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Shahen-Zoabi S, Smoum R, Bingor A, Grad E, Nemirovski A, Shekh-Ahmad T, Mechoulam R, Yaka R. N-oleoyl glycine and N-oleoyl alanine attenuate alcohol self-administration and preference in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:273. [PMID: 37524707 PMCID: PMC10390512 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02574-4] [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: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a key modulatory role during synaptic plasticity and homeostatic processes in the brain and has an important role in the neurobiological processes underlying drug addiction. We have previously shown that an elevated ECS response to psychostimulant (cocaine) is involved in regulating the development and expression of cocaine-conditioned reward and sensitization. We therefore hypothesized that drug-induced elevation in endocannabinoids (eCBs) and/or eCB-like molecules (eCB-Ls) may represent a protective mechanism against drug insult, and boosting their levels exogenously may strengthen their neuroprotective effects. Here, we determine the involvement of ECS in alcohol addiction. We first measured the eCBs and eCB-Ls levels in different brain reward system regions following chronic alcohol self-administration using LC-MS. We have found that following chronic intermittent alcohol consumption, N-oleoyl glycine (OlGly) levels were significantly elevated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and N-oleoyl alanine (OlAla) was significantly elevated in the PFC, nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in a region-specific manner. We next tested whether exogenous administration of OlGly or OlAla would attenuate alcohol consumption and preference. We found that systemic administration of OlGly or OlAla (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) during intermittent alcohol consumption significantly reduced alcohol intake and preference without affecting the hedonic state. These findings suggest that the ECS negatively regulates alcohol consumption and boosting selective eCBs exogenously has beneficial effects against alcohol consumption and potentially in preventing relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samah Shahen-Zoabi
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Reem Smoum
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Alexey Bingor
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Etty Grad
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Alina Nemirovski
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Tawfeeq Shekh-Ahmad
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Raphael Mechoulam
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Rami Yaka
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
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Zeng X, Mai J, Xie H, Yang L, Liu X. Activation of CB1R alleviates central sensitization by regulating HCN2-pNR2B signaling in a chronic migraine rat model. J Headache Pain 2023; 24:44. [PMID: 37085778 PMCID: PMC10120244 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-023-01580-7] [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: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central sensitization has been widely accepted as an underlying pathophysiological mechanism of chronic migraine (CM), activation of cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R) exerts antinociceptive effects by relieving central sensitization in many pain models. However, the role of CB1R in the central sensitization of CM is still unclear. METHODS A CM model was established by infusing inflammatory soup (IS) into the dura of male Wistar rats for 7 days, and hyperalgesia was assessed by the mechanical and thermal thresholds. In the periaqueductal gray (PAG), the mRNA and protein levels of CB1R and hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel 2 (HCN2) were measured by qRT-PCR and western blotting. After intraventricular injection of Noladin ether (NE) (a CB1R agonist), ZD 7288 (an HCN2 blocker), and AM 251 (a CB1R antagonist), the expression of tyrosine phosphorylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B (pNR2B), calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), and phosphorylated cAMP-responsive element binding protein (pCREB) was detected, and central sensitization was evaluated by the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), c-Fos, and substance P (SP). Synaptic-associated protein (postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) and synaptophysin (Syp)) and synaptic ultrastructure were detected to explore synaptic plasticity in central sensitization. RESULTS We observed that the mRNA and protein levels of CB1R and HCN2 were both significantly increased in the PAG of CM rats. The application of NE or ZD 7288 ameliorated IS-induced hyperalgesia; repressed the pNR2B/CaMKII/pCREB pathway; reduced CGRP, c-Fos, SP, PSD95, and Syp expression; and inhibited synaptic transmission. Strikingly, the application of ZD 7288 relieved AM 251-evoked elevation of pNR2B, CGRP, and c-Fos expression. CONCLUSIONS These data reveal that activation of CB1R alleviates central sensitization by regulating HCN2-pNR2B signaling in CM rats. The activation of CB1R might have a positive influence on the prevention of CM by mitigating central sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxu Zeng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Jia Mai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongjian Xie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China.
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Niloy N, Hediyal TA, Vichitra C, Sonali S, Chidambaram SB, Gorantla VR, Mahalakshmi AM. Effect of Cannabis on Memory Consolidation, Learning and Retrieval and Its Current Legal Status in India: A Review. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13010162. [PMID: 36671547 PMCID: PMC9855787 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis is one of the oldest crops grown, traditionally held religious attachments in various cultures for its medicinal use much before its introduction to Western medicine. Multiple preclinical and clinical investigations have explored the beneficial effects of cannabis in various neurocognitive and neurodegenerative diseases affecting the cognitive domains. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component, is responsible for cognition-related deficits, while cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid, has been shown to elicit neuroprotective activity. In the present integrative review, the authors focus on the effects of cannabis on the different cognitive domains, including learning, consolidation, and retrieval. The present study is the first attempt in which significant focus has been imparted on all three aspects of cognition, thus linking to its usage. Furthermore, the investigators have also depicted the current legal position of cannabis in India and the requirement for reforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandi Niloy
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Tousif Ahmed Hediyal
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Chandrasekaran Vichitra
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Sharma Sonali
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Saravana Babu Chidambaram
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Vasavi Rakesh Gorantla
- Department of Anatomical Science, St. George’s University, University Centre, St. Georges FZ818, Grenada
- Correspondence: (V.R.G.); (A.M.M.)
| | - Arehally M. Mahalakshmi
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, SS Nagar, Mysore 570015, Karnataka, India
- Correspondence: (V.R.G.); (A.M.M.)
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Mock ED, Gagestein B, van der Stelt M. Anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines: A class of signaling lipids with therapeutic opportunities. Prog Lipid Res 2023; 89:101194. [PMID: 36150527 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2022.101194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), including N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA), N-oleoylethanolamine (OEA), N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA, anandamide), N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine (DHEA, synaptamide) and their oxygenated metabolites are a lipid messenger family with numerous functions in health and disease, including inflammation, anxiety and energy metabolism. The NAEs exert their signaling role through activation of various G protein-coupled receptors (cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, GPR55, GPR110, GPR119), ion channels (TRPV1) and nuclear receptors (PPAR-α and PPAR-γ) in the brain and periphery. The biological role of the oxygenated NAEs, such as prostamides, hydroxylated anandamide and DHEA derivatives, are less studied. Evidence is accumulating that NAEs and their oxidative metabolites may be aberrantly regulated or are associated with disease severity in obesity, metabolic syndrome, cancer, neuroinflammation and liver cirrhosis. Here, we comprehensively review NAE biosynthesis and degradation, their metabolism by lipoxygenases, cyclooxygenases and cytochrome P450s and the biological functions of these signaling lipids. We discuss the latest findings and therapeutic potential of modulating endogenous NAE levels by inhibition of their degradation, which is currently under clinical evaluation for neuropsychiatric disorders. We also highlight NAE biosynthesis inhibition as an emerging topic with therapeutic opportunities in endocannabinoid and NAE signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot D Mock
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University and Oncode Institute, Einsteinweg 55, Leiden 2333 CC, The Netherlands
| | - Berend Gagestein
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University and Oncode Institute, Einsteinweg 55, Leiden 2333 CC, The Netherlands
| | - Mario van der Stelt
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University and Oncode Institute, Einsteinweg 55, Leiden 2333 CC, The Netherlands.
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5
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Tanaka M, Zhang Y. Preclinical Studies of Posttraumatic Headache and the Potential Therapeutics. Cells 2022; 12:cells12010155. [PMID: 36611947 PMCID: PMC9818317 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic headache (PTH) attributed to traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a secondary headache developed within 7 days after head injury, and in a substantial number of patients PTH becomes chronic and lasts for more than 3 months. Current medications are almost entirely relied on the treatment of primary headache such as migraine, due to its migraine-like phenotype and the limited understanding on the PTH pathogenic mechanisms. To this end, increasing preclinical studies have been conducted in the last decade. We focus in this review on the trigeminovascular system from the animal studies since it provides the primary nociceptive sensory afferents innervating the head and face region, and the pathological changes in the trigeminal pathway are thought to play a key role in the development of PTH. In addition to the pathologies, PTH-like behaviors induced by TBI and further exacerbated by nitroglycerin, a general headache inducer through vasodilation are reviewed. We will overview the current pharmacotherapies including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibody and sumatriptan in the PTH animal models. Given that modulation of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system has been well-documented in the treatment of migraine and TBI, the therapeutic potential of eCB in PTH will also be discussed.
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Ahmed I, Rehman SU, Shahmohamadnejad S, Zia MA, Ahmad M, Saeed MM, Akram Z, Iqbal HMN, Liu Q. Therapeutic Attributes of Endocannabinoid System against Neuro-Inflammatory Autoimmune Disorders. Molecules 2021; 26:3389. [PMID: 34205169 PMCID: PMC8199938 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, various sites like cannabinoid receptors (CBR) having a binding affinity with cannabinoids are distributed on the surface of different cell types, where endocannabinoids (ECs) and derivatives of fatty acid can bind. The binding of these substance(s) triggers the activation of specific receptors required for various physiological functions, including pain sensation, memory, and appetite. The ECs and CBR perform multiple functions via the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1); cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), having a key effect in restraining neurotransmitters and the arrangement of cytokines. The role of cannabinoids in the immune system is illustrated because of their immunosuppressive characteristics. These characteristics include inhibition of leucocyte proliferation, T cells apoptosis, and induction of macrophages along with reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion. The review seeks to discuss the functional relationship between the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and anti-tumor characteristics of cannabinoids in various cancers. The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for cancer-both in vivo and in vitro clinical trials-has also been highlighted and reported to be effective in mice models in arthritis for the inflammation reduction, neuropathic pain, positive effect in multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes mellitus, and found beneficial for treating in various cancers. In human models, such studies are limited; thereby, further research is indispensable in this field to get a conclusive outcome. Therefore, in autoimmune disorders, therapeutic cannabinoids can serve as promising immunosuppressive and anti-fibrotic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishtiaq Ahmed
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China;
- School of Medical Science, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia;
| | - Saif Ur Rehman
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China;
| | - Shiva Shahmohamadnejad
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14176-13151, Iran;
| | - Muhammad Anjum Zia
- Enzyme Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan; (M.A.Z.); (M.M.S.)
| | - Muhammad Ahmad
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (SBBUVAS), Sakrand 67210, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Muzammal Saeed
- Enzyme Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan; (M.A.Z.); (M.M.S.)
| | - Zain Akram
- School of Medical Science, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia;
| | - Hafiz M. N. Iqbal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, 64849 Monterrey, Mexico;
| | - Qingyou Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China;
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7
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Hermes DJ, Jacobs IR, Key MC, League AF, Yadav-Samudrala BJ, Xu C, McLane VD, Nass SR, Jiang W, Meeker RB, Ignatowska-Jankowska BM, Lichtman AH, Li Z, Wu Z, Yuan H, Knapp PE, Hauser KF, Fitting S. Escalating morphine dosing in HIV-1 Tat transgenic mice with sustained Tat exposure reveals an allostatic shift in neuroinflammatory regulation accompanied by increased neuroprotective non-endocannabinoid lipid signaling molecules and amino acids. J Neuroinflammation 2020; 17:345. [PMID: 33208151 PMCID: PMC7672881 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01971-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) and opiates cause long-term inflammatory insult to the central nervous system (CNS) and worsen disease progression and HIV-1-related neuropathology. The combination of these proinflammatory factors reflects a devastating problem as opioids have high abuse liability and continue to be prescribed for certain patients experiencing HIV-1-related pain. METHODS Here, we examined the impact of chronic (3-month) HIV-1 transactivator of transcription (Tat) exposure to short-term (8-day), escalating morphine in HIV-1 Tat transgenic mice that express the HIV-1 Tat protein in a GFAP promoter-regulated, doxycycline (DOX)-inducible manner. In addition to assessing morphine-induced tolerance in nociceptive responses organized at spinal (i.e., tail-flick) and supraspinal (i.e., hot-plate) levels, we evaluated neuroinflammation via positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using the [18F]-PBR111 ligand, immunohistochemistry, and cytokine analyses. Further, we examined endocannabinoid (eCB) levels, related non-eCB lipids, and amino acids via mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Tat-expressing [Tat(+)] transgenic mice displayed antinociceptive tolerance in the tail withdrawal and hot-plate assays compared to control mice lacking Tat [Tat(-)]. This tolerance was accompanied by morphine-dependent increases in Iba-1 ± 3-nitrotryosine immunoreactive microglia, and alterations in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines in the spinal cord and striatum, while increases in neuroinflammation were absent by PET imaging of [18F]-PBR111 uptake. Tat and morphine exposure differentially affected eCB levels, non-eCB lipids, and specific amino acids in a region-dependent manner. In the striatum, non-eCB lipids were significantly increased by short-term, escalating morphine exposure, including peroxisome proliferator activator receptor alpha (PPAR-α) ligands N-oleoyl ethanolamide (OEA) and N-palmitoyl ethanolamide (PEA), as well as the amino acids phenylalanine and proline. In the spinal cord, Tat exposure increased amino acids leucine and valine, while morphine decreased levels of tyrosine and valine but did not affect eCBs or non-eCB lipids. CONCLUSION Overall results demonstrate that 3 months of Tat exposure increased morphine tolerance and potentially innate immune tolerance evidenced by reductions in specific cytokines (e.g., IL-1α, IL-12p40) and microglial reactivity. In contrast, short-term, escalating morphine exposure acted as a secondary stressor revealing an allostatic shift in CNS baseline inflammatory responsiveness from sustained Tat exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Hermes
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ian R Jacobs
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Megan C Key
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alexis F League
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Changqing Xu
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Virginia D McLane
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Sara R Nass
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Wei Jiang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Rick B Meeker
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Aron H Lichtman
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Zibo Li
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Zhanhong Wu
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hong Yuan
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Pamela E Knapp
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Kurt F Hauser
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Sylvia Fitting
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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8
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YÜCEL E, AKTUNA Z, KESKİL İ. Effects of Endocannabinoids in Pentilenetetrazole Induced Seizures In Mice. ACTA MEDICA ALANYA 2020. [DOI: 10.30565/medalanya.690410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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9
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Ghorbani M, Shahabi P, Karimi P, Soltani-Zangbar H, Morshedi M, Bani S, Jafarzadehgharehziaaddin M, Sadeghzadeh-Oskouei B, Ahmadalipour A. Impacts of epidural electrical stimulation on Wnt signaling, FAAH, and BDNF following thoracic spinal cord injury in rat. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:9795-9805. [PMID: 32488870 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Electrical stimulation (ES) has been shown to improve some of impairments after spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The Wnt signaling pathways and the endocannabinoid system appear to be modulated in response to SCI. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ES therapy on the activity of canonical/noncanonical Wnt signaling pathways, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and fatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which regulate endocannabinoids levels. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: (a) Sham, (b) laminectomy + epidural subthreshold ES, (c) SCI, and (d) SCI + epidural subthreshold ES. A moderate contusion SCI was performed at the thoracic level (T10). Epidural subthreshold ES was delivered to upper the level of T10 segment every day (1 hr/rat) for 2 weeks. Then, animals were killed and immunoblotting was used to assess spinal cord parameters. Results revealed that ES intervention for 14 days could significantly increase wingless-type3 (Wnt3), Wnt7, β-catenin, Nestin, and cyclin D1 levels, as well as phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and Jun N-terminal kinase. Additionally, SCI reduced BDNF and FAAH levels, and ES increased BDNF and FAAH levels in the injury site. We propose that ES therapy may improve some of impairments after SCI through Wnt signaling pathways. Outcomes also suggest that BDNF and FAAH are important players in the beneficial impacts of ES therapy. However, the precise mechanism of BDNF, FAAH, and Wnt signaling pathways on SCI requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meysam Ghorbani
- Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Parviz Shahabi
- Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Pouran Karimi
- Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hamid Soltani-Zangbar
- Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Morshedi
- Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Soheila Bani
- Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | | | - Ali Ahmadalipour
- Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Faculty of Medicine, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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10
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Rocha L, Cinar R, Guevara-Guzmán R, Alonso-Vanegas M, San-Juan D, Martínez-Juárez I, Castañeda-Cabral JL, Carmona-Cruz F. Endocannabinoid System and Cannabinoid 1 Receptors in Patients With Pharmacoresistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Comorbid Mood Disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:52. [PMID: 32435186 PMCID: PMC7218130 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental evidence points out that the activation of the endocannabinoid system induces neuroprotective effects and reduces mood disorders. In the hippocampus of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), studies indicated augmented cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) binding, in spite of its low mRNA and protein expressions. Although this situation suggests an enhanced CB1R-induced neurotransmission in patients with MTLE, especially those with pharmacoresistant seizures, which present important neuronal damage and high comorbid mood disorders. The present study focused to investigate the status of CB1R and the endocannabinoid system by obtaining CB1R-induced G-protein signaling efficacy and measuring the tissue levels of endocannabinoids in the hippocampus and the temporal neocortex of patients with pharmacoresistant MTLE. Furthermore, the obtained results were correlated with comorbid anxiety and depression. The experiments revealed that patients with MTLE present increased CB1R-induced G-protein signaling efficacy (Emax) as well as an augmented tissue content of anandamide and oleoylethanolamine and low 2-arachidonoylglycerol. Some of these changes were more evident in patients with MTLE without mood disorders. The current findings indicate that pharmacoresistant MTLE is associated with increased CB1R-induced transductional mechanisms as well as augmented tissue content of specific endocannabinoids in the hippocampus and the temporal neocortex. The enhanced endocannabinoid neurotransmission may be involved in the absence of comorbid mood disorders in some patients with MTLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Rocha
- Department of Pharmacobiology, Center of Research and Advanced Studies, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Resat Cinar
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | | | - Mario Alonso-Vanegas
- National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery "Manuel Velasco Suarez", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel San-Juan
- National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery "Manuel Velasco Suarez", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Iris Martínez-Juárez
- National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery "Manuel Velasco Suarez", Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Francia Carmona-Cruz
- Department of Pharmacobiology, Center of Research and Advanced Studies, Mexico City, Mexico
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11
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Stearoylethanolamide interferes with retrograde endocannabinoid signalling and supports the blood-brain barrier integrity under acute systemic inflammation. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 174:113783. [PMID: 31881191 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.113783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation plays a prominent role in the onset of demyelinating diseases, major depressive disorder and delayed neurodegeneration. An open question remains whether pharmacological suppression of inflammation can effectively reduce the progression of these states. Bioactive lipid mediators such as N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) have an anti-inflammatory activity and are of pharmacological interest due to their endogenous on-demand production and the existence of distinct biological targets in humans and animals. Here we demonstrate for the first time, that treatment with stearoylethanolamide (SEA), a prevailing endogenously formed NAE, is neuroprotective against LPS-induced neuroinflammation in C57BL/6 male mice. SEA restricted the spreading of peripheral inflammation to the brain, and averted the activation of resident microglia and leukocyte trafficking to the brain parenchyma. Treatment with SEA per se increased the neuronal expression of cannabinoid receptors CB1/2 and brain levels of the most potent endogenous CB1/2 agonist 2-arachidonoylglycerol in vivo. SEA enhanced the amplitude of synaptic vesicle release, supported the balanced signal-to-noise ratio in glutamate- and GABAergic neurotransmission and decreased the excitotoxic risk associated with higher extracellular glutamate levels under neuroinflammation. The interference of SEA with the endocannabinoid system and presynaptic neurotransmitter release may represent an intrinsic neuroprotective mechanism that is triggered by inflammation and glutamate excitotoxicity. Thus, our data allows to consider SEA for the preventive therapy of acute and late-onset neuroinflammation-associated synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration.
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12
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Palese F, Pontis S, Realini N, Piomelli D. A protective role for N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D in 6-OHDA-induced neurodegeneration. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15927. [PMID: 31685899 PMCID: PMC6828692 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51799-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) catalyzes the cleavage of membrane NAPEs into bioactive fatty-acid ethanolamides (FAEs). Along with this precursor role, NAPEs might also serve autonomous signaling functions. Here, we report that injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the mouse striatum cause a local increase in NAPE and FAE levels, which precedes neuronal cell death. NAPE, but not FAE, accumulation is enhanced in mice lacking NAPE-PLD, which display a substantial reduction in 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity, as shown by increased survival of substantia nigra dopamine neurons, integrity of striatal dopaminergic fibers, and striatal dopamine metabolite content. Reduced damage is accompanied by attenuation of the motor response evoked by apomorphine. Furthermore, NAPE-PLD silencing protects cathecolamine-producing SH-SY5Y cells from 6-OHDA-induced reactive oxygen species formation, caspase-3 activation and death. Mechanistic studies in mice suggest the existence of multiple molecular contributors to the neuroprotective effects of NAPE-PLD deletion, including suppression of Rac1 activity and attenuated transcription of several genes (Cadps, Casp9, Egln1, Kcnj6, Spen, and Uchl1) implicated in dopamine neuron survival and/or Parkinson's disease. The findings point to a previously unrecognized role for NAPE-PLD in the regulation of dopamine neuron function, which may be linked to the control of NAPE homeostasis in membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Palese
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163, Genoa, Italy
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Silvia Pontis
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Natalia Realini
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA.
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13
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Sarne Y. Beneficial and deleterious effects of cannabinoids in the brain: the case of ultra-low dose THC. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2019; 45:551-562. [PMID: 30864864 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1578366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This article reviews the neurocognitive advantages and drawbacks of cannabinoid substances, and discusses the possible physiological mechanisms that underlie their dual activity. The article further reviews the neurocognitive effects of ultra-low doses of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; 3-4 orders of magnitude lower than the conventional doses) in mice, and proposes such low doses of THC as a possible remedy for various brain injuries and for the treatment of age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Sarne
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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14
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Xu X, Jiang S, Xu E, Wu X, Zhao R. Inhibition of CB1 receptor ameliorates spatial learning and memory impairment in mice with traumatic brain injury. Neurosci Lett 2018; 696:127-131. [PMID: 30576711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an increasingly prevalent condition affecting people of all ages and genders. The impairment of spatial learning and memory is one of the most common effects of TBI. Unfortunately, it currently lacks effective therapeutic interventions. The endocannabinoid (EC) system regulates a diverse array of physiological processes. Here, we found a 6.7-fold increase of 2-AG levels at 1 d post-TBI, declining thereafter. After 5 d, the levels were still 3.3-fold higher than in the controls. AM281, a CB1 receptor antagonist, reversed the TBI-reduced NMDA receptor subunits NR2B in the hippocampus and ameliorate the spatial learning and memory impairment at 7 d post-TBI, suggesting CB1 receptor is involved in the TBI-induced hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and memory impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Xu
- Department of Forensic Clinical Medicine, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China.
| | - Shukun Jiang
- Department of Forensic Clinical Medicine, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Enyu Xu
- Department of Forensic Toxicological Analysis, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Xu Wu
- Department of Forensic Pathology, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Department of Forensic Pathology, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
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15
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Elliott MB, Ward SJ, Abood ME, Tuma RF, Jallo JI. Understanding the endocannabinoid system as a modulator of the trigeminal pain response to concussion. Concussion 2018; 2:CNC49. [PMID: 30202590 PMCID: PMC6122691 DOI: 10.2217/cnc-2017-0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic headache is the most common symptom of postconcussion syndrome and becomes a chronic neurological disorder in a substantial proportion of patients. This review provides a brief overview of the epidemiology of postconcussion headache, research models used to study this disorder, as well as the proposed mechanisms. An objective of this review is to enhance the understanding of how the endogenous cannabinoid system is essential for maintaining the balance of the CNS and regulating inflammation after injury, and in turn making the endocannabinoid system a potential modulator of the trigeminal response to concussion. The review describes the role of endocannabinoid modulation of pain and the potential for use of phytocannabinoids to treat pain, migraine and concussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie B Elliott
- Department of Neurosurgery, Vickie & Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience Thomas Jefferson University, PA 19107, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Vickie & Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience Thomas Jefferson University, PA 19107, USA
| | - Sara J Ward
- Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, PA 19140, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, PA 19140, USA
| | - Mary E Abood
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, PA 19140, USA.,Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, PA 19140, USA
| | - Ronald F Tuma
- Department of Physiology Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, PA 19140, USA.,Department of Physiology Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, PA 19140, USA
| | - Jack I Jallo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Vickie & Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience Thomas Jefferson University, PA 19107, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Vickie & Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience Thomas Jefferson University, PA 19107, USA
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16
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Neuroprotective Action of the CB1/2 Receptor Agonist, WIN 55,212-2, against DMSO but Not Phenobarbital-Induced Neurotoxicity in Immature Rats. Neurotox Res 2018; 35:173-182. [PMID: 30141144 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-018-9944-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The developing brain is uniquely susceptible to drug-induced increases in programmed cell death or apoptosis. Many compounds, including anticonvulsant drugs, anesthetic agents, and ethanol, when administered in a narrow postnatal window in rodents, result in increased pruning of neurons. Here, we report that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) triggers widespread neurodegeneration in the immature (postnatal day, P7) rat brain, an effect consistent with a prior report in neonatal mice. We found that the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN) exerts a neuroprotective effect against DMSO-induced cell death. We extended these findings to determine if WIN is neuroprotective against another drug class known to increase developmental cell death, namely antiseizure drugs. The antiseizure drug phenobarbital (PB) remains the primary treatment for neonatal seizures, despite significantly increasing cell death in the developing rodent brain. WIN exerts antiseizure effects in immature rodent seizure models, but increases the toxicity associated with neonatal ethanol exposure. We thus sought to determine if WIN would protect against or exacerbate PB-induced cell death. Unlike either the prior report with ethanol or our present findings with DMSO, WIN was largely without effect on PB-induced cell death. WIN alone did not increase cell death over levels observed in vehicle-treated rats. These data suggest that WIN has a favorable safety profile in the developing brain and could potentially serve as an adjunct therapy with phenobarbital (albeit one that does not attenuate PB-induced toxicity).
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17
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Paloczi J, Varga ZV, Hasko G, Pacher P. Neuroprotection in Oxidative Stress-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases: Role of Endocannabinoid System Modulation. Antioxid Redox Signal 2018; 29:75-108. [PMID: 28497982 PMCID: PMC5984569 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2017.7144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Redox imbalance may lead to overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) and subsequent oxidative tissue damage, which is a critical event in the course of neurodegenerative diseases. It is still not fully elucidated, however, whether oxidative stress is the primary trigger or a consequence in the process of neurodegeneration. Recent Advances: Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress is involved in the propagation of neuronal injury and consequent inflammatory response, which in concert promote development of pathological alterations characteristic of most common neurodegenerative diseases. CRITICAL ISSUES Accumulating recent evidence also suggests that there is an important interplay between the lipid endocannabinoid system [ECS; comprising the main cannabinoid 1 and 2 receptors (CB1 and CB2), endocannabinoids, and their synthetic and metabolizing enzymes] and various key inflammatory and redox-dependent processes. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Targeting the ECS to modulate redox state-dependent cell death and to decrease consequent or preceding inflammatory response holds therapeutic potential in a multitude of oxidative stress-related acute or chronic neurodegenerative disorders from stroke and traumatic brain injury to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and multiple sclerosis, just to name a few, which will be discussed in this overview. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 29, 75-108.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janos Paloczi
- 1 Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology and Tissue Injury (LCPTI), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Zoltan V Varga
- 1 Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology and Tissue Injury (LCPTI), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - George Hasko
- 2 Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School , Newark, New Jersey
| | - Pal Pacher
- 1 Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology and Tissue Injury (LCPTI), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Bethesda, Maryland
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18
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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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19
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Kossatz E, Silva-Peña D, Suárez J, de Fonseca FR, Maldonado R, Robledo P. Octadecylpropyl Sulfamide Reduces Neurodegeneration and Restores the Memory Deficits Induced by Hypoxia-Ischemia in Mice. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:376. [PMID: 29725299 PMCID: PMC5917089 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The PPAR-α agonist, oleoylethanolamide (OEA) has neuroprotective properties in stroke models. However, its rapid degradation represents a limitation for an effective therapeutic approach. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a stable OEA-modeled compound, octadecylpropyl sulfamide (SUL) on the cognitive, behavioral, cellular and molecular alterations associated with hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in mice. Mice subjected to HI were treated with the PPAR-α antagonist GW6471 (GW) (1 mg/kg) followed 15 min later by SUL (3 and 10 mg/kg). Behavioral, motor, and cognitive tests were carried out 24 h and 7 days after the HI. The levels of microglia, reactive astrocytes and neuronal nuclei were studied using immunofluorescence, and the expression of genes related to the N-acyl-ethanolamides/endocannabinoid signaling systems was determined by qRT-PCR at the end of the experimental sequence. HI induced brain damage in the ipsilateral hippocampus and cortex, which lead to severe memory impairments, and motor coordination deficits. Significant neuronal loss, increased microglia and reactive astrocytes, and compensatory changes in genes associated with the inflammation/immune and endocannabinoid systems were observed in these brain structures of lesioned mice. SUL reversed the memory and motor deficits, decreased the overexpression of microglia and astrocytes, and reduced neurodegeneration induced by HI. Cnr1 and Cnr2 gene expression was modulated by SUL in both sham and HI mice, while Pparα and Faah expression was regulated in HI mice. GW completely blocked the beneficial actions of SUL. These findings suggest that treatment with SUL reduces brain damage and the associated motor and memory deficits induced by HI probably by normalizing the changes in neuroinflammation/immune system mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elk Kossatz
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Silva-Peña
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), UGC Salud Mental, Universidad de Málaga, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan Suárez
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), UGC Salud Mental, Universidad de Málaga, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Fernando R de Fonseca
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), UGC Salud Mental, Universidad de Málaga, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, Spain.,Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patricia Robledo
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.,Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Freundt-Revilla J, Heinrich F, Zoerner A, Gesell F, Beyerbach M, Shamir M, Oevermann A, Baumgärtner W, Tipold A. The endocannabinoid system in canine Steroid-Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis and Intraspinal Spirocercosis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0187197. [PMID: 29408878 PMCID: PMC5800546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocannabinoids (ECs) are involved in immunomodulation, neuroprotection and control of inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). Activation of cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2) is known to diminish the release of pro-inflammatory factors and enhance the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) has been proved to induce the migration of eosinophils in a CB2 receptor-dependent manner in peripheral blood and activate neutrophils independent of CB activation in humans. The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of the endocannabinoid system in two different CNS inflammatory diseases of the dog, i.e. Steroid-Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis (SRMA) and Intraspinal Spirocercosis (IS). The two main endocannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) and 2-AG, were quantified by mass spectrometry in CSF and serum samples of dogs affected with Steroid- Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis in the acute phase (SRMA A), SRMA under treatment with prednisolone (SRMA Tr), intraspinal Spirocercosis and healthy dogs. Moreover, expression of the CB2 receptor was evaluated in inflammatory lesions of SRMA and IS and compared to healthy controls using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Dogs with SRMA A showed significantly higher concentrations of total AG and AEA in serum in comparison to healthy controls and in CSF compared to SRMA Tr (p<0.05). Furthermore, dogs with IS displayed the highest ECs concentrations in CSF, being significantly higher than in CSF samples of dogs with SRMA A (p<0.05). CSF samples that demonstrated an eosinophilic pleocytosis had the highest levels of ECs, exceeding those with neutrophilic pleocytosis, suggesting that ECs have a major effect on migration of eosinophils in the CSF. Furthermore, CB2 receptor expression was found in glial cells in the spinal cord of healthy dogs, whereas in dogs with SRMA and IS, CB2 was strongly expressed not only in glial cells but also on the cellular surface of infiltrating leukocytes (i.e. neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and macrophages) at lesion sites. The present study revealed an upregulated endocannabinoid system in dogs with inflammatory CNS diseases, highlighting the endocannabinoid system as a potential target for treatment of inflammatory CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Freundt-Revilla
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Franciska Heinrich
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexander Zoerner
- Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Felix Gesell
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Beyerbach
- Institute for Biometry, Epidemiology, and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Merav Shamir
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Anna Oevermann
- Department Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang Baumgärtner
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Tipold
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
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21
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Fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597 may protect against kainic acid-induced damage to hippocampal neurons: Dependence on the degree of injury. Epilepsy Res 2017; 137:84-94. [PMID: 28963903 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2017.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Status epilepticus (SE) provokes changes, which lead to neuronal alterations. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) can affect the neuronal survival during excitotoxicity and brain damage. Using a kainic acid (KA)-induced experimental SE model, we investigated whether cellular changes entail damage to endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, and nuclei in hippocampal cells (CA1 field), and whether these alterations can be diminished by treatment with URB597, an inhibitor of eCB enzymatic degradation. MATERIAL AND METHODS SE was induced in Wistar rats by the microinjection of KA into the lateral ventricle. URB597 or a vehicle (10% DMSO) were injected in the same way into the brain of animals 24h after the KA infusion and then daily for the next nine days. The behavior of animals was controlled visually and recorded with a video system. The intensity of SE significantly varied in different animals. Convulsive (stages 3-5 according to the Racine scale) and nonconvulsive seizures (mainly stages 1, 2 and rarely 3, 4) were recognized. RESULTS Two weeks after SE, a significant loss of hippocampal cells occurred in animals with KA injections. In survived cells, ultrastructural alterations in ER, mitochondria, and nuclei of hippocampal neurons were observed. The degree of cell injury depended on the severity of SE. Alterations evoked by moderate seizures were prevented or diminished by URB597, but strong seizures induced mostly irreversible damage. CONCLUSIONS The beneficial impact of the FAAH inhibitor URB597 can give impetus to the development of novel neuroprotective strategies.
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22
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Stanslowsky N, Jahn K, Venneri A, Naujock M, Haase A, Martin U, Frieling H, Wegner F. Functional effects of cannabinoids during dopaminergic specification of human neural precursors derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Addict Biol 2017; 22:1329-1342. [PMID: 27027565 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Revised: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Among adolescents cannabis is one of the most widely used illicit drugs. In adolescence brain development continues, characterized by neuronal maturation and synaptic plasticity. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role during brain development by modulating neuronal function and neurogenesis. Changes in endocannabinoid signaling by Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, might therefore lead to neurobiological changes influencing brain function and behavior. We investigated the functional maturation and dopaminergic specification of human cord blood-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (hCBiPSC)-derived small molecule neural precursor cells (smNPCs) after cultivation with the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (AEA) and the exogenous THC, both potent agonists at the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1 R). Higher dosages of 10-μM AEA or THC significantly decreased functionality of neurons, indicated by reduced ion currents and synaptic activity. A lower concentration of 1-μM THC had no marked effect on neuronal and dopaminergic maturation, while 1-μM AEA significantly enhanced the frequency of synaptic activity. As there were no significant effects on DNA methylation in promotor regions of genes important for neuronal function, these cannabinoid actions seem to be mediated by another than this epigenetic mechanism. Our data suggest that there are concentration-dependent actions of cannabinoids on neuronal function in vitro indicating neurotoxic, dysfunctional effects of 10-μM AEA and THC during human neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kirsten Jahn
- Center for Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Hannover Medical School; Hannover Germany
| | - Anna Venneri
- Department of Neurology; Hannover Medical School; Hannover Germany
| | - Maximilian Naujock
- Department of Neurology; Hannover Medical School; Hannover Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience; Hannover Germany
| | - Alexandra Haase
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery; Hannover Medical School; Hannover Germany
| | - Ulrich Martin
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery; Hannover Medical School; Hannover Germany
- REBIRTH-Cluster of Excellence; Hannover Germany
| | - Helge Frieling
- Center for Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Hannover Medical School; Hannover Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience; Hannover Germany
| | - Florian Wegner
- Department of Neurology; Hannover Medical School; Hannover Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience; Hannover Germany
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23
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Lin L, Metherel AH, Jones PJ, Bazinet RP. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) regulates hypercapnia/ischemia-induced increases in n-acylethanolamines in mouse brain. J Neurochem 2017; 142:662-671. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Lin
- Department of Nutritional Sciences; University of Toronto; Toronto Canada
| | - Adam H. Metherel
- Department of Nutritional Sciences; University of Toronto; Toronto Canada
| | - Peter J. Jones
- Department of Human Nutritional Sciences; University of Manitoba; Winnipeg Canada
| | - Richard P. Bazinet
- Department of Nutritional Sciences; University of Toronto; Toronto Canada
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Fowler CJ, Doherty P, Alexander SPH. Endocannabinoid Turnover. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2017; 80:31-66. [PMID: 28826539 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we consider the biosynthetic, hydrolytic, and oxidative metabolism of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. We describe the enzymes associated with these events and their characterization. We identify the inhibitor profile for these enzymes and the status of therapeutic exploitation, which to date has been limited to clinical trials for fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors. To bring the review to a close, we consider whether point block of a single enzyme is likely to be the most successful approach for therapeutic exploitation of the endocannabinoid system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Doherty
- Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Disease, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Shubina L, Aliev R, Kitchigina V. Endocannabinoid-dependent protection against kainic acid-induced long-term alteration of brain oscillations in guinea pigs. Brain Res 2017; 1661:1-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Metabolomics and neuroanatomical evaluation of post-mortem changes in the hippocampus. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:2831-2853. [PMID: 28285370 PMCID: PMC5541081 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1375-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the human brain is the ultimate goal in neuroscience, but this is extremely challenging in part due to the fact that brain tissue obtained from autopsy is practically the only source of normal brain tissue and also since changes at different levels of biological organization (genetic, molecular, biochemical, anatomical) occur after death due to multiple mechanisms. Here we used metabolomic and anatomical techniques to study the possible relationship between post-mortem time (PT)-induced changes that may occur at both the metabolomics and anatomical levels in the same brains. Our experiments have mainly focused on the hippocampus of the mouse. We found significant metabolomic changes at 2 h PT, whereas the integrity of neurons and glia, at the anatomical/ neurochemical level, was not significantly altered during the first 5 h PT for the majority of histological markers.
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Schurman LD, Lichtman AH. Endocannabinoids: A Promising Impact for Traumatic Brain Injury. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:69. [PMID: 28261100 PMCID: PMC5314139 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) system regulates a diverse array of physiological processes and unsurprisingly possesses considerable potential targets for the potential treatment of numerous disease states, including two receptors (i.e., CB1 and CB2 receptors) and enzymes regulating their endogenous ligands N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide) and 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG). Increases in brain levels of endocannabinoids to pathogenic events suggest this system plays a role in compensatory repair mechanisms. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) pathology remains mostly refractory to currently available drugs, perhaps due to its heterogeneous nature in etiology, clinical presentation, and severity. Here, we review pre-clinical studies assessing the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids and manipulations of the endocannabinoid system to ameliorate TBI pathology. Specifically, manipulations of endocannabinoid degradative enzymes (e.g., fatty acid amide hydrolase, monoacylglycerol lipase, and α/β-hydrolase domain-6), CB1 and CB2 receptors, and their endogenous ligands have shown promise in modulating cellular and molecular hallmarks of TBI pathology such as; cell death, excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, cerebrovascular breakdown, and cell structure and remodeling. TBI-induced behavioral deficits, such as learning and memory, neurological motor impairments, post-traumatic convulsions or seizures, and anxiety also respond to manipulations of the endocannabinoid system. As such, the endocannabinoid system possesses potential drugable receptor and enzyme targets for the treatment of diverse TBI pathology. Yet, full characterization of TBI-induced changes in endocannabinoid ligands, enzymes, and receptor populations will be important to understand that role this system plays in TBI pathology. Promising classes of compounds, such as the plant-derived phytocannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids, and endocannabinoids, as well as their non-cannabinoid receptor targets, such as TRPV1 receptors, represent important areas of basic research and potential therapeutic interest to treat TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aron H. Lichtman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, RichmondVA, USA
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Mass spectrometry imaging of biomarker lipids for phagocytosis and signalling during focal cerebral ischaemia. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39571. [PMID: 28004822 PMCID: PMC5177920 DOI: 10.1038/srep39571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Focal cerebral ischaemia has an initial phase of inflammation and tissue injury followed by a later phase of resolution and repair. Mass spectrometry imaging (desorption electrospray ionization and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization) was applied on brain sections from mice 2 h, 24 h, 5d, 7d, and 20d after permanent focal cerebral ischaemia. Within 24 h, N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamines, lysophosphatidylcholine, and ceramide accumulated, while sphingomyelin disappeared. At the later resolution stages, bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP(22:6/22:6)), 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol, ceramide-phosphate, sphingosine-1-phosphate, lysophosphatidylserine, and cholesteryl ester appeared. At day 5 to 7, dihydroxy derivates of docosahexaenoic and docosapentaenoic acid, some of which may be pro-resolving mediators, e.g. resolvins, were found in the injured area, and BMP(22:6/22:6) co-localized with the macrophage biomarker CD11b, and probably with cholesteryl ester. Mass spectrometry imaging can visualize spatiotemporal changes in the lipidome during the progression and resolution of focal cerebral inflammation and suggests that BMP(22:6/22:6) and N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamines can be used as biomarkers for phagocytizing macrophages/microglia cells and dead neurones, respectively.
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Ligresti A, De Petrocellis L, Di Marzo V. From Phytocannabinoids to Cannabinoid Receptors and Endocannabinoids: Pleiotropic Physiological and Pathological Roles Through Complex Pharmacology. Physiol Rev 2016; 96:1593-659. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00002.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Apart from having been used and misused for at least four millennia for, among others, recreational and medicinal purposes, the cannabis plant and its most peculiar chemical components, the plant cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids), have the merit to have led humanity to discover one of the most intriguing and pleiotropic endogenous signaling systems, the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This review article aims to describe and critically discuss, in the most comprehensive possible manner, the multifaceted aspects of 1) the pharmacology and potential impact on mammalian physiology of all major phytocannabinoids, and not only of the most famous one Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and 2) the adaptive pro-homeostatic physiological, or maladaptive pathological, roles of the ECS in mammalian cells, tissues, and organs. In doing so, we have respected the chronological order of the milestones of the millennial route from medicinal/recreational cannabis to the ECS and beyond, as it is now clear that some of the early steps in this long path, which were originally neglected, are becoming important again. The emerging picture is rather complex, but still supports the belief that more important discoveries on human physiology, and new therapies, might come in the future from new knowledge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Ligresti
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Comprensorio Olivetti, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Luciano De Petrocellis
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Comprensorio Olivetti, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Comprensorio Olivetti, Pozzuoli, Italy
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Bisogno T, Oddi S, Piccoli A, Fazio D, Maccarrone M. Type-2 cannabinoid receptors in neurodegeneration. Pharmacol Res 2016; 111:721-730. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Brose SA, Golovko SA, Golovko MY. Brain 2-Arachidonoylglycerol Levels Are Dramatically and Rapidly Increased Under Acute Ischemia-Injury Which Is Prevented by Microwave Irradiation. Lipids 2016; 51:487-95. [PMID: 27021494 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-016-4144-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The involvement of brain 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in a number of critical physiological and pathophysiological regulatory mechanisms highlights the importance for an accurate brain 2-AG determination. In the present study, we validated head-focused microwave irradiation (MW) as a method to prevent postmortem brain 2-AG alterations before analysis. We compared MW to freezing to prevent 2-AG induction and estimated exogenous and endogenous 2-AG stability upon exposure to MW. Using MW, we measured, for the first time, true 2-AG brain levels under basal conditions, 30 s after brain removal from the cranium, and upon exposure to 5 min of brain global ischemia. Our data indicate that brain 2-AG levels are instantaneously and dramatically increased approximately 60-fold upon brain removal from the cranium. With 5 min of brain global ischemia 2-AG levels are also, but less dramatically, increased 3.5-fold. Our data indicate that brain tissue fixation with MW is a required technique to measure both true basal 2-AG levels and 2-AG alterations under different experimental conditions including global ischemia, and 2-AG is stable upon exposure to MW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A Brose
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, 501 N. Columbia Rd., Grand Forks, ND, 58202-9037, USA
| | - Svetlana A Golovko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, 501 N. Columbia Rd., Grand Forks, ND, 58202-9037, USA
| | - Mikhail Y Golovko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, 501 N. Columbia Rd., Grand Forks, ND, 58202-9037, USA.
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Fernández-Ruiz J, Moro MA, Martínez-Orgado J. Cannabinoids in Neurodegenerative Disorders and Stroke/Brain Trauma: From Preclinical Models to Clinical Applications. Neurotherapeutics 2015; 12:793-806. [PMID: 26260390 PMCID: PMC4604192 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-015-0381-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids form a singular family of plant-derived compounds (phytocannabinoids), endogenous signaling lipids (endocannabinoids), and synthetic derivatives with multiple biological effects and therapeutic applications in the central and peripheral nervous systems. One of these properties is the regulation of neuronal homeostasis and survival, which is the result of the combination of a myriad of effects addressed to preserve, rescue, repair, and/or replace neurons, and also glial cells against multiple insults that may potentially damage these cells. These effects are facilitated by the location of specific targets for the action of these compounds (e.g., cannabinoid type 1 and 2 receptors, endocannabinoid inactivating enzymes, and nonendocannabinoid targets) in key cellular substrates (e.g., neurons, glial cells, and neural progenitor cells). This potential is promising for acute and chronic neurodegenerative pathological conditions. In this review, we will collect all experimental evidence, mainly obtained at the preclinical level, supporting that different cannabinoid compounds may be neuroprotective in adult and neonatal ischemia, brain trauma, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This increasing experimental evidence demands a prompt clinical validation of cannabinoid-based medicines for the treatment of all these disorders, which, at present, lack efficacious treatments for delaying/arresting disease progression, despite the fact that the few clinical trials conducted so far with these medicines have failed to demonstrate beneficial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
| | - María A Moro
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain
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Soltesz I, Alger BE, Kano M, Lee SH, Lovinger DM, Ohno-Shosaku T, Watanabe M. Weeding out bad waves: towards selective cannabinoid circuit control in epilepsy. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:264-77. [PMID: 25891509 PMCID: PMC10631555 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are lipid-derived messengers, and both their synthesis and breakdown are under tight spatiotemporal regulation. As retrograde signalling molecules, endocannabinoids are synthesized postsynaptically but activate presynaptic cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) receptors to inhibit neurotransmitter release. In turn, CB1-expressing inhibitory and excitatory synapses act as strategically placed control points for activity-dependent regulation of dynamically changing normal and pathological oscillatory network activity. Here, we highlight emerging principles of cannabinoid circuit control and plasticity, and discuss their relevance for epilepsy and related comorbidities. New insights into cannabinoid signalling may facilitate the translation of the recent interest in cannabis-related substances as antiseizure medications to evidence-based treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Soltesz
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Bradley E Alger
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
| | - Masanobu Kano
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Sang-Hun Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - David M Lovinger
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Takako Ohno-Shosaku
- Department of Impairment Study, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0942, Japan
| | - Masahiko Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
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Subbanna S, Psychoyos D, Xie S, Basavarajappa BS. Postnatal ethanol exposure alters levels of 2-arachidonylglycerol-metabolizing enzymes and pharmacological inhibition of monoacylglycerol lipase does not cause neurodegeneration in neonatal mice. J Neurochem 2015; 134:276-87. [PMID: 25857698 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The consumption of ethanol by pregnant women may cause neurological abnormalities, affecting learning and memory processes in children, and are collectively described as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes are still poorly understood. In our previous studies, we found that ethanol treatment of postnatal day 7 (P7) mice significantly enhances the anandamide levels but not the 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) levels and induces widespread neurodegeneration, but the reason for the lack of significant effects of ethanol on the 2-AG level is unknown. In this study, we examined developmental changes in diacylglycerol lipase-α, β (DAGL-α and β) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). We found that the levels of these proteins were significantly higher in adult brains compared to those detected early in brain development. Next, we examined the influence of P7 ethanol treatment on these enzymes, finding that it differentially altered the DAGL-α protein and mRNA levels but consistently enhanced those of the DAGL-β. Interestingly, the ethanol treatment enhanced MAGL protein and mRNA levels. Inhibition of MAGL with KML29 failed to induce neurodegeneration in P7 mice. Collectively, these findings suggest that ethanol significantly activates DAGL-β and MAGL in the neonatal brain, resulting in no net change in 2-AG levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivakumar Subbanna
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA
| | - Delphine Psychoyos
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Shan Xie
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA
| | - Balapal S Basavarajappa
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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Kleberg K, Hassing HA, Hansen HS. Classical endocannabinoid-like compounds and their regulation by nutrients. Biofactors 2014; 40:363-72. [PMID: 24677570 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [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: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoid-like compounds are structurally related to the true endocannabinoids but do not contain highly unsaturated fatty acids, and they do not bind the cannabinoid receptors. The classical endocannabinoid-like compounds include N-acylethanolamines and 2-monoacylglycerols, and their structural resemblance to the endocannabinoids makes them players in the endocannabinoid system, where they can interfere with the actions of the true endocannabinoids, because they in several cases engage the same synthesizing and degrading enzymes. In addition they have pharmacological actions of their own, which are particularly interesting in a nutritional and metabolic context. Exogenously supplied oleoylethanolamide, palmitoylethanolamide, and linoleoylethanolamide have anorexic effects, and the endogenous formation of these N-acylethanolamines in the small intestine may serve an important role in regulating food intake, through signaling via PPARα and the vagus nerve to the brain appetite center. A chronic high-fat diet will decrease intestinal levels of these anorectic N-acylethanolamines and this may contribute to the hyperphagic effect of high-fat diet; 2-monoacylglycerols mediate endocrine responses in the small intestine; probably trough activation of GPR119 on enteroendocrine cells, and diet-derived 2-monoacylglycerols, for example, 2-oleoylglycerol and 2-palmitoylglycerol might be important for intestinal fat sensing. Whether these 2-monoacylglycerols have signaling functions in other tissues is unclear at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Kleberg
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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Esposito E, Cordaro M, Cuzzocrea S. Roles of fatty acid ethanolamides (FAE) in traumatic and ischemic brain injury. Pharmacol Res 2014; 86:26-31. [PMID: 24874648 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2014.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ethanolamides of long-chain fatty acids are a class of endogenous lipid mediators generally referred to as N-acylethanolamines (NAEs). NAEs include anti-inflammatory and analgesic palmitoylethanolamide, anorexic oleoylethanolamide, stearoylethanolamide, and the endocannabinoid anandamide. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), associated with a high morbidity and mortality and no specific therapeutic treatment, has become a pressing public health and medical problem. TBI is a complex process evoking systemic immune responses as well as direct local responses in the brain tissues. The direct (primary) damage disrupts the blood-brain barrier (BBB), injures the neurons and initiates a cascade of inflammatory reactions including chemokine production and activation of resident immune cells. The effect of TBI is not restricted to the brain; it can cause multi-organ damage and evoke systemic immune response with cytokine and chemokine production. This facilitates the recruitment of immune cells to the site of injury and progression of the inflammatory reaction. Depending on severity, TBI induces immediate neuropathologic effects that, for the mildest form, may be transient; however, with increasing severity, these injuries cause cumulative neural damage and degeneration. Moreover, TBI leads to increased catabolism of phospholipids, resulting in a series of phospholipid breakdown products, some of which have potent biological activity. Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury resulting from stroke leads to metabolic distress, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, making it likely that multiple therapeutic intervention strategies may be needed for successful treatment. Current therapeutic strategies for stroke need complimentary neuroprotective treatments to provide a better outcome. Prior studies on NAEs have demonstrated neurotrophic/neuroprotective activities across a broad spectrum of cellular and animal models of neurodegenerative and acute cerebrovascular disorders. The present review will summarize our knowledge of the biological role of these lipid signaling molecules in brain and highlights their therapeutic effect from multipotential actions on neuronal cell death and neuroinflammatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Esposito
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Marika Cordaro
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cuzzocrea
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
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Rodríguez-Cueto C, Benito C, Fernández-Ruiz J, Romero J, Hernández-Gálvez M, Gómez-Ruiz M. Changes in CB(1) and CB(2) receptors in the post-mortem cerebellum of humans affected by spinocerebellar ataxias. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 171:1472-89. [PMID: 23808969 PMCID: PMC3954486 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Revised: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a family of chronic progressive neurodegenerative diseases, clinically and genetically heterogeneous, characterized by loss of balance and motor coordination due to degeneration of the cerebellum and its afferent and efferent connections. Unlike other motor disorders, the possible role of changes in the endocannabinoid system in the pathogenesis of SCAs has not been investigated. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The status of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1 ) and cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2 ) receptors in the post-mortem cerebellum of SCA patients and controls was investigated using immunohistochemical procedures. KEY RESULTS Immunoreactivity for the CB1 receptor, and also for the CB2 receptor, was found in the granular layer, Purkinje cells, neurons of the dentate nucleus and areas of white matter in the cerebellum of SCA patients at levels notably higher than controls. Double-labelling procedures demonstrated co-localization of CB1 and, in particular, CB2 receptors with calbindin, supporting the presence of these receptors in Purkinje neurons. Both receptors also co-localized with Iba-1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the granular layer and white matter areas, indicating that they are present in microglia and astrocytes respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our results demonstrate that CB1 and CB2 receptor levels are significantly altered in the cerebellum of SCA patients. Their identification in Purkinje neurons, which are the main cells affected in SCAs, as well as the changes they experienced, suggest that alterations in endocannabinoid receptors may be related to the pathogenesis of SCAs. Therefore, the endocannabinoid system could provide potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of SCAs and its progression. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids 2013. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Rodríguez-Cueto
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad ComplutenseMadrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Benito
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad ComplutenseMadrid, Spain
- Laboratorio de Apoyo a la Investigación, Fundación Hospital AlcorcónMadrid, Spain
| | - Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad ComplutenseMadrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)Madrid, Spain
| | - Julián Romero
- Laboratorio de Apoyo a la Investigación, Fundación Hospital AlcorcónMadrid, Spain
| | - Mariluz Hernández-Gálvez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad ComplutenseMadrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad ComplutenseMadrid, Spain
| | - María Gómez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad ComplutenseMadrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad ComplutenseMadrid, Spain
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Hillard CJ, Liu QS. Endocannabinoid signaling in the etiology and treatment of major depressive illness. Curr Pharm Des 2014; 20:3795-811. [PMID: 24180398 PMCID: PMC4002665 DOI: 10.2174/13816128113196660735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to examine human and preclinical data that are relevant to the following hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that deficient CB1R-mediated signaling results in symptoms that mimic those seen in depression. The second hypothesis is that activation of CB1R-mediated signaling results in behavioral, endocrine and other effects that are similar to those produced by currently used antidepressants. The third hypothesis is that conventional antidepressant therapies act through enhanced CB1R mediated signaling. Together the available data indicate that activators of CB1R signaling, particularly inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase, should be considered for clinical trials for the treatment of depression.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology
- Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/enzymology
- Brain/metabolism
- Brain/pathology
- Cannabis
- Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy
- Depressive Disorder, Major/etiology
- Depressive Disorder, Major/genetics
- Depressive Disorder, Major/pathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Endocannabinoids/genetics
- Endocannabinoids/metabolism
- Humans
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Neurogenesis/drug effects
- Polymorphism, Genetic
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qing-song Liu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226.
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Gesell FK, Zoerner AA, Brauer C, Engeli S, Tsikas D, Tipold A. Alterations of endocannabinoids in cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with epileptic seizure disorder. BMC Vet Res 2013; 9:262. [PMID: 24370333 PMCID: PMC3883475 DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-9-262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders in dogs characterized by recurrent seizures. The endocannabinoid (EC) system plays a central role in suppressing pathologic neuronal excitability and in controlling the spread of activity in an epileptic network. Endocannabinoids are released on demand and their dysregulation has been described in several pathological conditions. Recurrent seizures may lead to an adverse reorganization of the EC system and impairment of its protective effect. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2AG) are altered in epileptic dogs. Concentrations of AEA and total AG (sum of 2AG and 1AG) were measured in 40 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and in 16 unaffected, healthy control dogs using liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry. Results AEA and total AG were measured at 4.94 (3.18 – 9.17) pM and 1.43 (0.90 – 1.92) nM in epileptic dogs and at 3.19 (2.04 – 4.28) pM and 1.76 (1.08 – 2.69) nM in the control group, respectively (median, 25 – 75% percentiles in brackets). The AEA difference between epileptic and healthy dogs was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Values correlated with seizure severity and duration of seizure activity. Dogs with cluster seizures and/or status epilepticus and with seizure activity for more than six months displayed the highest EC concentrations. Conclusion In conclusion, we present the first endocannabinoid measurements in canine CSF and confirm the hypothesis that the EC system is altered in canine idiopathic epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix K Gesell
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany.
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Barricklow J, Blatnik M. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol is a substrate for butyrylcholinesterase: A potential mechanism for extracellular endocannabinoid regulation. Arch Biochem Biophys 2013; 536:1-5. [PMID: 23689009 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2013.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Revised: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 05/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is a component of the endocannabinoid receptor pathway and is primarily hydrolyzed by monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) in vivo. We found that the non-specific serine esterase, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), can hydrolyze 2-AG with reasonable affinity and may present a new compensatory mechanism for endocannabinoid regulation. In vitro hydrolysis reactions of 2-AG with equine BChE were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) positive/negative electrospray ionization (ESI±) to measure the formation of arachidonic acid (AA) and the loss of 2-AG over time (min). The resulting Michaelis-Menten approximations reveal that BChE has affinity towards 2-AG in phosphate buffer at neutral pH (7.4). The calculated Vmax, Km and kcat were 12.1nmols(-1), 57.5μM, and 0.074s(-1), respectively, which produced a diffusion-controlled rate of association (kcat/Km) of 1.3×10(3)M(-1)s(-1). Human BChE 2-AG hydrolysis was measured by immunoprecipitating BChE from fresh plasma and monitoring 2-AG loss and AA formation over time. These findings show that BChE can hydrolyze 2-AG which may be evidence of a more specific role for BChE in endocannabinoid regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Barricklow
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton Laboratories, 558 Eastern Point Rd., Groton, CT 06340, USA
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41
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Wellner N, Diep TA, Janfelt C, Hansen HS. N-acylation of phosphatidylethanolamine and its biological functions in mammals. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2013; 1831:652-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2012.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Revised: 08/30/2012] [Accepted: 08/31/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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42
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Zogopoulos P, Vasileiou I, Patsouris E, Theocharis S. The neuroprotective role of endocannabinoids against chemical-induced injury and other adverse effects. J Appl Toxicol 2013; 33:246-64. [DOI: 10.1002/jat.2828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Zogopoulos
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Ioanna Vasileiou
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Efstratios Patsouris
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- 1st Department of Pathology, Medical School; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens; Greece
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43
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Zogopoulos P, Vasileiou I, Patsouris E, Theocharis SE. The role of endocannabinoids in pain modulation. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2013; 27:64-80. [PMID: 23278562 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Revised: 09/03/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ES) is comprised of cannabinoid (CB) receptors, their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids), and proteins responsible for their metabolism. Endocannabinoids serve as retrograde signaling messengers in GABAergic and glutamatergic synapses, as well as modulators of postsynaptic transmission, that interact with other neurotransmitters. Physiological stimuli and pathological conditions lead to differential increases in brain endocannabinoids that regulate distinct biological functions. Furthermore, endocannabinoids modulate neuronal, glial, and endothelial cell function and exert neuromodulatory, anti-excitotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects. Analgesia is one of the principal therapeutic targets of cannabinoids. Cannabinoid analgesia is based on the suppression of spinal and thalamic nociceptive neurons, but peripheral sites of action have also been identified. The chronic pain that occasionally follows peripheral nerve injury differs fundamentally from inflammatory pain and is an area of considerable unmet therapeutic need. Over the last years, considerable progress has been made in understanding the role of the ES in the modulation of pain. Endocannabinoids have been shown to behave as analgesics in models of both acute nociception and clinical pain such as inflammation and painful neuropathy. The framework for such analgesic effects exists in the CB receptors, which are found in areas of the nervous system important for pain processing and in immune cells that regulate the neuro-immune interactions that mediate the inflammatory hyperalgesia. The purpose of this review is to present the available research and clinical data, up to date, regarding the ES and its role in pain modulation, as well as its possible therapeutic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Zogopoulos
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Goudi, Athens, Greece
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Ottria R, Casati S, Ciuffreda P. (1)H, (13)C and (15)N NMR assignments for N- and O-acylethanolamines, important family of naturally occurring bioactive lipid mediators. MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY : MRC 2012; 50:823-828. [PMID: 23108880 DOI: 10.1002/mrc.3891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 09/19/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The complete (1)H, (13)C and (15)N NMR signal assignments of some N- and O-acylethanolamines, important family of naturally occurring bioactive lipid mediators, were achieved using one-dimensional and two-dimensional experiments (gs-HMQC and gs-HMBC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ottria
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco, Università degli Studi di Milano, via G. B. Grassi, 74-20157, Milano, Italy
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45
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Naidoo V, Karanian DA, Vadivel SK, Locklear JR, Wood JT, Nasr M, Quizon PMP, Graves EE, Shukla V, Makriyannis A, Bahr BA. Equipotent inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase - dual targets of the endocannabinoid system to protect against seizure pathology. Neurotherapeutics 2012; 9:801-13. [PMID: 22270809 PMCID: PMC3480564 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-011-0100-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in the understanding of the endogenous cannabinoid system have led to several therapeutic indications for new classes of compounds that enhance cannabinergic responses. Endocannabinoid levels are elevated during pathogenic conditions, and inhibitors of endocannabinoid inactivation promote such on-demand responses. The endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol have been implicated in protective signaling against excitotoxic episodes, including seizures. To better understand modulatory pathways that can exploit such responses, we used the new generation compound AM6701 that blocks both the anandamide-deactivating enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and the 2-arachidonoyl glycerol-deactivating enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) with equal potency. Also studied was the structural isomer AM6702 which is 44-fold more potent for inhibiting FAAH versus MAGL. When applied before and during kainic acid (KA) exposure to cultured hippocampal slices, AM6701 protected against the resulting excitotoxic events of calpain-mediated cytoskeletal damage, loss of presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins, and pyknotic changes in neurons. The equipotent inhibitor was more effective than its close relative AM6702 at protecting against the neurodegenerative cascade assessed in the slice model. In vivo, AM6701 was also the more effective compound for reducing the severity of KA-induced seizures and protecting against behavioral deficits linked to seizure damage. Corresponding with the behavioral improvements, cytoskeletal and synaptic protection was elicited by AM6701, as found in the KA-treated hippocampal slice model. It is proposed that the influence of AM6701 on FAAH and MAGL exerts a synergistic action on the endocannabinoid system, thereby promoting the protective nature of cannabinergic signaling to offset excitotoxic brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinogran Naidoo
- Biotechnology Research and Training Center, William C. Friday Laboratory, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina 28372 USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina USA
| | - David A. Karanian
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Neurosciences Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts USA
| | | | - Johnathan R. Locklear
- Biotechnology Research and Training Center, William C. Friday Laboratory, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina 28372 USA
| | - JodiAnne T. Wood
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts USA
| | - Mahmoud Nasr
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts USA
| | - Pamela Marie P. Quizon
- Biotechnology Research and Training Center, William C. Friday Laboratory, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina 28372 USA
| | - Emily E. Graves
- Biotechnology Research and Training Center, William C. Friday Laboratory, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina 28372 USA
| | - Vidyanand Shukla
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts USA
| | | | - Ben A. Bahr
- Biotechnology Research and Training Center, William C. Friday Laboratory, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina 28372 USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Neurosciences Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut USA
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46
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Kallendrusch S, Hobusch C, Ehrlich A, Ziebell S, Ueda N, Geisslinger G, Koch M, Dehghani F. Site-specific and time-dependent activation of the endocannabinoid system after transection of long-range projections. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33537. [PMID: 22457773 PMCID: PMC3310878 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background After focal neuronal injury the endocannabinioid system becomes activated and protects or harms neurons depending on cannabinoid derivates and receptor subtypes. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) play a central role in controlling local responses and influencing neural plasticity and survival. However, little is known about the functional relevance of eCBs in long-range projection damage as observed in stroke or spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods In rat organotypic entorhino-hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC) as a relevant and suitable model for investigating projection fibers in the CNS we performed perforant pathway transection (PPT) and subsequently analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamics of eCB levels. This approach allows proper distinction of responses in originating neurons (entorhinal cortex), areas of deafferentiation/anterograde axonal degeneration (dentate gyrus) and putative changes in more distant but synaptically connected subfields (cornu ammonis (CA) 1 region). Results Using LC-MS/MS, we measured a strong increase in arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) levels in the denervation zone (dentate gyrus) 24 hours post lesion (hpl), whereas entorhinal cortex and CA1 region exhibited little if any changes. NAPE-PLD, responsible for biosynthesis of eCBs, was increased early, whereas FAAH, a catabolizing enzyme, was up-regulated 48hpl. Conclusion Neuronal damage as assessed by transection of long-range projections apparently provides a strong time-dependent and area-confined signal for de novo synthesis of eCB, presumably to restrict neuronal damage. The present data underlines the importance of activation of the eCB system in CNS pathologies and identifies a novel site-specific intrinsic regulation of eCBs after long-range projection damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Kallendrusch
- Institute for Anatomy, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Lipid Signaling Forschungszentrum, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Angela Ehrlich
- Institute for Anatomy, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone Ziebell
- Institute for Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Natsuo Ueda
- Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa University, School of Medicine, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Gerd Geisslinger
- Institute for Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marco Koch
- Institute for Anatomy, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Faramarz Dehghani
- Institute for Anatomy, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
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47
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Janfelt C, Wellner N, Leger P, Kokesch‐Himmelreich J, Hansen SH, Charriaut‐Marlangue C, Hansen HS. Visualization by mass spectrometry of 2‐dimensional changes in rat brain lipids, including
N
‐acylphosphatidylethanolamines, during neonatal brain ischemia. FASEB J 2012; 26:2667-73. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.11-201152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Janfelt
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical ChemistryUniversity of CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Niels Wellner
- Department of Pharmacology and PharmacotherapyFaculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Pierre‐Louis Leger
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U676Hôpital Robert DebréUniversite‐Denis Diderot‐Paris 7ParisFrance
| | | | - Steen Honoré Hansen
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical ChemistryUniversity of CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Christiane Charriaut‐Marlangue
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U676Hôpital Robert DebréUniversite‐Denis Diderot‐Paris 7ParisFrance
| | - Harald Severin Hansen
- Department of Pharmacology and PharmacotherapyFaculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenDenmark
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The Cannabinoid WIN 55212-2 Mitigates Apoptosis and Mitochondrial Dysfunction After Hypoxia Ischemia. Neurochem Res 2011; 37:161-70. [DOI: 10.1007/s11064-011-0594-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2011] [Revised: 07/29/2011] [Accepted: 09/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Miller LK, Devi LA. The highs and lows of cannabinoid receptor expression in disease: mechanisms and their therapeutic implications. Pharmacol Rev 2011; 63:461-70. [PMID: 21752875 DOI: 10.1124/pr.110.003491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the endogenous cannabinoid system have been described in almost every category of disease. These changes can alternatively be protective or maladaptive, such as producing antinociception in neuropathic pain or fibrogenesis in liver disease, making the system an attractive therapeutic target. However, the challenge remains to selectively target the site of disease while sparing other areas, particularly mood and cognitive centers of the brain. Identifying regional changes in cannabinoid receptor-1 and -2 (CB(1)R and CB(2)R) expression is particularly important when considering endocannabinoid system-based therapies, because regional increases in cannabinoid receptor expression have been shown to increase potency and efficacy of exogenous agonists at sites of disease. Although there have been extensive descriptive studies of cannabinoid receptor expression changes in disease, the underlying mechanisms are only just beginning to unfold. Understanding these mechanisms is important and potentially relevant to therapeutics. In diseases for which cannabinoid receptors are protective, knowledge of the mechanisms of receptor up-regulation could be used to design therapies to regionally increase receptor expression and thus increase efficacy of an agonist. Alternatively, inhibition of harmful cannabinoid up-regulation could be an attractive alternative to global antagonism of the system. Here we review current findings on the mechanisms of cannabinoid receptor regulation in disease and discuss their therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia K Miller
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Box 1603, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
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50
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Rojo ML, Söderström I, Fowler CJ. Residual effects of focal brain ischaemia upon cannabinoid CB(1) receptor density and functionality in female rats. Brain Res 2010; 1373:195-201. [PMID: 21145311 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2010] [Revised: 11/30/2010] [Accepted: 12/01/2010] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Ischaemic insult results in short-term changes in cannabinoid-1 (CB(1)) receptor expression in the brain, but it is not known whether long-term changes occur, which could potentially mean a change in the intrinsic ability of the brain to withstand new ischaemic episodes. In this study, we have investigated the expression and functionality of CB(1) receptors in coronal brain slices obtained from ovariectomised female rats 46days after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The animals were treated with either 17ß-oestradiol or placebo pellets 6h after MCAO and thereafter housed either in isolated or enriched environments. [(3)H]CP55,940 autoradiography indicated no significant effect of 17ß-oestradiol treatment or housing environment upon CB(1) receptor densities. There was, however, a modest but significant decrease in the CB(1) receptor density on the ipsilateral side relative to the contralateral side in the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, CA1-CA3 regions of the hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus. CB(1) receptor functionality was assessed by measurement of basal and CP55,940-stimulated [(35)S]GTPγS autoradiography. In the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, CA1-CA3 regions of the hippocampus and dentate gyrus, a robust stimulation, blocked by the CB(1) receptor inverse agonist AM251, was seen. There were no significant changes in the response to CP55,940 with respect either to the 17ß-oestradiol treatment, housing environment or MCAO. Our results reveal that although there are modest long-term decreases in ipsilateral CB(1) receptor densities following MCAO in female rats, these decreases do not result in a functional CB(1) receptor deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Rojo
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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