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Kroll SL, Meier P, Mayo LM, Gertsch J, Quednow BB. Endocannabinoids and related lipids linked to social exclusion in individuals with chronic non-medical prescription opioid use. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01881-8. [PMID: 38773316 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01881-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Opioid-related overdose deaths are still on the rise in North America, emphasizing the need to better understand the underlying neurobiological mechanisms regarding the development of opioid use disorder (OUD). Recent evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicate that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may play a crucial role in stress and reward, both involved in the development and maintenance of substance use disorders. Animal models demonstrate a specific crosstalk between the ECS and the endogenous opioid system. However, translational studies in humans are scarce. Here, we investigated basal plasma levels of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyglycerol (2-AG), and eight endocannabinoid-related lipids, including oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), as well as whole blood fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity in chronic non-medical prescription opioid users (NMPOU; n = 21) compared to opioid-naïve healthy controls (n = 29) considering age, sex, and cannabis use as potential confounders. Additionally, the association of endocannabinoids and related lipids with the participants' response to experimentally induced social exclusion was examined. We found significantly elevated basal AEA, OEA, and PEA levels in NMPOU compared to controls, but no differences in FAAH activity, 2-AG, or other endocannabinoid-related lipids. Within NMPOU, higher AEA levels were associated with lower perception of social exclusion. Robust positive correlations within N-acylethanolamines (i.e., AEA, OEA, and PEA) indicate strong metabolic associations. Together with our recent findings of elevated basal 2-AG levels in dependent cocaine users, present results indicate substance-specific alterations of the ECS that may have implications in the search for novel therapeutic interventions for these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara L Kroll
- Social and Affective Neuropsychopharmacology, Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Philip Meier
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Leah M Mayo
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
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Alegre-Zurano L, García-Baos A, Castro-Zavala A, Medrano M, Gallego-Landin I, Valverde O. The FAAH inhibitor URB597 reduces cocaine intake during conditioned punishment and mitigates cocaine seeking during withdrawal. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115194. [PMID: 37499453 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system is prominently implicated in the control of cocaine reinforcement due to its relevant role in synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter modulation in the mesocorticolimbic system. The inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), and the resulting increase in anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines, represents a promising strategy for reducing drug seeking. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effects of the FAAH inhibitor URB597 (1 mg/kg) on crucial features of cocaine addictive-like behaviour in mice. Therefore, we tested the effects of URB597 on acquisition of cocaine (0.6 mg/kg/inf) self-administration, compulsive-like cocaine intake and cue-induced drug-seeking behaviour during withdrawal. URB597 reduced cocaine intake under conditioned punishment while having no impact on acquisition. This result was associated to increased cannabinoid receptor 1 gene expression in the ventral striatum and medium spiny neurons activation in the nucleus accumbens shell. Moreover, URB597 mitigated cue-induced drug-seeking behaviour during prolonged abstinence and prevented the withdrawal-induced increase in FAAH gene expression in the ventral striatum. In this case, URB597 decreased activation of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core. Our findings evidence the prominent role of endocannabinoids in the development of cocaine addictive-like behaviours and support the potential of FAAH inhibition as a therapeutical target for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Alegre-Zurano
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba García-Baos
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroscience Research Program, IMIM-Hospital Del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adriana Castro-Zavala
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Medrano
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ines Gallego-Landin
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Valverde
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroscience Research Program, IMIM-Hospital Del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
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Ross JA, Van Bockstaele EJ. The role of catecholamines in modulating responses to stress: Sex-specific patterns, implications, and therapeutic potential for post-traumatic stress disorder and opiate withdrawal. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2429-2465. [PMID: 32125035 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Emotional arousal is one of several factors that determine the strength of a memory and how efficiently it may be retrieved. The systems at play are multifaceted; on one hand, the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic system evaluates the rewarding or reinforcing potential of a stimulus, while on the other, the noradrenergic stress response system evaluates the risk of threat, commanding attention, and engaging emotional and physical behavioral responses. Sex-specific patterns in the anatomy and function of the arousal system suggest that sexually divergent therapeutic approaches may be advantageous for neurological disorders involving arousal, learning, and memory. From the lens of the triple network model of psychopathology, we argue that post-traumatic stress disorder and opiate substance use disorder arise from maladaptive learning responses that are perpetuated by hyperarousal of the salience network. We present evidence that catecholamine-modulated learning and stress-responsive circuitry exerts substantial influence over the salience network and its dysfunction in stress-related psychiatric disorders, and between the sexes. We discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting the endogenous cannabinoid system; a ubiquitous neuromodulator that influences learning, memory, and responsivity to stress by influencing catecholamine, excitatory, and inhibitory synaptic transmission. Relevant preclinical data in male and female rodents are integrated with clinical data in men and women in an effort to understand how ideal treatment modalities between the sexes may be different.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Ross
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elisabeth J Van Bockstaele
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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4
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Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a major public health crisis worldwide, and effective treatment options are limited. During the past 2 decades, researchers have investigated the impact of a variety of pharmacological approaches to treat SUD, one of which is the use of medical cannabis or cannabinoids. Significant progress was made with the discovery of rimonabant, a selective CB1 receptor (CB1R) antagonist (also an inverse agonist), as a promising therapeutic for SUDs and obesity. However, serious adverse effects such as depression and suicidality led to the withdrawal of rimonabant (and almost all other CB1R antagonists/inverse agonists) from clinical trials worldwide in 2008. Since then, much research interest has shifted to other cannabinoid-based strategies, such as peripheral CB1R antagonists/inverse agonists, neutral CB1R antagonists, allosteric CB1R modulators, CB2R agonists, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibitors, fatty acid binding protein (FABP) inhibitors, or nonaddictive phytocannabinoids with CB1R or CB2R-binding profiles, as new therapeutics for SUDs. In this article, we first review recent progress in research regarding the endocannabinoid systems, cannabis reward versus aversion, and the underlying receptor mechanisms. We then review recent progress in cannabinoid-based medication development for the treatment of SUDs. As evidence continues to accumulate, neutral CB1R antagonists (such as AM4113), CB2R agonists (JWH133, Xie2-64), and nonselective phytocannabinoids (cannabidiol, β-caryophyllene, ∆9-tetrahydrocannabivarin) have shown great therapeutic potential for SUDs, as shown in experimental animals. Several cannabinoid-based medications (e.g., dronabinol, nabilone, PF-04457845) that entered clinical trials have shown promising results in reducing withdrawal symptoms in cannabis and opioid users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Galaj
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medication Discoveries Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medication Discoveries Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Dunn KE, Huhn AS, Bergeria CL, Gipson CD, Weerts EM. Non-Opioid Neurotransmitter Systems that Contribute to the Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome: A Review of Preclinical and Human Evidence. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2019; 371:422-452. [PMID: 31391211 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.119.258004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid misuse and abuse is a major international public health issue. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is largely maintained by a desire to suppress aversive opioid withdrawal symptoms. Opioid withdrawal in patients seeking abstinence from illicit or prescribed opioids is often managed by provision of a μ-opioid agonist/partial agonist in combination with concomitant medications. Concomitant medications are administered based on their ability to treat specific symptoms rather than a mechanistic understanding of the opioid withdrawal syndrome; however, their use has not been statistically associated with improved treatment outcomes. Understanding the central and/or peripheral mechanisms that underlie individual withdrawal symptom expression in humans will help promote medication development for opioid withdrawal management. To support focused examination of mechanistically supported concomitant medications, this review summarizes evidence from preclinical (N = 68) and human (N = 30) studies that administered drugs acting on the dopamine, serotonin, cannabinoid, orexin/hypocretin, and glutamate systems and reported outcomes related to opioid withdrawal. These studies provide evidence that each of these systems contribute to opioid withdrawal severity. The Food and Drug Administration has approved medications acting on these respective systems for other indications and research in this area could support the repurposing of these medications to enhance opioid withdrawal treatment. These data support a focused examination of mechanistically informed concomitant medications to help reduce opioid withdrawal severity and enhance the continuum of care available for persons with OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Dunn
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (K.D.E., A.S.H., C.L.B., E.M.W.); and Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.)
| | - Andrew S Huhn
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (K.D.E., A.S.H., C.L.B., E.M.W.); and Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.)
| | - Cecilia L Bergeria
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (K.D.E., A.S.H., C.L.B., E.M.W.); and Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.)
| | - Cassandra D Gipson
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (K.D.E., A.S.H., C.L.B., E.M.W.); and Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.)
| | - Elise M Weerts
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (K.D.E., A.S.H., C.L.B., E.M.W.); and Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.)
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Shahidi S, Komaki A, Sadeghian R, Asl SS. Different doses of methamphetamine alter long-term potentiation, level of BDNF and neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus of reinstated rats. J Physiol Sci 2019; 69:409-419. [PMID: 30680641 PMCID: PMC10717877 DOI: 10.1007/s12576-019-00660-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) is a psychostimulant. The precise mechanisms of its effects remain unknown and current relapse treatments have low efficacy. However, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neuronal plasticity are essential contributors, despite paradoxical reports and a lack of comprehensive studies. Therefore, we investigated the effects of different doses of METH on long-term potentiation (LTP), BDNF expression and neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus of reinstated rats. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with METH (1, 5, or 10 mg/kg) or saline, and trained in a conditioned place preference paradigm. Following implementation of the reinstatement model, electrophysiology, western blotting and TUNEL assay were performed to assess behavior, LTP components, BDNF expression, and neuronal apoptosis, respectively. The results demonstrated that the preference scores, population spike amplitude and BDNF expression markedly decreased in the METH (10 mg/kg) group compared with the other groups. In contrast, METH (5 mg/kg) significantly increased these factors more than the control group. There was no change in variables between METH (1 mg/kg) and the control group. Also, apoptosis of the hippocampus was increased in the METH (10 mg/kg) group compared with the METH (5 mg/kg) group. These results suggest that alterations in synaptic plasticity, expression of BDNF and neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus has a vital role in the context-induced reinstatement of METH seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siamak Shahidi
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Alireza Komaki
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Reihaneh Sadeghian
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
- Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
| | - Sara Soleimani Asl
- Anatomy Departments, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
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Enhanced endocannabinoid tone as a potential target of pharmacotherapy. Life Sci 2018; 204:20-45. [PMID: 29729263 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2018.04.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system is up-regulated in numerous pathophysiological states such as inflammatory, neurodegenerative, gastrointestinal, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, pain, and cancer. It has been suggested that this phenomenon primarily serves an autoprotective role in inhibiting disease progression and/or diminishing signs and symptoms. Accordingly, enhancement of endogenous endocannabinoid tone by inhibition of endocannabinoid degradation represents a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of many diseases. Importantly, this allows for the avoidance of unwanted psychotropic side effects that accompany exogenously administered cannabinoids. The effects of endocannabinoid metabolic pathway modulation are complex, as endocannabinoids can exert their actions directly or via numerous metabolites. The two main strategies for blocking endocannabinoid degradation are inhibition of endocannabinoid-degrading enzymes and inhibition of endocannabinoid cellular uptake. To date, the most investigated compounds are inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), an enzyme that degrades the endocannabinoid anandamide. However, application of FAAH inhibitors (and consequently other endocannabinoid degradation inhibitors) in medicine became questionable due to a lack of therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials and serious adverse effects evoked by one specific compound. In this paper, we discuss multiple pathways of endocannabinoid metabolism, changes in endocannabinoid levels across numerous human diseases and corresponding experimental models, pharmacological strategies for enhancing endocannabinoid tone and potential therapeutic applications including multi-target drugs with additional targets outside of the endocannabinoid system (cyclooxygenase-2, cholinesterase, TRPV1, and PGF2α-EA receptors), and currently used medicines or medicinal herbs that additionally enhance endocannabinoid levels. Ultimately, further clinical and preclinical studies are warranted to develop medicines for enhancing endocannabinoid tone.
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Fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597 prevented tolerance and cognitive deficits induced by chronic morphine administration in rats. Behav Pharmacol 2016; 27:37-43. [PMID: 26274041 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitors of the endocannabinoid metabolic enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase exert therapeutic effects, but might also be associated with some of the adverse effects of cannabis. However, at least one fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor, URB597, has beneficial effects without signs of abuse or dependence. Although previous investigations have evaluated URB597-morphine interactions, the effects of URB597 on morphine tolerance and cognition deficits have not been studied previously. Rats were rendered tolerant to or dependent on morphine by an injection of morphine (10 mg/kg, subcutaneous) twice daily, respectively, for 7 or 10 days. URB597 (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) was administered before morphine. The tail-flick and passive avoidance learning tests were used to evaluate tolerance and cognition. Chronic morphine injection led to significant tolerance to the antinociceptive effect on days 5 and 7. URB597 completely prevented the development of morphine tolerance. URB597 also enhanced memory acquisition in the passive avoidance learning test, and although morphine impaired memory, URB597 alleviated this effect. These data show that URB597 protects against tolerance and memory deficits in chronic usage of morphine and suggests URB597 as a promising candidate for the treatment of adverse effects of opioids.
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Wills KL, Parker LA. Effect of Pharmacological Modulation of the Endocannabinoid System on Opiate Withdrawal: A Review of the Preclinical Animal Literature. Front Pharmacol 2016; 7:187. [PMID: 27445822 PMCID: PMC4923145 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the years, animal studies have revealed a role for the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of multiple aspects of opiate addiction. The current review provides an overview of this literature in regards to opiate withdrawal. The opiate withdrawal syndrome, hypothesized to act as a negative reinforcer in mediating continued drug use, can be characterized by the emergence of spontaneous or precipitated aversive somatic and affective states following the termination of drug use. The behaviors measured to quantify somatic opiate withdrawal and the paradigms employed to assess affective opiate withdrawal (e.g., conditioned place aversion) in both acutely and chronically dependent animals are discussed in relation to the ability of the endocannabinoid system to modulate these behaviors. Additionally, the brain regions mediating somatic and affective opiate withdrawal are elucidated with respect to their modulation by the endocannabinoid system. Ultimately, a review of these findings reveals dissociations between the brain regions mediating somatic and affective opiate withdrawal, and the ability of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor agonism/antagonism to interfere with opiate withdrawal within different brain sub regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiri L Wills
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph ON, Canada
| | - Linda A Parker
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph ON, Canada
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Fitzgibbon M, Finn DP, Roche M. High Times for Painful Blues: The Endocannabinoid System in Pain-Depression Comorbidity. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 19:pyv095. [PMID: 26342110 PMCID: PMC4815466 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyv095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression and pain are two of the most debilitating disorders worldwide and have an estimated cooccurrence of up to 80%. Comorbidity of these disorders is more difficult to treat, associated with significant disability and impaired health-related quality of life than either condition alone, resulting in enormous social and economic cost. Several neural substrates have been identified as potential mediators in the association between depression and pain, including neuroanatomical reorganization, monoamine and neurotrophin depletion, dysregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, and neuroinflammation. However, the past decade has seen mounting evidence supporting a role for the endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) system in affective and nociceptive processing, and thus, alterations in this system may play a key role in reciprocal interactions between depression and pain. This review will provide an overview of the preclinical evidence supporting an interaction between depression and pain and the evidence supporting a role for the endocannabinoid system in this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michelle Roche
- Physiology (Ms Fitzgibbon and Dr Roche), and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (Dr Finn), School of Medicine, Galway Neuroscience Centre and Centre for Pain Research (Ms Fitzgibbon, Dr Finn, and Dr Roche), National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland.
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Hasanein P, Teimuri Far M, Emamjomeh A. Salvia officinalis L. attenuates morphine analgesic tolerance and dependence in rats: possible analgesic and sedative mechanisms. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2015; 41:405-13. [DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2015.1062893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Abbasali Emamjomeh
- Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran
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12
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The potential of inhibitors of endocannabinoid metabolism as anxiolytic and antidepressive drugs--A practical view. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 25:749-62. [PMID: 25791296 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Revised: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system, comprising cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, their endogenous ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglyerol, and their synthetic and metabolic enzymes, are involved in many biological processes in the body, ranging from appetite to bone turnover. Compounds inhibiting the breakdown of anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol increase brain levels of these lipids and thus modulate endocannabinoid signalling. In the present review, the preclinical evidence that these enzymes are good targets for development of novel therapies for anxiety and depression are discussed from a practical, rather than mechanistic, point of view. It is concluded that the preclinical data are promising, albeit tempered by problems of tolerance as well as effects upon learning and memory for irreversible monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors, and limited by a focus upon male rodents alone. Clinical data so far has been restricted to safety studies with inhibitors of anandamide hydrolysis and a hitherto unpublished study on such a compound in elderly patients with major depressive disorders, but under the dose regimes used, they are well tolerated and show no signs of "cannabis-like" behaviours.
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13
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Wilson-Poe AR, Lau BK, Vaughan CW. Repeated morphine treatment alters cannabinoid modulation of GABAergic synaptic transmission within the rat periaqueductal grey. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 172:681-90. [PMID: 24916363 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cannabinoids and opioids produce antinociception by modulating GABAergic synaptic transmission in a descending analgesic pathway from the midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG). While chronic opioid treatment produces opioid tolerance, it has recently been shown to enhance cannabinoid-induced antinociception within the PAG. This study examined the effect of repeated opioid treatment on opioid and cannabinoid presynaptic modulation of GABAergic synaptic transmission in PAG. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Midbrain PAG slices were prepared from untreated rats, and rats that had undergone repeated morphine or saline pretreatment. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were made from neurons within the ventrolateral PAG. KEY RESULTS In slices from untreated animals, the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55212 and the μ receptor agonist DAMGO inhibited electrically evoked GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) IPSCs in PAG neurons, with IC50 s of 30 and 100 nM respectively. The inhibition of evoked IPSCs produced by WIN55212 (30 nM) and DAMGO (100 nM) was similar in PAG neurons from morphine- and saline-treated animals. The cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 increased the frequency of spontaneous miniature IPSCs in PAG neurons from repeated morphine-, but not saline-treated animals. DAMGO inhibition of evoked IPSCs was enhanced in the presence of AM251 in morphine-, but not saline-treated animals. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These results indicate that the efficiency of agonist-induced inhibition of GABAergic synaptic transmission is enhanced by morphine treatment, although this is dampened by endocannabinoid-mediated tonic inhibition. Thus, endocannabinoid modulation of synaptic transmission could provide an alternative analgesic approach in a morphine-tolerant state. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Wilson-Poe
- Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute for Medical Research, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
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14
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Shahidi S, Hashemi-Firouzi N. The effects of a 5-HT7 receptor agonist and antagonist on morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice. Neurosci Lett 2014; 578:27-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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15
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Elevating endocannabinoid levels: pharmacological strategies and potential therapeutic applications. Proc Nutr Soc 2013; 73:96-105. [DOI: 10.1017/s0029665113003649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, of endogenous agonists for these receptors known as ‘endocannabinoids’, and of processes responsible for endocannabinoid biosynthesis, cellular uptake and metabolism. There is strong evidence first, that this system up-regulates in certain disorders as indicated by an increased release of endocannabinoids onto their receptors and/or by increases in the expression levels or coupling efficiency of these receptors, and second, that this up-regulation often appears to reduce or abolish unwanted effects of these disorders or to slow their progression. This discovery has raised the possibility of developing a medicine that enhances up-regulation of the endocannabinoid system associated with these disorders by inhibiting the cellular uptake or intracellular metabolism of an endocannabinoid following its ‘autoprotective’ endogenous release. For inhibition of endocannabinoid metabolism, research has focused particularly on two highly investigated endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, and hence on inhibitors of the main anandamide-metabolising enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), and of the main 2-arachidonoyl glycerol-metabolising enzyme, monoacylglycerol (MAG) lipase. The resulting data have provided strong preclinical evidence that selective FAAH and MAG lipase inhibitors would ameliorate the unwanted effects of several disorders, when administered alone or with a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and that the benefit-to-risk ratio of a FAAH inhibitor would exceed that of a MAG lipase inhibitor or dual inhibitor of FAAH and MAG lipase. Promising preclinical data have also been obtained with inhibitors of endocannabinoid cellular uptake. There is now an urgent need for clinical research with these enzyme and uptake inhibitors.
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Muldoon PP, Lichtman AH, Parsons LH, Damaj MI. The role of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in nicotine reward and dependence. Life Sci 2013; 92:458-62. [PMID: 22705310 PMCID: PMC3477273 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2012.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2012] [Revised: 05/03/2012] [Accepted: 05/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (AEA) exerts the majority of its effects at CB1 and CB2 receptors and is degraded by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). FAAH KO mice and animals treated with FAAH inhibitors are impaired in their ability to hydrolyze AEA and other non-cannabinoid lipid signaling molecules, such as oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). AEA and these other substrates activate non-cannabinoid receptor systems, including TRPV1 and PPAR-α receptors. In this mini review, we describe the functional consequences of FAAH inhibition on nicotine reward and dependence as well as the underlying endocannabinoid and non-cannabinoid receptor systems mediating these effects. Interestingly, FAAH inhibition seems to mediate nicotine dependence differently in mice and rats. Indeed, pharmacological and genetic FAAH disruption in mice enhances nicotine reward and withdrawal. However, in rats, pharmacological blockade of FAAH significantly inhibits nicotine reward and has no effect in nicotine withdrawal. Studies suggest that non-cannabinoid mechanisms may play a role in these species differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pretal P Muldoon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1217 E Marshall St, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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Maldonado R, Robledo P, Berrendero F. Endocannabinoid system and drug addiction: new insights from mutant mice approaches. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013; 23:480-6. [PMID: 23490550 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2013.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The involvement of the endocannabinoid system in drug addiction was initially studied by the use of compounds with different affinities for each cannabinoid receptor or for the proteins involved in endocannabinoids inactivation. The generation of genetically modified mice with selective mutations in these endocannabinoid system components has now provided important advances in establishing their specific contribution to drug addiction. These genetic tools have identified the particular interest of CB1 cannabinoid receptor and endogenous anandamide as potential targets for drug addiction treatment. Novel genetic tools will allow determining if the modulation of CB2 cannabinoid receptor activity and 2-arachidonoylglycerol tone can also have an important therapeutic relevance for drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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Panlilio LV, Justinova Z, Goldberg SR. Inhibition of FAAH and activation of PPAR: new approaches to the treatment of cognitive dysfunction and drug addiction. Pharmacol Ther 2013; 138:84-102. [PMID: 23333350 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2013.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Enhancing the effects of endogenously-released cannabinoid ligands in the brain might provide therapeutic effects more safely and effectively than administering drugs that act directly at the cannabinoid receptor. Inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) prevent the breakdown of endogenous ligands for cannabinoid receptors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR), prolonging and enhancing the effects of these ligands when they are naturally released. This review considers recent research on the effects of FAAH inhibitors and PPAR activators in animal models of addiction and cognition (specifically learning and memory). These studies show that FAAH inhibitors can produce potentially therapeutic effects, some through cannabinoid receptors and some through PPAR. These effects include enhancing certain forms of learning, counteracting the rewarding effects of nicotine and alcohol, relieving symptoms of withdrawal from cannabis and other drugs, and protecting against relapse-like reinstatement of drug self-administration. Since FAAH inhibition might have a wide range of therapeutic actions but might also share some of the adverse effects of cannabis, it is noteworthy that at least one FAAH-inhibiting drug (URB597) has been found to have potentially beneficial effects but no indication of liability for abuse or dependence. Although these areas of research are new, the preliminary evidence indicates that they might lead to improved therapeutic interventions and a better understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying addiction and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh V Panlilio
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Abstract
Here we describe methods for preclinical evaluation of candidate medications to treat opioid abuse and dependence. Our perspective is founded on the propositions that (1) drug self-administration procedures provide the most direct method for assessment of medication effects, (2) procedures that assess choice between opioid and nondrug reinforcers are especially useful, and (3) the states of opioid dependence and withdrawal profoundly influence both opioid reinforcement and the effects of candidate medications. Effects of opioid medications on opioid choice in nondependent and opioid-dependent subjects are reviewed. Various nonopioid medications have also been examined, but none yet have been identified that safely and reliably reduce opioid choice. Future research will focus on (1) strategies for increasing safety and/or effectiveness of opioid medications, and (2) continued development of nonopioids such as inhibitors of endocannabinoid catabolic enzymes or inhibitors of opioid-induced glial activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Stevens Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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Abstract
This paper is the thirty-fourth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2011 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 (Section 2), and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia (Section 3); stress and social status (Section 4); tolerance and dependence (Section 5); learning and memory (Section 6); eating and drinking (Section 7); alcohol and drugs of abuse (Section 8); sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (Section 9); mental illness and mood (Section 10); seizures and neurologic disorders (Section 11); electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (Section 12); general activity and locomotion (Section 13); gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (Section 14); cardiovascular responses (Section 15); respiration (Section 16); and immunological responses (Section 17).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
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