce postsynaptic excitability, activate astrocyte signaling, and control cellular respiration. Here, we describe canonical and emerging eCB signaling modes and aim to link adaptations in these signaling systems to pathological states. Adaptations in eCB signaling systems have been identified in a variety of biobehavioral and physiological process relevant to neuropsychiatric disease states including stress-related disorders, epilepsy, developmental disorders, obesity, and substance use disorders. These insights have enhanced our understanding of the pathophysiology of neurological and psychiatric disorders and are contributing to the ongoing development of eCB-targeting therapeutics. We suggest future studies aimed at illuminating how adaptations in canonical as well as emerging cellular and synaptic modes of eCB signaling contribute to disease pathophysiology or resilience could further advance these novel treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Farhana Yasmin
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Saptarnab Naskar
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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21
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Requie LM, Gómez-Gonzalo M, Speggiorin M, Managò F, Melone M, Congiu M, Chiavegato A, Lia A, Zonta M, Losi G, Henriques VJ, Pugliese A, Pacinelli G, Marsicano G, Papaleo F, Muntoni AL, Conti F, Carmignoto G. Astrocytes mediate long-lasting synaptic regulation of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1639-1650. [PMID: 36396976 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01193-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The plasticity of glutamatergic transmission in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) represents a fundamental mechanism in the modulation of dopamine neuron burst firing and phasic dopamine release at target regions. These processes encode basic behavioral responses, including locomotor activity, learning and motivated behaviors. Here we describe a hitherto unidentified mechanism of long-term synaptic plasticity in mouse VTA. We found that the burst firing in individual dopamine neurons induces a long-lasting potentiation of excitatory synapses on adjacent dopamine neurons that crucially depends on Ca2+ elevations in astrocytes, mediated by endocannabinoid CB1 and dopamine D2 receptors co-localized at the same astrocytic process, and activation of pre-synaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors. Consistent with these findings, selective in vivo activation of astrocytes increases the burst firing of dopamine neurons in the VTA and induces locomotor hyperactivity. Astrocytes play, therefore, a key role in the modulation of VTA dopamine neuron functional activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Maria Requie
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marta Gómez-Gonzalo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Michele Speggiorin
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Managò
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
| | - Marcello Melone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, and Center for Neurobiology of Aging, Ancona, Italy
| | - Mauro Congiu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Angela Chiavegato
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Annamaria Lia
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Micaela Zonta
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gabriele Losi
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy.,Nanoscienze Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Modena, Italy
| | - Vanessa Jorge Henriques
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Arianna Pugliese
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, and Center for Neurobiology of Aging, Ancona, Italy
| | - Giada Pacinelli
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy.,Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marsicano
- University of Bordeaux and Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience (CNRS), Bordeaux, France
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
| | - Anna Lisa Muntoni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Conti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, and Center for Neurobiology of Aging, Ancona, Italy
| | - Giorgio Carmignoto
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy.
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22
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Alizamini MM, Li Y, Zhang JJ, Liang J, Haghparast A. Endocannabinoids and addiction memory: Relevance to methamphetamine/morphine abuse. World J Biol Psychiatry 2022; 23:743-763. [PMID: 35137652 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2022.2039408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
AIM This review aims to summarise the role of endocannabinoid system (ECS), incluing cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous lipid ligands in the modulation of methamphetamine (METH)/morphine-induced memory impairments. METHODS Here, we utilized the results from researches which have investigated regulatory role of ECS (including cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists) on METH/morphine-induced memory impairments. RESULTS Among the neurotransmitters, glutamate and dopamine seem to play a critical role in association with the ECS to heal the drug-induced memory damages. Also, the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex are three important brain regions that participate in both drug addiction and memory task processes, and endocannabinoid neurotransmission have been investigated. CONCLUSION ECS can be regarded as a treatment for the side effects of METH and morphine, and their memory-impairing effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirmohammadali Mirramezani Alizamini
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yonghui Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Jun Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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23
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Iyer V, Rangel-Barajas C, Woodward TJ, Kulkarni A, Cantwell L, Crystal JD, Mackie K, Rebec GV, Thakur GA, Hohmann AG. Negative allosteric modulation of CB 1 cannabinoid receptor signaling suppresses opioid-mediated reward. Pharmacol Res 2022; 185:106474. [PMID: 36179954 PMCID: PMC9948526 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Blockade of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1)-receptor signaling decreases the rewarding properties of many drugs of abuse and has been proposed as an anti-addiction strategy. However, psychiatric side-effects limit the clinical potential of orthosteric CB1 antagonists. Negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) represent a novel and indirect approach to attenuate CB1 signaling by decreasing affinity and/or efficacy of CB1 ligands. We hypothesized that a CB1-NAM would block opioid reward while avoiding the unwanted effects of orthosteric CB1 antagonists. GAT358, a CB1-NAM, failed to elicit cardinal signs of direct CB1 activation or inactivation when administered by itself. GAT358 decreased catalepsy and hypothermia but not antinociception produced by the orthosteric CB1 agonist CP55,940, suggesting that a CB1-NAM blocked cardinal signs of CB1 activation. Next, GAT358 was evaluated using in vivo assays of opioid-induced dopamine release and reward in male rodents. In the nucleus accumbens shell, a key component of the mesocorticolimbic reward pathway, morphine increased electrically-evoked dopamine efflux and this effect was blocked by a dose of GAT358 that lacked intrinsic effects on evoked dopamine efflux. Moreover, GAT358 blocked morphine-induced reward in a conditioned place preference (CPP) assay without producing reward or aversion alone. GAT358-induced blockade of morphine CPP was also occluded by GAT229, a CB1 positive allosteric modulator (CB1-PAM), and absent in CB1-knockout mice. Finally, GAT358 also reduced oral oxycodone (but not water) consumption in a two-bottle choice paradigm. Our results support the therapeutic potential of CB1-NAMs as novel drug candidates aimed at preventing opioid reward and treating opioid abuse while avoiding unwanted side-effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishakh Iyer
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Taylor J. Woodward
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Abhijit Kulkarni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lucas Cantwell
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathon D. Crystal
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Ken Mackie
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - George V. Rebec
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Ganesh A. Thakur
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea G. Hohmann
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA,Corresponding Author: Andrea G. Hohmann, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7007,
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24
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Peters KZ, Naneix F. The role of dopamine and endocannabinoid systems in prefrontal cortex development: Adolescence as a critical period. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:939235. [PMID: 36389180 PMCID: PMC9663658 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.939235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex plays a central role in the control of complex cognitive processes including action control and decision making. It also shows a specific pattern of delayed maturation related to unique behavioral changes during adolescence and allows the development of adult cognitive processes. The adolescent brain is extremely plastic and critically vulnerable to external insults. Related to this vulnerability, adolescence is also associated with the emergence of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders involving alterations of prefrontal functions. Within prefrontal microcircuits, the dopamine and the endocannabinoid systems have widespread effects on adolescent-specific ontogenetic processes. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the maturation of the dopamine system and the endocannabinoid system in the prefrontal cortex during adolescence. We discuss how they interact with GABA and glutamate neurons to modulate prefrontal circuits and how they can be altered by different environmental events leading to long-term neurobiological and behavioral changes at adulthood. Finally, we aim to identify several future research directions to help highlight gaps in our current knowledge on the maturation of these microcircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Zara Peters
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
| | - Fabien Naneix
- The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Fabien Naneix
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25
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Wilson CD, Zheng F, Fantegrossi WE. Convulsant doses of abused synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists AB-PINACA, 5F-AB-PINACA, 5F-ADB-PINACA and JWH-018 do not elicit electroencephalographic (EEG) seizures in male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3237-3248. [PMID: 35933518 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06205-6] [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] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are found in illicit smoking products, such as "K2" or "Spice." Convulsions are commonly reported adverse effects of SCRAs but are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES We determined convulsant effects of SCRAs AB-PINACA, and 5F-ADB-PINACA in adult male NIH Swiss mice, and then determined if convulsant effects of AB-PINACA, 5F-AB-PINACA, 5F-ADB-PINACA, and JWH-018 elicited seizure-like effects using EEG. METHODS Mice were administered SCRAs or pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and placed in observation chambers where convulsant effects were scored. The capacity of the CB1R antagonist rimonabant, the benzodiazepine diazepam, or the non-specific CYP450 inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole (1-ABT) to attenuate convulsant effects was determined. Other mice were prepared with EEG headmounts to ascertain whether observed convulsions occurred concurrently with seizure-like effects by assessing root-mean-square (RMS) power, high amplitude EEG spike analysis, and videography. RESULTS Mice receiving AB-PINACA or 5F-ADB-PINACA exhibited dose-dependent convulsant effects that were blocked by 10 mg/kg rimonabant pretreatment but not by pretreatment with 10 mg/kg diazepam; these convulsant effects were not altered in the presence of 100 mg/kg 1-ABT. Repeated administration of 10 mg/kg AB-PINACA and 3 mg/kg 5F-ADB-PINACA produced partial tolerance to convulsant effects but did not lead to cross-tolerance to PTZ-induced convulsions. In EEG studies, convulsant doses of AB-PINACA, 5F-AB-PINACA, 5F-ADB-PINACA, and JWH-018 did not produce seizures concomitantly with convulsions. CONCLUSIONS These data extend previous findings of convulsant effects of SCRAs and suggest that convulsant effects of AB-PINACA, 5F-AB-PINACA, 5F-ADB-PINACA, and JWH-018 are CB1R-mediated but are not associated with electroencephalographic seizures. These results further suggest that benzodiazepines may not effectively treat convulsions elicited by SCRA use in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catheryn D Wilson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Fang Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - William E Fantegrossi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA.
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Vallés AS, Barrantes FJ. Interactions between the Nicotinic and Endocannabinoid Receptors at the Plasma Membrane. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:812. [PMID: 36005727 PMCID: PMC9414690 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12080812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Compartmentalization, together with transbilayer and lateral asymmetries, provide the structural foundation for functional specializations at the cell surface, including the active role of the lipid microenvironment in the modulation of membrane-bound proteins. The chemical synapse, the site where neurotransmitter-coded signals are decoded by neurotransmitter receptors, adds another layer of complexity to the plasma membrane architectural intricacy, mainly due to the need to accommodate a sizeable number of molecules in a minute subcellular compartment with dimensions barely reaching the micrometer. In this review, we discuss how nature has developed suitable adjustments to accommodate different types of membrane-bound receptors and scaffolding proteins via membrane microdomains, and how this "effort-sharing" mechanism has evolved to optimize crosstalk, separation, or coupling, where/when appropriate. We focus on a fast ligand-gated neurotransmitter receptor, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, and a second-messenger G-protein coupled receptor, the cannabinoid receptor, as a paradigmatic example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofía Vallés
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (UNS-CONICET), Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - Francisco J. Barrantes
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biomedical Research (BIOMED), UCA-CONICET, Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1600, Buenos Aires C1107AFF, Argentina
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Simmler LD, Li Y, Hadjas LC, Hiver A, van Zessen R, Lüscher C. Dual action of ketamine confines addiction liability. Nature 2022; 608:368-373. [PMID: 35896744 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04993-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ketamine is used clinically as an anaesthetic and a fast-acting antidepressant, and recreationally for its dissociative properties, raising concerns of addiction as a possible side effect. Addictive drugs such as cocaine increase the levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This facilitates synaptic plasticity in the mesolimbic system, which causes behavioural adaptations and eventually drives the transition to compulsion1-4. The addiction liability of ketamine is a matter of much debate, in part because of its complex pharmacology that among several targets includes N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR) antagonism5,6. Here we show that ketamine does not induce the synaptic plasticity that is typically observed with addictive drugs in mice, despite eliciting robust dopamine transients in the nucleus accumbens. Ketamine nevertheless supported reinforcement through the disinhibition of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This effect was mediated by NMDAR antagonism in GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) neurons of the VTA, but was quickly terminated by type-2 dopamine receptors on dopamine neurons. The rapid off-kinetics of the dopamine transients along with the NMDAR antagonism precluded the induction of synaptic plasticity in the VTA and the nucleus accumbens, and did not elicit locomotor sensitization or uncontrolled self-administration. In summary, the dual action of ketamine leads to a unique constellation of dopamine-driven positive reinforcement, but low addiction liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda D Simmler
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lotfi C Hadjas
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Agnès Hiver
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ruud van Zessen
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christian Lüscher
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. .,Service de Neurologie, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Therapeutic potential of PIMSR, a novel CB1 receptor neutral antagonist, for cocaine use disorder: evidence from preclinical research. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:286. [PMID: 35851573 PMCID: PMC9293959 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02059-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) have been major targets in medication development for the treatment of substance use disorders. However, clinical trials with rimonabant, a CB1R antagonist/inverse agonist, failed due to severe side effects. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of PIMSR, a neutral CB1R antagonist lacking an inverse agonist profile, against cocaine's behavioral effects in experimental animals. We found that systemic administration of PIMSR dose-dependently inhibited cocaine self-administration under fixed-ratio (FR5), but not FR1, reinforcement, shifted the cocaine self-administration dose-response curve downward, decreased incentive motivation to seek cocaine under progressive-ratio reinforcement, and reduced cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. PIMSR also inhibited oral sucrose self-administration. Importantly, PIMSR alone is neither rewarding nor aversive as assessed by place conditioning. We then used intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) to explore the possible involvement of the mesolimbic dopamine system in PIMSR's action. We found that PIMSR dose-dependently attenuated cocaine-enhanced ICSS maintained by electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle in rats. PIMSR itself failed to alter electrical ICSS, but dose-dependently inhibited ICSS maintained by optical stimulation of midbrain dopamine neurons in transgenic DAT-Cre mice, suggesting the involvement of dopamine-dependent mechanisms. Lastly, we examined the CB1R mechanisms underlying PIMSR's action. We found that PIMSR pretreatment attenuated Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC)- or ACEA (a selective CB1R agonist)-induced reduction in optical ICSS. Together, our findings suggest that the neutral CB1R antagonist PIMSR deserves further research as a promising pharmacotherapeutic for cocaine use disorder.
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Metz VG, da Rosa JLO, Rossato DR, Burger ME, Pase CS. Cannabidiol treatment prevents drug reinstatement and the molecular alterations evoked by amphetamine on receptors and enzymes from dopaminergic and endocannabinoid systems in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 218:173427. [PMID: 35810923 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173427] [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] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In psychostimulant drug addiction, relapse is the most concerning outcome to be managed, considering there is no approved treatment for this neuropsychiatric condition. Here, we investigated the effects of the CBD treatment on the relapse behavior triggered by stress, after being submitted to the amphetamine (AMPH)-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats. To elucidate the mechanisms of action underlying the CBD treatment, we evaluated the neuroadaptations on dopaminergic and endocannabinoid targets in the ventral striatum (VS) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the brain. Animals received d,l-AMPH (4 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle in the CPP paradigm for 8 days. Following the first CPP test, animals were treated with CBD (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or its vehicle for 5 days and subsequently submitted to forced swim stress protocol to induce AMPH-CPP relapse. Behavioral findings showed that CBD treatment prevented AMPH-reinstatement, also exerting anxiolytic activity. At the molecular level, in the VTA, CBD restored the CB1R levels decreased by AMPH-exposure, increased NAPE-PLD, and decreased FAAH levels. In the VS, the increase of D1R and D2R, as well as the decrease of DAT levels induced by AMPH were restored by CBD treatment. The current outcomes evidence a substantial preventive action of the CBD on the AMPH-reinstatement evoked by stress, also involving neuroadaptations in both dopaminergic and endocannabinoid systems in brain areas closely involved in the addiction. Although further studies are needed, these findings support the therapeutic potential of CBD in AMPH-relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícia Garzella Metz
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Camila Simonetti Pase
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Pampa, Campus Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil.
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Fernández-Espejo E, Núñez-Domínguez L. Endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity and substance use disorders. Neurologia 2022; 37:459-465. [PMID: 30857785 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Drugs impact brain reward circuits, causing dependence and addiction, in a condition currently described as substance use disorders. Mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in these circuits are crucial in the development of addictive behaviour, and endocannabinoids, particularly anandamide and 2-arachidonyl-glycerol, participate in normal neuroplasticity. Substance use disorders are known to be associated with disruption of endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity, among other phenomena. Endocannabinoids mediate neuroplasticity in the short and the long term. In the short term, we may stress «inhibitory» phenomena, such as depolarisation-induced suppression of inhibition and depolarisation-induced suppression of excitation, and such «disinhibitory» phenomena as long-lasting disinhibition of neuronal activity, particularly in the striatum, and suppression of hippocampal GABA release. Drugs of abuse can also disrupt normal endocannabinoid-mediated long-term potentiation and long-term depression. Endocannabinoids are also involved in the development of drug-induced hypofrontality and sensitisation. In summary, substance abuse causes a disruption in the synaptic plasticity of the brain circuits involved in addiction, with the alteration of normal endocannabinoid activity playing a prominent role. This facilitates abnormal changes in the brain and the development of the addictive behaviours that characterise substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Fernández-Espejo
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, España.
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Endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity and substance use disorders. NEUROLOGÍA (ENGLISH EDITION) 2022; 37:459-465. [PMID: 34538595 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2018.12.024] [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: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Drugs impact brain reward circuits, causing dependence and addiction, in a condition currently described as substance use disorders. Mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in these circuits are crucial in the development of addictive behaviour, and endocannabinoids, particularly anandamide and 2-arachidonyl-glycerol, participate in normal neuroplasticity. Substance use disorders are known to be associated with disruption of endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity, among other phenomena. Endocannabinoids mediate neuroplasticity in the short and the long term. In the short term, we may stress "inhibitory" phenomena, such as depolarisation-induced suppression of inhibition and depolarisation-induced suppression of excitation, and such "disinhibitory" phenomena as long-lasting disinhibition of neuronal activity, particularly in the striatum, and suppression of hippocampal GABA release. Drugs of abuse can also disrupt normal endocannabinoid-mediated long-term potentiation and long-term depression. Endocannabinoids are also involved in the development of drug-induced hypofrontality and sensitisation. In summary, substance abuse causes a disruption in the synaptic plasticity of the brain circuits involved in addiction, with the alteration of normal endocannabinoid activity playing a prominent role. This facilitates abnormal changes in the brain and the development of the addictive behaviours that characterise substance use disorders.
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32
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Gunasekera B, Diederen K, Bhattacharyya S. Cannabinoids, reward processing, and psychosis. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:1157-1177. [PMID: 33644820 PMCID: PMC9110536 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05801-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that an overlap exists between the neurobiology of psychotic disorders and the effects of cannabinoids on neurocognitive and neurochemical substrates involved in reward processing. AIMS We investigate whether the psychotomimetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the antipsychotic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) are underpinned by their effects on the reward system and dopamine. METHODS This narrative review focuses on the overlap between altered dopamine signalling and reward processing induced by cannabinoids, pre-clinically and in humans. A systematic search was conducted of acute cannabinoid drug-challenge studies using neuroimaging in healthy subjects and those with psychosis RESULTS: There is evidence of increased striatal presynaptic dopamine synthesis and release in psychosis, as well as abnormal engagement of the striatum during reward processing. Although, acute THC challenges have elicited a modest effect on striatal dopamine, cannabis users generally indicate impaired presynaptic dopaminergic function. Functional MRI studies have identified that a single dose of THC may modulate regions involved in reward and salience processing such as the striatum, midbrain, insular, and anterior cingulate, with some effects correlating with the severity of THC-induced psychotic symptoms. CBD may modulate brain regions involved in reward/salience processing in an opposite direction to that of THC. CONCLUSIONS There is evidence to suggest modulation of reward processing and its neural substrates by THC and CBD. Whether such effects underlie the psychotomimetic/antipsychotic effects of these cannabinoids remains unclear. Future research should address these unanswered questions to understand the relationship between endocannabinoid dysfunction, reward processing abnormalities, and psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Gunasekera
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, Box P067, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Kelly Diederen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, Box P067, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, Box P067, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
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Stark T, Iannotti FA, Di Martino S, Di Bartolomeo M, Ruda-Kucerova J, Piscitelli F, Wotjak CT, D’Addario C, Drago F, Di Marzo V, Micale V. Early Blockade of CB1 Receptors Ameliorates Schizophrenia-like Alterations in the Neurodevelopmental MAM Model of Schizophrenia. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12010108. [PMID: 35053256 PMCID: PMC8773886 DOI: 10.3390/biom12010108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In agreement with the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, prenatal exposure of Sprague-Dawley rats to the antimitotic agent methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) at gestational day 17 produces long-lasting behavioral alterations such as social withdrawal and cognitive impairment in adulthood, mimicking a schizophrenia-like phenotype. These abnormalities were preceded at neonatal age both by the delayed appearance of neonatal reflexes, an index of impaired brain maturation, and by higher 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) brain levels. Schizophrenia-like deficits were reversed by early treatment [from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND 8] with the CB1 antagonist/inverse agonist AM251 (0.5 mg/kg/day). By contrast, early CB1 blockade affected the behavioral performance of control rats which was paralleled by enhanced 2-AG content in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). These results suggest that prenatal MAM insult leads to premorbid anomalies at neonatal age via altered tone of the endocannabinoid system, which may be considered as an early marker preceding the development of schizophrenia-like alterations in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibor Stark
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; (T.S.); (J.R.-K.)
- Scientific Core Unit Neuroimaging, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Fabio Arturo Iannotti
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (F.A.I.); (F.P.); (V.D.M.)
| | - Serena Di Martino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.D.M.); (F.D.)
| | - Martina Di Bartolomeo
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (M.D.B.); (C.D.)
| | - Jana Ruda-Kucerova
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; (T.S.); (J.R.-K.)
| | - Fabiana Piscitelli
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (F.A.I.); (F.P.); (V.D.M.)
| | - Carsten T. Wotjak
- Central Nervous System Diseases Research (CNSDR), Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany;
| | - Claudio D’Addario
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (M.D.B.); (C.D.)
| | - Filippo Drago
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.D.M.); (F.D.)
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (F.A.I.); (F.P.); (V.D.M.)
- Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Centre de Recherche de l’Institut de Cardiologie et Pneumologie de l’Université et Institut sur la Nutrition et les Aliments Fonctionnels, Centre NUTRISS, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Vincenzo Micale
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.D.M.); (F.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-095-4781199
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Abstract
The endocannabinoids are lipid-derived messengers that play a diversity of regulatory roles in mammalian physiology. Dysfunctions in their activity have been implicated in various disease conditions, attracting attention to the endocannabinoid system as a possible source of therapeutic drugs. This signaling complex has three components: the endogenous ligands, anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycerol (2-AG); a set of enzymes and transporters that generate, eliminate, or modify such ligands; and selective cell surface receptors that mediate their biological actions. We provide an overview of endocannabinoid formation, deactivation, and biotransformation and outline the properties and therapeutic potential of pharmacological agents that interfere with those processes. We describe small-molecule inhibitors that target endocannabinoid-producing enzymes, carrier proteins that transport the endocannabinoids into cells, and intracellular endocannabinoid-metabolizing enzymes. We briefly discuss selected agents that simultaneously interfere with components of the endocannabinoid system and with other functionally related signaling pathways. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Volume 62 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Piomelli
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA; .,Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Alex Mabou Tagne
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA;
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Rodríguez-Manzo G, González-Morales E, Garduño-Gutiérrez R. Endocannabinoids Released in the Ventral Tegmental Area During Copulation to Satiety Modulate Changes in Glutamate Receptors Associated With Synaptic Plasticity Processes. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:701290. [PMID: 34483875 PMCID: PMC8416467 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.701290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocannabinoids modulate mesolimbic (MSL) dopamine (DA) neurons firing at the ventral tegmental area (VTA). These neurons are activated by copulation, increasing DA release in nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Copulation to satiety in male rats implies repeated ejaculation within a short period (around 2.5 h), during which NAcc dopamine concentrations remain elevated, suggesting continuous neuronal activation. During the 72 h that follow copulation to satiety, males exhibit long-lasting changes suggestive of brain plasticity processes. Enhanced DA neuron activity triggers the synthesis and release of endocannabinoids (eCBs) in the VTA, which participate in several long-term synaptic plasticity processes. Blockade of cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1Rs) during copulation to satiety interferes with the appearance of the plastic changes. Glutamatergic inputs to the VTA express CB1Rs and contribute to DA neuron burst firing and synaptic plasticity. We hypothesized that eCBs, released during copulation to satiety, would activate VTA CB1Rs and modulate synaptic plasticity processes involving glutamatergic transmission. To test this hypothesis, we determined changes in VTA CB1R density, phosphorylation, and internalization in rats that copulated to satiety 24 h earlier as compared both to animals that ejaculated only once and to sexually experienced unmated males. Changes in glutamate AMPAR and NMDAR densities and subunit composition and in ERK1/2 activation were determined in the VTA of males that copulated to satiety in the presence or absence of AM251, a CB1R antagonist. The CB1R density decreased and the proportion of phosphorylated CB1Rs increased in the animals that copulated compared to control rats. The CB1R internalization was detected only in sexually satiated males. A decrease in α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate receptor (AMPAR) density, blocked by AM251 pretreatment, and an increase in the proportion of GluA2-AMPARs occurred in sexually satiated rats. GluN2A- N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) expression decreased, and GluN2B-NMDARs increased in these animals, both of which were prevented by AM251 pre-treatment. An increase in phosphorylated ERK1/2 emerged in males copulating to satiety in the presence of AM251. Results demonstrate that during copulation to satiety, eCBs activate CB1Rs in the VTA, producing changes in glutamate receptors compatible with a reduced neuronal activation. These changes could play a role in the induction of the long-lasting physiological changes that characterize sexually satiated rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Rodríguez-Manzo
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav-Sede Sur), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Estefanía González-Morales
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav-Sede Sur), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - René Garduño-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav-Sede Sur), Ciudad de México, Mexico
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36
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Balezina OP, Tarasova EO, Gaydukov AE. Noncanonical Activity of Endocannabinoids and Their Receptors in Central and Peripheral Synapses. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:818-832. [PMID: 34284706 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921070038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on new aspects of endocannabinoid functions and mechanisms of activity in central and peripheral synapses, different from the general viewpoint that endocannabinoids are retrograde signaling molecules, which inhibit neurotransmitter release by activating specific presynaptic endocannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Biased agonism of the endogenous and synthetic cannabinoids as well as ability of the CB-receptors to couple not only with classical Gi-proteins, but also with Gs- and Gq-proteins and, moreover, with β-arrestins (thereby triggering additional signaling pathways in synapses) are described here in detail. Examples of noncanonical tonic activity of endocannabinoids and their receptors and their role in synaptic function are also presented. The role of endocannabinoids in short-term and long-term potentiation of neurotransmitter release in central synapses and their facilitating effect on quantal size and other parameters of acetylcholine release in mammalian neuromuscular junctions are highlighted in this review. In conclusion, it is stated that the endocannabinoid system has a wider range of various multidirectional modulating effects (both potentiating and inhibiting) on neurotransmitter release than initially recognized. Re-evaluation of the functions of endocannabinoid system with consideration of its noncanonical features will lead to better understanding of its role in the normal and pathological functioning of the nervous system and other systems of the body, which has an enormous practical value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga P Balezina
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
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37
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Winters BL, Vaughan CW. Mechanisms of endocannabinoid control of synaptic plasticity. Neuropharmacology 2021; 197:108736. [PMID: 34343612 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The endogenous cannabinoid transmitter system regulates synaptic transmission throughout the nervous system. Unlike conventional transmitters, specific stimuli induce synthesis of endocannabinoids (eCBs) in the postsynaptic neuron, and these travel backwards to modulate presynaptic inputs. In doing so, eCBs can induce short-term changes in synaptic strength and longer-term plasticity. While this eCB regulation is near ubiquitous, it displays major regional and synapse specific variations with different synapse specific forms of short-versus long-term plasticity throughout the brain. These differences are due to the plethora of pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms which have been implicated in eCB signalling, the intricacies of which are only just being realised. In this review, we shall describe the current understanding and highlight new advances in this area, with a focus on the retrograde action of eCBs at CB1 receptors (CB1Rs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony Laura Winters
- Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW, Australia.
| | - Christopher Walter Vaughan
- Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW, Australia
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38
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Marszalek-Grabska M, Smaga I, Surowka P, Grochecki P, Slowik T, Filip M, Kotlinska JH. Memantine Prevents the WIN 55,212-2 Evoked Cross-Priming of Ethanol-Induced Conditioned Place Preference (CPP). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22157940. [PMID: 34360704 PMCID: PMC8348856 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation of the endocannabinoid system controls the release of many neurotransmitters involved in the brain reward pathways, including glutamate. Both endocannabinoid and glutamate systems are crucial for alcohol relapse. In the present study, we hypothesize that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors regulate the ability of a priming dose of WIN 55,212-2 to cross-reinstate ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). To test this hypothesis, ethanol-induced (1.0 g/kg, 10% w/v, i.p.) CPP (unbiased method) was established using male adult Wistar rats. After CPP extinction, one group of animals received WIN 55,212-2 (1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg, i.p.), the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) agonist, or ethanol, and the other group received memantine (3.0 or 10 mg/kg, i.p.), the NMDA antagonist and WIN 55,212-2 on the reinstatement day. Our results showed that a priming injection of WIN 55,212-2 (2.0 mg/kg, i.p.) reinstated (cross-reinstated) ethanol-induced CPP with similar efficacy to ethanol. Memantine (3.0 or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) pretreatment blocked this WIN 55,212-2 effect. Furthermore, our experiments indicated that ethanol withdrawal (7 days withdrawal after 10 days ethanol administration) down-regulated the CNR1 (encoding CB1), GRIN1/2A (encoding GluN1 and GluN2A subunit of the NMDA receptor) genes expression in the prefrontal cortex and dorsal striatum, but up-regulated these in the hippocampus, confirming the involvement of these receptors in ethanol rewarding effects. Thus, our results show that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the motivational properties of ethanol, and glutamate may control cannabinoid induced relapse into ethanol seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Marszalek-Grabska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Irena Smaga
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Kraków, Poland; (I.S.); (M.F.)
| | - Paulina Surowka
- Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Pawel Grochecki
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Tymoteusz Slowik
- Experimental Medicine Center, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Malgorzata Filip
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Kraków, Poland; (I.S.); (M.F.)
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
- Correspondence:
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Ebrahimi-Ghiri M, Khakpai F, Zarrindast MR. URB597 abrogates anxiogenic and depressive behaviors in the methamphetamine-withdrawal mice: Role of the cannabinoid receptor type 1, cannabinoid receptor type 2, and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 channels. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:875-884. [PMID: 33155516 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120965934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant that possesses toxicity in the brain when taken repeatedly or at higher doses. Methamphetamine neurotoxicity is associated with numerous forms of mental impairment, including depression and anxiety. Evidence has also demonstrated that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the regulation of anxiety and depression. AIMS This study was designed to determine the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in methamphetamine-withdrawal male NMRI mice. METHODS The elevated plus maze and forced swim test were used to assess the level of anxiety and depression. RESULTS We found that methamphetamine (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) evoked depressive- and anxiogenic-like effects at 3 days post-administration. Injection of URB597 (5-10 ng/mouse, intracerebroventricular), 10 min before the test, prevented the emotional deficits induced by methamphetamine withdrawal. Moreover, the cannabinoid receptor type 1 antagonist AM251 (1 μg/mouse) or cannabinoid receptor type 2 antagonist AM630 (5 and 10 μg/mouse) suppressed the antidepressant activity in the methamphetamine-withdrawal mice treated with URB597. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 antagonist capsazepine (25 μg/mouse) prevented while capsazepine (100 μg/mouse) potentiated the antidepressant efficacy in the methamphetamine-withdrawal mice treated with URB597. The higher dose of AM630 and two higher doses of capsazepine had antidepressant efficacy, by themselves. Furthermore, capsazepine (50 μg/mouse) increased locomotion in the methamphetamine-withdrawal mice treated with URB597. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that URB597 has a potential for preventing methamphetamine withdrawal-evoked anxiety and depression. Cannabinoid type 1 receptors, cannabinoid type 2 receptors and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 differently affect depression-related behaviors in methamphetamine-withdrawal mice treated with URB597.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fatemeh Khakpai
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast
- Department of Pharmacology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Neuroendocrinology, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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40
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Borgan F, Veronese M, Reis Marques T, Lythgoe DJ, Howes O. Association between cannabinoid 1 receptor availability and glutamate levels in healthy controls and drug-free patients with first episode psychosis: a multi-modal PET and 1H-MRS study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 271:677-687. [PMID: 32986150 PMCID: PMC8119269 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-020-01191-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoid 1 receptor and glutamatergic dysfunction have both been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear if cannabinoid 1 receptor alterations shown in drug-naïve/free patients with first episode psychosis may be linked to glutamatergic alterations in the illness. We aimed to investigate glutamate levels and cannabinoid 1 receptor levels in the same region in patients with first episode psychosis. Forty volunteers (20 healthy volunteers, 20 drug-naïve/free patients with first episode psychosis diagnosed with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder) were included in the study. Glutamate levels were measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. CB1R availability was indexed using the distribution volume (VT (ml/cm3)) of [11C]MePPEP using arterial blood sampling. There were no significant associations between ACC CB1R levels and ACC glutamate levels in controls (R = - 0.24, p = 0.32) or patients (R = - 0.10, p = 0.25). However, ACC glutamate levels were negatively associated with CB1R availability in the striatum (R = - 0.50, p = 0.02) and hippocampus (R = - 0.50, p = 0.042) in controls, but these associations were not observed in patients (p > 0.05). Our findings extend our previous work in an overlapping sample to show, for the first time as far as we're aware, that cannabinoid 1 receptor alterations in the anterior cingulate cortex are shown in the absence of glutamatergic dysfunction in the same region, and indicate potential interactions between glutamatergic signalling in the anterior cingulate cortex and the endocannabinoid system in the striatum and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith Borgan
- Psychosis Studies Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Mattia Veronese
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England
| | - Tiago Reis Marques
- Psychosis Studies Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - David J Lythgoe
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England
| | - Oliver Howes
- Psychosis Studies Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, UK
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41
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Hoffman AF, Hwang EK, Lupica CR. Impairment of Synaptic Plasticity by Cannabis, Δ 9-THC, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:cshperspect.a039743. [PMID: 32341064 PMCID: PMC8091957 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The ability of neurons to dynamically and flexibly encode synaptic inputs via short- and long-term plasticity is critical to an organism's ability to learn and adapt to the environment. Whereas synaptic plasticity may be encoded by pre- or postsynaptic mechanisms, current evidence suggests that optimization of learning requires both forms of plasticity. Endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs) play critical roles in modulating synaptic transmission via activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) in many central nervous system (CNS) regions, and the eCB system has been implicated, either directly or indirectly, in several forms of synaptic plasticity. Because of this, perturbations within the eCB signaling system can lead to impairments in a variety of learned behaviors. One agent of altered eCB signaling is exposure to "exogenous cannabinoids" such as the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, Δ9-THC, or illicit synthetic cannabinoids that in many cases have higher potency and efficacy than Δ9-THC. Thus, by targeting the eCB system, these agonists can produce widespread impairment of synaptic plasticity by disrupting ongoing eCB function. Here, we review studies in which Δ9-THC and synthetic cannabinoids impair synaptic plasticity in a variety of neuronal circuits and examine evidence that this contributes to their well-documented ability to disrupt cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Eun-Kyung Hwang
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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42
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Zhang H, Lipinski AA, Liktor-Busa E, Smith AF, Moutal A, Khanna R, Langlais PR, Largent-Milnes TM, Vanderah TW. The Effects of Repeated Morphine Treatment on the Endogenous Cannabinoid System in the Ventral Tegmental Area. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:632757. [PMID: 33953672 PMCID: PMC8090348 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.632757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic utility of opioids is diminished by their ability to induce rewarding behaviors that may lead to opioid use disorder. Recently, the endogenous cannabinoid system has emerged as a hot topic in the study of opioid reward but relatively little is known about how repeated opioid exposure may affect the endogenous cannabinoid system in the mesolimbic reward circuitry. In the present study, we investigated how sustained morphine may modulate the endogenous cannabinoid system in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of Sprague Dawley rats, a critical region in the mesolimbic reward circuitry. Studies here using proteomic analysis and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) found that the VTA expresses 32 different proteins or genes related to the endogenous cannabinoid system; three of these proteins or genes (PLCγ2, ABHD6, and CB2R) were significantly affected after repeated morphine exposure (CB2R was only detected by qRT-PCR but not proteomics). We also identified that repeated morphine treatment does not alter either anandamide (AEA) or 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) levels in the VTA compared to saline treatment; however, there may be diminished levels of anandamide (AEA) production in the VTA 4 h after a single morphine injection in both chronic saline and morphine pretreated cohorts. Treating the animals with an inhibitor of 2-AG degradation significantly decreased repeated opioid rewarding behavior. Taken together, our studies reveal a potential influence of sustained opioids on the endocannabinoid system in the VTA, suggesting that the endogenous cannabinoid system may participate in the opioid-induced reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Austin A. Lipinski
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Erika Liktor-Busa
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Angela F. Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Aubin Moutal
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Rajesh Khanna
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Paul R. Langlais
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Tally M. Largent-Milnes
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Todd W. Vanderah
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
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43
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Moustafa B, Testai FD. Cerebrovascular Complications Associated with Marijuana Use. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2021; 21:25. [PMID: 33825077 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-021-01113-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In the last few years, the attitude toward marijuana in many parts of the world has shifted from illicit to legalized for medical use and to decriminalized. In parallel, there has been a gradual increase in the consumption of this product in the general population, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Marijuana is generally perceived as a harmless drug. However, data obtained in observational studies and preclinical models have established associations between cannabis use and cardiovascular events. In addition, there is emerging evidence linking marijuana use to cerebrovascular complications. Here we provide a critical review of the literature with special emphasis on the association of cannabinoids with stroke and the possible pathogenic mechanisms involved. RECENT FINDINGS Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke have been described in association with cannabis use, particularly in young individuals. Cerebral infarction remains the most commonly reported stroke subtype seen in marijuana users. Several pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association, including multifocal intracranial stenosis, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, and coexisting vascular risk factors. Cannabis use is increasingly recognized in young individuals presenting with acute stroke. Our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms associated with cannabis use and stroke is limited but rapidly evolving. Healthcare providers should educate patients about the potential cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications related to marijuana or cannabinoids use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bayan Moustafa
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, 912 S Wood St, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Fernando D Testai
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, 912 S Wood St, Chicago, IL, USA
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44
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Drug-Evoked Synaptic Plasticity of Excitatory Transmission in the Ventral Tegmental Area. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:cshperspect.a039701. [PMID: 32341062 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine leads to a strong euphoria, which is at the origin of its recreational use. Past the acute effects, the drug leaves traces in the brain that persist long after it has been cleared from the body. These traces eventually shape behavior such that drug use may become compulsive, and addiction develops. Here, we discuss cocaine-evoked synaptic plasticity of glutamatergic transmission onto dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as one of the earliest traces after a first injection of cocaine. We review the literature that has examined the induction requirements, as well as the expression mechanism of this form of plasticity, and ask the question about its functional significance.
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45
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Sallam NA, Borgland SL. Insulin and endocannabinoids in the mesolimbic system. J Neuroendocrinol 2021; 33:e12965. [PMID: 33856071 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Easy access to palatable food and an abundance of food-related cues exacerbate non-homeostatic feeding. The metabolic and economical sequelae of non-homeostatic feeding outweigh those of homeostatic feeding and contribute significantly to the global obesity pandemic. The mesolimbic dopamine system is the primary central circuit that governs the motivation to consume food. Insulin and endocannabinoids (eCBs) are two major, presumably opposing, players in regulating homeostatic and non-homeostatic feeding centrally and peripherally. Insulin is generally regarded as a postprandial satiety signal, whereas eCBs mainly function as pre-prandial orexinergic signals. In this review, we discuss the effects of insulin and eCB-mediated actions within the mesolimbic pathways. We propose that insulin and eCBs have regional- and time course-dependent roles. We discuss their mechanisms of actions in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens, as well as how their mechanisms converge to finely tune dopaminergic activity and food intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada A Sallam
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Stephanie L Borgland
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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46
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Mielnik CA, Lam VM, Ross RA. CB 1 allosteric modulators and their therapeutic potential in CNS disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110163. [PMID: 33152384 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
CB1 is the most abundant GPCR found in the mammalian brain. It has garnered considerable attention as a potential therapeutic drug target. CB1 is involved in a wide range of physiological and psychiatric processes and has the potential to be targeted in a wide range of disease states. However, most of the selective and non-selective synthetic CB1 agonists and antagonists/inverse agonists developed to date are primarily used as research tools. No novel synthetic cannabinoids are currently in the clinic for use in psychiatric illness; synthetic analogues of the phytocannabinoid THC are on the market to treat nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy, along with off-label use for pain. Novel strategies are being explored to target CB1, but with emphasis on the elimination or mitigation of the potential psychiatric adverse effects that are observed by central agonism/antagonism of CB1. New pharmacological options are being pursued that may avoid these adverse effects while preserving the potential therapeutic benefits of CB1 modulation. Allosteric modulation of CB1 is one such approach. In this review, we will summarize and critically analyze both the in vitro characterization and in vivo validation of CB1 allosteric modulators developed to date, with a focus on CNS therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine A Mielnik
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Vincent M Lam
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ruth A Ross
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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47
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Bielawski T, Albrechet-Souza L, Frydecka D. Endocannabinoid system in trauma and psychosis: distant guardian of mental stability. Rev Neurosci 2021; 32:707-722. [PMID: 33656307 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Central endocannabinoid system (eCBS) is a neuromodulatory system that inhibits potentially harmful, excessive synaptic activation. Endocannabinoid receptors are abundant among brain structures pivotal in different mental disorders development (for example, hippocampus, amygdala, medial-prefrontal cortex, hypothalamus). Here, we review eCBS function in etiology of psychosis, emphasizing its role in dealing with environmental pressures such as traumatic life events. Moreover, we explore eCBS as a guard against hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis over-activation, and discuss its possible role in etiology of different psychopathologies. Additionally, we review eCBS function in creating adaptive behavioral patterns, as we explore its involvement in the memory formation process, extinction learning and emotional response. We discuss eCBS in the context of possible biomarkers of trauma, and in preclinical psychiatric conditions, such as at-risk mental states and clinical high risk states for psychosis. Finally, we describe the role of eCBS in the cannabinoid self-medication-theory and extinction learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Bielawski
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 10 Pasteur Street, 50-367Wroclaw, Poland.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA
| | - Lucas Albrechet-Souza
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA.,Alcohol & Drug Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA
| | - Dorota Frydecka
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 10 Pasteur Street, 50-367Wroclaw, Poland
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48
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Tunisi L, D'Angelo L, Fernández-Rilo AC, Forte N, Piscitelli F, Imperatore R, de Girolamo P, Di Marzo V, Cristino L. Orexin-A/Hypocretin-1 Controls the VTA-NAc Mesolimbic Pathway via Endocannabinoid-Mediated Disinhibition of Dopaminergic Neurons in Obese Mice. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:622405. [PMID: 33613258 PMCID: PMC7890184 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.622405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Disinhibition of orexin-A/hypocretin-1 (OX-A) release occurs to several output areas of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) in the brain of leptin knockout obese ob/ob mice. In this study, we have investigated whether a similar increase of OX-A release occurs to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), an orexinergic LH output area with functional effects on dopaminergic signaling at the mesolimbic circuit. By confocal and correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) morphological studies coupled to molecular, biochemical, and pharmacological approaches, we investigated OX-A-mediated dopaminergic signaling at the LH-VTA-nucleus accumbens (NAc) pathway in obese ob/ob mice compared to wild-type (wt) lean littermates. We found an elevation of OX-A trafficking and release to the VTA of ob/ob mice and consequent orexin receptor-1 (OX1R)-mediated over-activation of dopaminergic (DA) neurons via phospholipase C (PLC)/diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL-α)-induced biosynthesis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). In fact, by retrograde signaling to cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) at inhibitory inputs to DA neurons, 2-AG inhibited GABA release thus inducing an increase in DA concentration in the VTA and NAc of ob/ob mice. This effect was prevented by the OX1R antagonist SB-334867 (30 mg/Kg, i.p.), or the CB1R antagonist AM251 (10 mg/Kg, i.p.) and mimicked by OX-A injection (40 μg/Kg, i.p.) in wt lean mice. Enhanced DA signaling to the NAc in ob/ob mice, or in OX-A-injected wt mice, was accompanied by β-arrestin2-mediated desensitization of dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) in a manner prevented by SB-334867 or the D2R antagonist L741 (1.5 mg/Kg, i.p.). These results further support the role of OX-A signaling in the control of neuroadaptive responses, such as compulsive reward-seeking behavior or binge-like consumption of high palatable food, and suggest that aberrant OX-A trafficking to the DA neurons in the VTA of ob/ob mice influences the D2R response at NAc, a main target area of the mesolimbic pathway, via 2-AG/CB1-mediated retrograde signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Tunisi
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Livia D'Angelo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Alba Clara Fernández-Rilo
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Nicola Forte
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy.,Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Fabiana Piscitelli
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Roberta Imperatore
- Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy
| | - Paolo de Girolamo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy.,Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Heart and Lung Research Institute of Université Laval, and Institute for Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Luigia Cristino
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy
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49
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Escartín Pérez RE, Mancilla Díaz JM, Cortés Salazar F, López Alonso VE, Florán Garduño B. CB1/5-HT/GABA interactions and food intake regulation. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2021; 259:177-196. [PMID: 33541676 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite historically the serotonergic, GABAergic, and cannabinoid systems have been shown to play a crucial role in the central regulation of eating behavior, interest in the study of the interactions of these neurotransmission systems has only now been investigated. Current evidence suggests that serotonin may influence normal and pathological eating behavior in significantly more complex ways than was initially thought. This knowledge has opened the possibility of exploring the potential clinical utility of new therapeutic strategies more effective and safer than the current approaches to treat pathological eating behavior. Furthermore, the nature and complexity of the interactions between these neurotransmitter systems have provided a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms not only of eating behavior and eating disorders but also of some of the comorbidities associated with modulation of cortical circuits, which are involved in high order cognitive processes. Accordingly, in the present chapter, the clinical and experimental findings of the interactions between serotonin, GABA, and cannabinoids are synthesized, emphasizing the pharmacological, neurophysiological, and neuroanatomical aspects that could potentially improve the current therapeutic approaches against pathological eating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Erick Escartín Pérez
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, División de Investigación y Posgrado, Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Alimentación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México.
| | - Juan Manuel Mancilla Díaz
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, División de Investigación y Posgrado, Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Alimentación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México
| | - Felipe Cortés Salazar
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, División de Investigación y Posgrado, Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Alimentación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México
| | - Verónica Elsa López Alonso
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, División de Investigación y Posgrado, Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Alimentación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México
| | - Benjamín Florán Garduño
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, División de Investigación y Posgrado, Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Alimentación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México
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50
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Sagheddu C, Torres LH, Marcourakis T, Pistis M. Endocannabinoid-Like Lipid Neuromodulators in the Regulation of Dopamine Signaling: Relevance for Drug Addiction. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 12:588660. [PMID: 33424577 PMCID: PMC7786397 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.588660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The family of lipid neuromodulators has been rapidly growing, as the use of different -omics techniques led to the discovery of a large number of naturally occurring N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) and N-acyl amino acids belonging to the complex lipid signaling system termed endocannabinoidome. These molecules exert a variety of biological activities in the central nervous system, as they modulate physiological processes in neurons and glial cells and are involved in the pathophysiology of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Their effects on dopamine cells have attracted attention, as dysfunctions of dopamine systems characterize a range of psychiatric disorders, i.e., schizophrenia and substance use disorders (SUD). While canonical endocannabinoids are known to regulate excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs impinging on dopamine cells and modulate several dopamine-mediated behaviors, such as reward and addiction, the effects of other lipid neuromodulators are far less clear. Here, we review the emerging role of endocannabinoid-like neuromodulators in dopamine signaling, with a focus on non-cannabinoid N-acylethanolamines and their receptors. Mounting evidence suggests that these neuromodulators contribute to modulate synaptic transmission in dopamine regions and might represent a target for novel medications in alcohol and nicotine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Sagheddu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Larissa Helena Torres
- Department of Food and Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Pistis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Section of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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