1
|
Pearl-Dowler L, Posa L, Lopez-Canul M, Teggin A, Gobbi G. Anti-allodynic and medullary modulatory effects of a single dose of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in neuropathic rats tolerant to morphine. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 127:110805. [PMID: 37257771 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) is often treated with opioids, the prolonged use of which causes tolerance to their analgesic effect and can potentially cause death by overdose. The phytocannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may be an effective alternative analgesic to treat NP in morphine-tolerant subjects. Male Wistar rats developed NP after spared nerve injury, and were then treated with increasing doses of THC (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), which reduced mechanical allodynia at the dose of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg. Another group of NP rats were treated with morphine (5 mg/kg, twice daily for 7 days, subcutaneously), until tolerance developed, and on day 8 received a single dose of THC (2.5 mg/kg), which significantly reduced mechanical allodynia. To evaluate the modulation of THC in the descending pain pathway, in vivo electrophysiological recordings of pronociceptive ON cells and antinociceptive OFF cells in the rostroventral medulla (RVM) were recorded after intra-PAG microinjection of THC (10 μg/μl). NP rats with morphine tolerance, compared to the control one, showed a tonic reduction of the spontaneous firing rate of ON cells by 44%, but the THC was able to further decrease it (a hallmark of many analgesic drugs acting at supraspinal level). On the other hand, the firing rate, of the antinociceptive OFF cells was increased after morphine tolerance by 133%, but the THC failed to further activate it. Altogether, these findings indicate that a single dose of THC produces antiallodynic effect in individuals with NP who are tolerant to morphine, acting mostly on the ON cells of the descending pain pathways, but not on OFF cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leora Pearl-Dowler
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Luca Posa
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Martha Lopez-Canul
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandra Teggin
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gabriella Gobbi
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Piscura MK, Henderson-Redmond AN, Barnes RC, Mitra S, Guindon J, Morgan DJ. Mechanisms of cannabinoid tolerance. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 214:115665. [PMID: 37348821 PMCID: PMC10528043 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis has been used recreationally and medically for centuries, yet research into understanding the mechanisms of its therapeutic effects has only recently garnered more attention. There is evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain, muscle spasticity, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, improving weight gain in HIV-related cachexia, emesis, sleep disorders, managing symptoms in Tourette syndrome, and patient-reported muscle spasticity from multiple sclerosis. However, tolerance and the risk for cannabis use disorder are two significant disadvantages for cannabinoid-based therapies in humans. Recent work has revealed prominent sex differences in the acute response and tolerance to cannabinoids in both humans and animal models. This review will discuss evidence demonstrating cannabinoid tolerance in rodents, non-human primates, and humans and our current understanding of the neuroadaptations occurring at the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R) that are responsible tolerance. CB1R expression is downregulated in tolerant animals and humans while there is strong evidence of CB1R desensitization in cannabinoid tolerant rodent models. Throughout the review, critical knowledge gaps are indicated and discussed, such as the lack of a neuroimaging probe to assess CB1R desensitization in humans. The review discusses the intracellular signaling pathways that are responsible for mediating CB1R desensitization and downregulation including the action of G protein-coupled receptor kinases, β-arrestin2 recruitment, c-Jun N-terminal kinases, protein kinase A, and the intracellular trafficking of CB1R. Finally, the review discusses approaches to reduce cannabinoid tolerance in humans based on our current understanding of the neuroadaptations and mechanisms responsible for this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary K Piscura
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn, AL 36832, USA
| | | | - Robert C Barnes
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Swarup Mitra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755, USA
| | - Josée Guindon
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Daniel J Morgan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gerak LR, Maguire DR, Cami-Kobeci G, Olson KM, Traynor JR, Husbands SM, France CP, Acevedo L, Belli B, Flynn P. OREX-1038: a potential new treatment for pain with low abuse liability and limited adverse effects. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:377-394. [PMID: 35947066 PMCID: PMC9371589 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Drugs targeting mu opioid receptors are the mainstay of clinical practice for treating moderate-to-severe pain. While they can offer excellent analgesia, their use can be limited by adverse effects, including constipation, respiratory depression, tolerance, and abuse liability. Multifunctional ligands acting at mu opioid and nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide receptors might provide antinociception with substantially improved adverse-effect profiles. This study explored one of these ligands, OREX-1038 (BU10038), in several assays in rodents and nonhuman primates. Binding and functional studies confirmed OREX-1038 to be a low-efficacy agonist at mu opioid and nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide receptors and an antagonist at delta and kappa opioid receptors with selectivity for opioid receptors over other proteins. OREX-1038 had long-acting antinociceptive effects in postsurgical and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced thermal hyperalgesia assays in rats and a warm water tail-withdrawal assay in monkeys. OREX-1038 was active for at least 24 h in each antinociception assay, and its effects in monkeys did not diminish over 22 days of daily administration. This activity was coupled with limited effects on physiological signs (arterial pressure, heart rate, and body temperature) and no evidence of withdrawal after administration of naltrexone or discontinuation of treatment in monkeys receiving OREX-1038 daily. Over a range of doses, OREX-1038 was only transiently self-administered, which diminished rapidly to nonsignificant levels; overall, both OREX-1038 and buprenorphine maintained less responding than remifentanil. These results support the concept of dual mu and nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide receptor partial agonists having improved pharmacological profiles compared with opioids currently used to treat pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa R Gerak
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - David R Maguire
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Gerta Cami-Kobeci
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath
- Current address: School of Life Sciences, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK
| | - Keith M Olson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - John R Traynor
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Stephen M Husbands
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath
- Centre for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Charles P France
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Barbara Belli
- Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Peter Flynn
- Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Oleson EB, Hamilton LR, Gomez DM. Cannabinoid Modulation of Dopamine Release During Motivation, Periodic Reinforcement, Exploratory Behavior, Habit Formation, and Attention. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:660218. [PMID: 34177546 PMCID: PMC8222827 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.660218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivational and attentional processes energize action sequences to facilitate evolutionary competition and promote behavioral fitness. Decades of neuropharmacology, electrophysiology and electrochemistry research indicate that the mesocorticolimbic DA pathway modulates both motivation and attention. More recently, it was realized that mesocorticolimbic DA function is tightly regulated by the brain's endocannabinoid system and greatly influenced by exogenous cannabinoids-which have been harnessed by humanity for medicinal, ritualistic, and recreational uses for 12,000 years. Exogenous cannabinoids, like the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, produce their effects by acting at binding sites for naturally occurring endocannabinoids. The brain's endocannabinoid system consists of two G-protein coupled receptors, endogenous lipid ligands for these receptor targets, and several synthetic and metabolic enzymes involved in their production and degradation. Emerging evidence indicates that the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol is necessary to observe concurrent increases in DA release and motivated behavior. And the historical pharmacology literature indicates a role for cannabinoid signaling in both motivational and attentional processes. While both types of behaviors have been scrutinized under manipulation by either DA or cannabinoid agents, there is considerably less insight into prospective interactions between these two important signaling systems. This review attempts to summate the relevance of cannabinoid modulation of DA release during operant tasks designed to investigate either motivational or attentional control of behavior. We first describe how cannabinoids influence DA release and goal-directed action under a variety of reinforcement contingencies. Then we consider the role that endocannabinoids might play in switching an animal's motivation from a goal-directed action to the search for an alternative outcome, in addition to the formation of long-term habits. Finally, dissociable features of attentional behavior using both the 5-choice serial reaction time task and the attentional set-shifting task are discussed along with their distinct influences by DA and cannabinoids. We end with discussing potential targets for further research regarding DA-cannabinoid interactions within key substrates involved in motivation and attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik B. Oleson
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Lindsey R. Hamilton
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Devan M. Gomez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gomez DM, Everett TJ, Hamilton LR, Ranganath A, Cheer JF, Oleson EB. Chronic cannabinoid exposure produces tolerance to the dopamine releasing effects of WIN 55,212-2 and heroin in adult male rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 182:108374. [PMID: 33115642 PMCID: PMC7836093 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic cannabinoids were introduced into recreational drug culture in 2008 and quickly became one of the most commonly abused drugs in the United States. The neurobiological consequences resulting from synthetic cannabinoid repeated exposure remain poorly understood. It is possible that a blunted dopamine (DA) response may lead drug users to consume larger quantities to compensate for this form of neurochemical tolerance. Because the endogenous cannabinoid and opioid systems exhibit considerable cross-talk and cross-tolerance frequently develops following repeated exposure to either opioids or cannabinoids, there is interest in investigating whether a history of synthetic cannabinoid exposure influences the ability of heroin to increase DA release. To test the effects of chronic cannabinoid exposure on cannabinoid- and heroin-evoked DA release, male adult rats were treated with either vehicle or a synthetic cannabinoid (WIN55-212-2; WIN) using an intravenous (IV) dose escalation regimen (0.2-0.8 mg/kg IV over 9 treatments). As predicted, WIN-treated rats showed a rightward shift in the dose-response relationship across all behavioral/physiological measures when compared to vehicle-treated controls. Then, using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to measure changes in the frequency of transient DA events in the nucleus accumbens shell of awake and freely-moving rats, it was observed that the DA releasing effects of both WIN and heroin were significantly reduced in male rats with a pharmacological history of cannabinoid exposure. These results demonstrate that repeated exposure to the synthetic cannabinoid WIN can produce tolerance to its DA releasing effects and cross-tolerance to the DA releasing effects of heroin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devan M Gomez
- Psychology Department, University of Colorado Denver, USA; Current: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, USA
| | | | | | - Ajit Ranganath
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Maryland Baltimore, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Maryland Baltimore, USA
| | - Erik B Oleson
- Psychology Department, University of Colorado Denver, USA; Biology Department, University of Colorado Denver, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Aleissa MM, Ahern KL, Stern GM. Peri-operative opioid and sedation requirements in patients who use marijuana and are undergoing total knee or total hip arthroplasty: A retrospective study. J Clin Anesth 2020; 66:109953. [PMID: 32619794 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2020.109953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muneerah M Aleissa
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Krystina L Ahern
- Department of Pharmacy Services, UMass Memorial Medical Center University Campus, 55 N Lake Ave, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
| | - Gretchen M Stern
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Slivicki RA, Iyer V, Mali SS, Garai S, Thakur GA, Crystal JD, Hohmann AG. Positive Allosteric Modulation of CB 1 Cannabinoid Receptor Signaling Enhances Morphine Antinociception and Attenuates Morphine Tolerance Without Enhancing Morphine- Induced Dependence or Reward. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:54. [PMID: 32410959 PMCID: PMC7199816 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid analgesics represent a critical treatment for chronic pain in the analgesic ladder of the World Health Organization. However, their use can result in a number of unwanted side-effects including incomplete efficacy, constipation, physical dependence, and overdose liability. Cannabinoids enhance the pain-relieving effects of opioids in preclinical studies and dampen unwanted side-effects resulting from excessive opioid intake. We recently reported that a CB1 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) exhibits antinociceptive efficacy in models of pathological pain and lacks the adverse side effects of direct CB1 receptor activation. In the present study, we evaluated whether a CB1 PAM would enhance morphine’s therapeutic efficacy in an animal model of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain and characterized its impact on unwanted side-effects associated with chronic opioid administration. In paclitaxel-treated mice, both the CB1 PAM GAT211 and the opioid analgesic morphine reduced paclitaxel-induced behavioral hypersensitivities to mechanical and cold stimulation in a dose-dependent manner. Isobolographic analysis revealed that combinations of GAT211 and morphine resulted in anti-allodynic synergism. In paclitaxel-treated mice, a sub-threshold dose of GAT211 prevented the development of tolerance to the anti-allodynic effects of morphine over 20 days of once daily dosing. However, GAT211 did not reliably alter somatic withdrawal signs (i.e., jumps, paw tremors) in morphine-dependent neuropathic mice challenged with naloxone. In otherwise naïve mice, GAT211 also prolonged antinociceptive efficacy of morphine in the tail-flick test and reduced the overall right-ward shift in the ED50 for morphine to produce antinociception in the tail-flick test, consistent with attenuation of morphine tolerance. Pretreatment with GAT211 did not alter somatic signs of μ opioid receptor dependence in mice rendered dependent upon morphine via subcutaneous implantation of a morphine pellet. Moreover, GAT211 did not reliably alter μ-opioid receptor-mediated reward as measured by conditioned place preference to morphine. Our results suggest that a CB1 PAM may be beneficial in enhancing and prolonging the therapeutic properties of opioids while potentially sparing unwanted side-effects (e.g., tolerance) that occur with repeated opioid treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Slivicki
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Vishakh Iyer
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Sonali S Mali
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Sumanta Garai
- Center for Drug Discovery, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ganesh A Thakur
- Center for Drug Discovery, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jonathon D Crystal
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Andrea G Hohmann
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.,Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Maguire DR, Gerak LR, Cami-Kobeci G, Husbands SM, France CP, Belli B, Flynn P. OREX-1019: A Novel Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder and Relapse Prevention. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2019; 372:205-215. [PMID: 31748404 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.119.261511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need for new pharmacological treatments for substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder, particularly for use in relapse prevention. A combination of buprenorphine with naltrexone has shown particular promise, with clinical studies indicating a substantial improvement over treatment with naltrexone alone. OREX-1019 (formerly BU10119) is a compound that mimics the pharmacology of the buprenorphine/naltrexone combination. This study evaluated, in rhesus monkeys, the therapeutic potential of OREX-1019 for treating opioid use disorder. Pretreatment with OREX-1019 (0.01-0.3 mg/kg s.c.) dose-dependently decreased responding for the μ opioid receptor agonist remifentanil in rhesus monkeys but did not maintain levels of responding above vehicle when it was available for self-administration. OREX-1019 (0.01-1.0 mg/kg s.c.) also decreased cue- plus heroin-primed reinstatement of extinguished responding in monkeys that self-administered remifentanil but did not alter cue- plus cocaine-primed reinstatement of responding in monkeys that self-administered cocaine. OREX-1019 (0.3 mg/kg s.c.), like naltrexone (0.1 mg/kg s.c.), increased heart rate and blood pressure, produced overt observable signs, and eliminated food-maintained responding in monkeys treated chronically with morphine. These results confirm that OREX-1019 has little or no efficacy at μ opioid receptorsand has low abuse potential, and, combined with promising safety (clean profile vs. other off-target proteins including the hERG (human ether-a-go-go-related gene) K+ channel) and pharmacokinetic data (supporting administration by subcutaneous or sublingual routes, but with low oral bioavailability), suggest it could be a safe and effective alternative to current treatments for opioid use disorders particularly as applied to relapse prevention. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The novel opioid OREX-1019 potentially provides an improved relapse prevention agent for use in opioid use disorder. The current study demonstrates that in monkeys OREX-1019 is able to inhibit the self-administration of, and cue- plus heroin-primed reinstatement of, responding previously maintained by remifentanil.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David R Maguire
- Departments of Pharmacology (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), and Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (G.C.-K., S.M.H.) and Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (S.M.H.), University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; and Orexigen Therapeutics, La Jolla, California (B.B., P.F.)
| | - Lisa R Gerak
- Departments of Pharmacology (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), and Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (G.C.-K., S.M.H.) and Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (S.M.H.), University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; and Orexigen Therapeutics, La Jolla, California (B.B., P.F.)
| | - Gerta Cami-Kobeci
- Departments of Pharmacology (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), and Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (G.C.-K., S.M.H.) and Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (S.M.H.), University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; and Orexigen Therapeutics, La Jolla, California (B.B., P.F.)
| | - Stephen M Husbands
- Departments of Pharmacology (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), and Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (G.C.-K., S.M.H.) and Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (S.M.H.), University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; and Orexigen Therapeutics, La Jolla, California (B.B., P.F.)
| | - Charles P France
- Departments of Pharmacology (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), and Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (G.C.-K., S.M.H.) and Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (S.M.H.), University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; and Orexigen Therapeutics, La Jolla, California (B.B., P.F.)
| | - Barbara Belli
- Departments of Pharmacology (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), and Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (G.C.-K., S.M.H.) and Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (S.M.H.), University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; and Orexigen Therapeutics, La Jolla, California (B.B., P.F.)
| | - Peter Flynn
- Departments of Pharmacology (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), and Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence (D.R.M., L.R.G., C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (G.C.-K., S.M.H.) and Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (S.M.H.), University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom; and Orexigen Therapeutics, La Jolla, California (B.B., P.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lesniak A, Chmielewska D, Poznanski P, Bujalska-Zadrozny M, Strzemecka J, Sacharczuk M. Divergent Response to Cannabinoid Receptor Stimulation in High and Low Stress-Induced Analgesia Mouse Lines Is Associated with Differential G-Protein Activation. Neuroscience 2019; 404:246-258. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
10
|
Weed PF, Gerak LR, France CP. Ventilatory-depressant effects of opioids alone and in combination with cannabinoids in rhesus monkeys. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 833:94-99. [PMID: 29807027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.05.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Pain is a serious health problem that is commonly treated with opioids, although the doses of opioids needed to treat pain are often similar to those that decrease respiration. Combining opioids with drugs that relieve pain through non-opioid mechanisms can decrease the doses of opioids needed for analgesia, resulting in an improved therapeutic window, but only if the doses of opioids that decrease respiration are not similarly decreased. Using small doses of opioids to treat pain has the potential to reduce the number of overdoses and deaths. This study investigated whether the cannabinoid receptor agonists Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and CP 55,940 modify the ventilatory-depressant effects of morphine and fentanyl in three monkeys. Ventilatory parameters, including minute volume (VE), were monitored with a head plethysmograph. When given alone, morphine (0.032 - 10 mg/kg) and fentanyl (0.00032 - 0.1 mg/kg) dose dependently decreased VE. Doses of Δ9-THC (1 mg/kg) and CP 55,940 (0.01 mg/kg) that enhance the potency of opioids to produce antinociception modestly decreased ventilation when given alone but did not significantly change morphine or fentanyl dose-effect curves. A larger dose of CP 55,940 (0.032 mg/kg) shifted the fentanyl dose-effect curve downward in two monkeys, without significantly changing the morphine dose-effect curve. In summary, cannabinoid receptor agonists, which increase the potency of opioids to produce antinociception, did not increase their potency to depress ventilation. Thus, the therapeutic window is greater for opioids when they are combined with cannabinoid receptor agonists, indicating a possible advantage for these drug mixtures in treating pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter F Weed
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Lisa R Gerak
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Charles P France
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
This paper is the thirty-ninth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2016 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior, and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia, stress and social status, tolerance and dependence, learning and memory, eating and drinking, drug abuse and alcohol, sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology, mental illness and mood, seizures and neurologic disorders, electrical-related activity and neurophysiology, general activity and locomotion, gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions, cardiovascular responses, respiration and thermoregulation, and immunological responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Prilutskaya M, Bersani FS, Corazza O, Molchanov S. Impact of synthetic cannabinoids on the duration of opioid-related withdrawal and craving among patients of addiction clinics in Kazakhstan: A prospective case-control study. Hum Psychopharmacol 2017. [PMID: 28631421 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to prospectively assess whether regular use of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) affects the duration of opioid-related withdrawal and craving symptoms in patients undergoing drug detoxification treatments. METHODS Patients (n = 193) with opioid use disorder, among which 47 patients are regularly using SCs, underwent integrated drug detoxification therapies. The Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale and a specific visual analogue scale were used to assess opioid withdrawal and craving symptoms over time. RESULTS Subjects using SCs had significantly longer duration of withdrawal and craving symptoms (p < .001). Higher intake of SCs in the last 30 days (p = .045), shorter time since the last intake of SCs (p = .033), longer duration of SCs use (p < .001), and higher dosage of SCs (p < .001) were associated with longer duration of symptoms. DISCUSSION This is the first study to assess the impact of SCs on the course of opioid withdrawal and craving symptoms. The results (a) suggest that patients with opioid use disorder in combination with regular use of SCs exhibit a significantly longer duration of opioid withdrawal and craving symptoms, (b) add to the accumulating evidence showing clinical and molecular cross talks between cannabinoids and opioids, and (c) underline novel harmful effects of SCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariya Prilutskaya
- Semey State Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan.,Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Medical and Social Problems of Drug Addiction, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Ornella Corazza
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - Sergey Molchanov
- Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Medical and Social Problems of Drug Addiction, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Marcus DJ, Henderson-Redmond AN, Gonek M, Zee ML, Farnsworth JC, Amin RA, Andrews MJ, Davis BJ, Mackie K, Morgan DJ. Mice expressing a "hyper-sensitive" form of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) show modestly enhanced alcohol preference and consumption. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174826. [PMID: 28426670 PMCID: PMC5398885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We recently characterized S426A/S430A mutant mice expressing a desensitization-resistant form of the CB1 receptor. These mice display an enhanced response to endocannabinoids and ∆9-THC. In this study, S426A/S430A mutants were used as a novel model to test whether ethanol consumption, morphine dependence, and reward for these drugs are potentiated in mice with a "hyper-sensitive" form of CB1. Using an unlimited-access, two-bottle choice, voluntary drinking paradigm, S426A/S430A mutants exhibit modestly increased intake and preference for low (6%) but not higher concentrations of ethanol. S426A/S430A mutants and wild-type mice show similar taste preference for sucrose and quinine, exhibit normal sensitivity to the hypothermic and ataxic effects of ethanol, and have normal blood ethanol concentrations following administration of ethanol. S426A/S430A mutants develop robust conditioned place preference for ethanol (2 g/kg), morphine (10 mg/kg), and cocaine (10 mg/kg), demonstrating that drug reward is not changed in S426A/S430A mutants. Precipitated morphine withdrawal is also unchanged in opioid-dependent S426A/S430A mutant mice. Although ethanol consumption is modestly changed by enhanced CB1 signaling, reward, tolerance, and acute sensitivity to ethanol and morphine are normal in this model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J. Marcus
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States of America
| | - Angela N. Henderson-Redmond
- Department of Anesthesiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States of America
| | - Maciej Gonek
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Michael L. Zee
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States of America
| | - Jill C. Farnsworth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Randa A. Amin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Mary-Jeanette Andrews
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Brian J. Davis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Ken Mackie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Morgan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tanda G. Preclinical studies on the reinforcing effects of cannabinoids. A tribute to the scientific research of Dr. Steve Goldberg. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:1845-66. [PMID: 27026633 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4244-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The reinforcing effects of most abused drugs have been consistently demonstrated and studied in animal models, although those of marijuana were not, until the demonstration 15 years ago that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could serve as a reinforcer in self-administration (SA) procedures in squirrel monkeys. Until then, those effects were inferred using indirect assessments. OBJECTIVES The aim of this manuscript is to review the primary preclinical procedures used to indirectly and directly infer reinforcing effects of cannabinoid drugs. METHODS Results will be reviewed from studies of cannabinoid discrimination, intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS), conditioned place preference (CPP), as well as change in levels of dopamine assessed in brain areas related to reinforcement, and finally from self-administration procedures. For each procedure, an evaluation will be made of the predictive validity in detecting the potential abuse liability of cannabinoids based on seminal papers, with the addition of selected reports from more recent years especially those from Dr. Goldberg's research group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS ICSS and CPP do not provide consistent results for the assessment of potential for abuse of cannabinoids. However, drug discrimination and neurochemistry procedures appear to detect potential for abuse of cannabinoids, as well as several novel "designer cannabinoid drugs." Though after 15 years transfer of the self-administration model of marijuana abuse from squirrel monkeys to other species remains somewhat problematic, studies with the former species have substantially advanced the field, and several reports have been published with consistent self-administration of cannabinoid agonists in rodents.
Collapse
|
15
|
Gerak LR, France CP. Combined Treatment with Morphine and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Rhesus Monkeys: Antinociceptive Tolerance and Withdrawal. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2016; 357:357-66. [PMID: 26937020 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.115.231381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid receptor agonists are effective for treating pain; however, tolerance and dependence can develop with repeated use. Combining opioids with cannabinoids can enhance their analgesic potency, although it is less clear whether combined treatment alters opioid tolerance and dependence. In this study, four monkeys received 3.2 mg/kg morphine alone or in combination with 1 mg/kg Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) twice daily; the antinociceptive effects (warm water tail withdrawal) of morphine, the cannabinoid receptor agonists WIN 55,212 [(R)-(1)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4-morpholinylmethyl)pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl]-1-naphthalenylmethanone mesylate] and CP 55,940 (2-[(1R,2R,5R)-5-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxypropyl) cyclohexyl]-5-(2-methyloctan-2-yl)phenol), and the κ opioid receptor agonist U-50,488 (trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl]benzenacetamide methanesulfonate) were examined before, during, and after treatment. To determine whether concurrent THC treatment altered morphine dependence, behavioral signs indicative of withdrawal were monitored when treatment was discontinued. Before treatment, each drug increased tail withdrawal latency to 20 seconds (maximum possible effect). During treatment, latencies did not reach 20 seconds for morphine or the cannabinoids up to doses 3- to 10-fold larger than those that were fully effective before treatment. Rightward and downward shifts in antinociceptive dose-effect curves were greater for monkeys receiving the morphine/THC combination than monkeys receiving morphine alone. When treatment was discontinued, heart rate and directly observable withdrawal signs increased, although they were generally similar in monkeys that received morphine alone or with THC. These results demonstrated that antinociceptive tolerance was greater during treatment with the combination, and although treatment conditions were sufficient to result in the development of dependence on morphine, withdrawal was not markedly altered by concurrent treatment with THC. Thus, THC can enhance some (antinociception, tolerance) but not all (dependence) effects of morphine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L R Gerak
- Departments of Pharmacology (L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - C P France
- Departments of Pharmacology (L.R.G., C.P.F.) and Psychiatry (C.P.F.), University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| |
Collapse
|