RESUMO
The probability of suffering the mood disorder depression is up to 30% in women and 15% in men during their life span. Pharmacological options for depression are limited: conventional antidepressants have low efficacy and a delayed onset of action (several weeks). Here we investigate the antidepressant actions of inhibitors of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), the major degradative enzyme of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol. A low-dose of MAGL inhibitors produces antidepressant effects on acute stress-exposed mice, through glutamatergic synaptic long-term depression (LTD), without significant effects on chronic corticosterone-exposed mice. In contrast, a high-dose of MAGL inhibitors produces pro- or antidepressant effects on acute stress- or chronic corticosterone-exposed mice, respectively, through GABAergic synaptic disinhibition. In the hippocampus, in vivo inhibition of MAGL induces a CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R)-dependent suppression of inhibitory GABAergic synapses and an in vivo LTD of excitatory glutamatergic synapses. LTD induction requires CB1R in astroglial cells (but not in GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons) and postsynaptic glutamate receptors. The conventional antidepressant fluoxetine produces rapid or delayed antidepressant effects in acute stress- or chronic corticosterone-exposed mice, respectively. We propose that depression-like behavior of animals in response to acute stress is the normal behavioral response, and thus, MAGL inhibitors, which produce antidepressant effects in chronic corticosterone-exposed animals through GABAergic synaptic disinhibition, represent a new class of rapidly-acting and long-lasting antidepressants.
Assuntos
Benzodioxóis/metabolismo , Depressão/metabolismo , Piperidinas/metabolismo , Animais , Antidepressivos/farmacologia , Ácidos Araquidônicos , Benzodioxóis/uso terapêutico , Região CA1 Hipocampal/metabolismo , Depressão/tratamento farmacológico , Endocanabinoides/metabolismo , Endocanabinoides/uso terapêutico , Neurônios GABAérgicos/metabolismo , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Depressão Sináptica de Longo Prazo/efeitos dos fármacos , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Monoacilglicerol Lipases/antagonistas & inibidores , Monoacilglicerol Lipases/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Piperidinas/uso terapêutico , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/metabolismo , Sinapses/metabolismoRESUMO
There are at least two types of cannabinoid receptors (CB(1) and CB(2)). Ligands activating these G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) include the phytocannabinoid Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, numerous synthetic compounds, and endogenous compounds known as endocannabinoids. Cannabinoid receptor antagonists have also been developed. Some of these ligands activate or block one type of cannabinoid receptor more potently than the other type. This review summarizes current data indicating the extent to which cannabinoid receptor ligands undergo orthosteric or allosteric interactions with non-CB(1), non-CB(2) established GPCRs, deorphanized receptors such as GPR55, ligand-gated ion channels, transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, and other ion channels or peroxisome proliferator-activated nuclear receptors. From these data, it is clear that some ligands that interact similarly with CB(1) and/or CB(2) receptors are likely to display significantly different pharmacological profiles. The review also lists some criteria that any novel "CB(3)" cannabinoid receptor or channel should fulfil and concludes that these criteria are not currently met by any non-CB(1), non-CB(2) pharmacological receptor or channel. However, it does identify certain pharmacological targets that should be investigated further as potential CB(3) receptors or channels. These include TRP vanilloid 1, which possibly functions as an ionotropic cannabinoid receptor under physiological and/or pathological conditions, and some deorphanized GPCRs. Also discussed are 1) the ability of CB(1) receptors to form heteromeric complexes with certain other GPCRs, 2) phylogenetic relationships that exist between CB(1)/CB(2) receptors and other GPCRs, 3) evidence for the existence of several as-yet-uncharacterized non-CB(1), non-CB(2) cannabinoid receptors; and 4) current cannabinoid receptor nomenclature.
Assuntos
Receptores de Canabinoides/metabolismo , Agonistas de Receptores de Canabinoides , Antagonistas de Receptores de Canabinoides , Moduladores de Receptores de Canabinoides/metabolismo , Canabinoides/metabolismo , Humanos , Ligantes , Filogenia , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/agonistas , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/metabolismo , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/agonistas , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/metabolismo , Terminologia como AssuntoRESUMO
The G protein coupled receptors CB(1) and CB(2) are targets for the psychoactive constituents of cannabis, chief among them Δ(9)-THC. They are also key components of the multifunctional endogenous cannabinoid signaling system. CB(1) and CB(2) receptors modulate a wide variety of physiological systems including analgesia, memory, mood, reward, appetite and immunity. Identification and characterization of selective CB(1) and CB(2) receptor agonists and antagonists will facilitate understanding the precise physiological and pathophysiological roles of cannabinoid receptors in these systems. This is particularly necessary in the case of CB(2) because these receptors are sparsely expressed and problematic to detect using traditional immunocytochemical approaches. 1-Propyl-2-methyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH015) is an aminoalkylindole that has been employed as a "CB(2)-selective" agonist in more than 40 published papers. However, we have found that JWH015 potently and efficaciously activates CB(1) receptors in neurons. Using murine autaptic hippocampal neurons, which express CB(1), but not CB(2) receptors, we find that JWH015 inhibits excitatory postsynaptic currents with an EC50 of 216nM. JWH015 inhibition is absent in neurons from CB(1)(-/-) cultures and is reversed by the CB(1) antagonist, SR141716 [200nM]. Furthermore, JWH015 partially occludes CB(1)-mediated DSE (â¼35% remaining), an action reversed by the CB(2) antagonist, AM630 [1 and 3µM], suggesting that high concentrations of AM630 also antagonize CB(1) receptors. We conclude that while JWH015 is a CB(2)-preferring agonist, it also activates CB(1) receptors at experimentally encountered concentrations. Thus, CB(1) agonism of JWH015 needs to be considered in the design and interpretation of experiments that use JWH015 to probe CB(2)-signaling.
Assuntos
Indóis/farmacologia , Neurônios/efeitos dos fármacos , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/fisiologia , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/fisiologia , Animais , Potenciais Pós-Sinápticos Excitadores/efeitos dos fármacos , Hipocampo/citologia , Camundongos , Neurônios/fisiologia , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/agonistas , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/agonistas , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/antagonistas & inibidoresRESUMO
Huntington's Disease is associated with motor behavior deficits that are lessened by few therapeutic options. This preliminary study tested if pharmacological inhibition of α/ß-hydrolase domain containing 6 (ABHD6), a multifunctional enzyme expressed in the striatum, rescues behavioral deficits in HdhQ200/200 mice. Previous work has shown that this model exhibits a reduction in spontaneous locomotion and motor coordination at 8 and 10 months of age, with a more severe phenotype in female mice. Semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry analysis indicated no change in striatal ABHD6 expression at 8 months of age, but a 40% reduction by 10 months in female HdhQ200/200 mice compared to female wild-type (WT) littermates. At 8 months of age, acute ABHD6 inhibition rescued motor coordination deficits in female HdhQ200/200 mice without affecting WT performance. ABHD6 inhibition did not impact spontaneous locomotion, grip strength, or overall weight in either group, showing that effects were specific to motor coordination. At 10 months of age, semi-chronic ABHD6 inhibition by osmotic pump delivery also rescued motor coordination deficits in female HdhQ200/200 mice without affecting female WT littermates. Our preliminary study suggests that ABHD6 inhibition improves motor performance in female HdhQ200/200 mice.
RESUMO
Nestled within feeding circuits, the oval (ov) region of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNST) may be critical for monitoring energy balance through changes in synaptic strength. Here we report that bidirectional plasticity at ovBNST GABA synapses was tightly linked to the caloric state of male rats, seesawing between long-term potentiation (iLTP, fed) and depression (iLTD, food restricted). L-α-lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) acting on GPR55 receptors and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) through CB1R were respectively responsible for fed (iLTP) and food restricted (iLTD) states. Thus, we have characterized a potential gating mechanism within the ovBNST that may signal metabolic state within the rat brain feeding circuitry.
Assuntos
Plasticidade Neuronal , Receptores de Canabinoides/fisiologia , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/fisiologia , Resposta de Saciedade/fisiologia , Núcleos Septais/fisiologia , Animais , Técnicas de Inativação de Genes , Potenciais Pós-Sinápticos Inibidores , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Ratos Long-Evans , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/genética , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/fisiologia , Receptores de Canabinoides/genética , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/genética , Sinapses/fisiologia , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/fisiologiaRESUMO
Brain endocannabinoids (eCB), acting primarily via the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1r), are involved in the regulation of many physiological processes, including behavioral responses to stress. A significant neural target of eCB action is the stress-responsive norepinephrine (NE) system, whose dysregulation is implicated in myriad psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Using Western blot analysis, the protein expression levels of a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the eCB 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), diacylglycerol lipase-α (DGL-α), and two eCB degrading enzymes monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) were examined in a mouse model that lacks the NE-synthesizing enzyme, dopamine ß-hydroxylase (DßH-knockout, KO) and in rats treated with N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine hydrochloride (DSP-4). In the prefrontal cortex (PFC), DGL-α protein expression was significantly increased in male and female DßH-KO mice (Pâ¯<â¯0.05) compared to wild-type (WT) mice. DßH-KO male mice showed significant decreases in FAAH protein expression compared to WT male mice. Consistent with the DßH-KO results, DGL-α protein expression was significantly increased in male DSP-4-treated rats (Pâ¯<â¯0.05) when compared to saline-treated controls. MGL and FAAH protein expression levels were significantly increased in male DSP-4 treated rats compared to male saline controls. Finally, we investigated the anatomical distribution of MGL and FAAH in the NE containing axon terminals of the PFC using immunoelectron microscopy. MGL was predominantly within presynaptic terminals while FAAH was localized to postsynaptic sites. These results suggest that the eCB system may be more responsive in males than females under conditions of NE perturbation, thus having potential implications for sex-specific treatment strategies of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
RESUMO
Rearing rats in isolation has been shown to produce behavioral and neurochemical alterations similar to those observed in psychoses such as schizophrenia. Also, a dysregulation in both the endocannabinoid and dopaminergic systems has been implicated in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to determine if there are differences in CB1 receptor and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) protein expression, as well as D2 dopamine receptor expression in different brain regions in rats reared in different environmental conditions. Twenty-one-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were either reared in individual cages (isolated rats) or in group cages of six per cage (group-housed rats) for 8 weeks. Quantitative fluorescence immunohistochemistry was performed on brain slices using antibodies specific to the CB1 or D2 receptor, or the enzyme FAAH. Raising rats in isolation led to a significant decrease in CB1 receptor expression in the caudate putamen and the amygdala, a significant increase in FAAH expression in the caudate putamen and the nucleus accumbens core and shell, and no significant change in D2 receptor expression in any region studied. These results indicate that the endocannabinoid system is altered in an animal model of aspects of psychosis. This implies that rearing rats under different housing conditions may provide new insight into the role of the endocannabinoid system in the development of psychoses.
Assuntos
Amidoidrolases/biossíntese , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/biossíntese , Receptores de Dopamina D2/biossíntese , Isolamento Social , Animais , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Microscopia de Fluorescência , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-DawleyRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Vascular smooth muscle proliferation and migration triggered by inflammatory stimuli are involved in the development and progression of atherosclerosis and restenosis. Cannabinoids may modulate cell proliferation in various cell types through cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptors. Here, we investigated the effects of CB2 receptor agonists on TNF-alpha-induced proliferation, migration and signal transduction in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: HCASMCs were stimulated with TNF-alpha. Smooth muscle proliferation was determined by the extent of BrdU incorporation and the migration was assayed by modified Boyden chamber. CB2 and/or CB1 receptor expressions were determined by immunofluorescence staining, western blotting, RT-PCR, real-time PCR and flow cytometry. KEY RESULTS: Low levels of CB2 and CB1 receptors were detectable in HCASMCs compared to the high levels of CB2 receptors expressed in THP-1 monocytes. TNF-alpha triggered up to approximately 80% increase (depending on the method used) in CB2 receptor mRNA and/or protein expression in HCASMCs, and induced Ras, p38 MAPK, ERK 1/2, SAPK/JNK and Akt activation, while increasing proliferation and migration. The CB2 agonists, JWH-133 and HU-308, dose-dependently attenuated these effects of TNF-alpha. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Since the above-mentioned TNF-alpha-induced phenotypic changes are critical in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and restenosis, our findings suggest that CB2 agonists may offer a novel approach in the treatment of these pathologies by decreasing vascular smooth muscle proliferation and migration.
Assuntos
Movimento Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Músculo Liso Vascular/citologia , Músculo Liso Vascular/efeitos dos fármacos , Miócitos de Músculo Liso/efeitos dos fármacos , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/agonistas , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/antagonistas & inibidores , Anticorpos/farmacologia , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Western Blotting , Células Cultivadas , Citometria de Fluxo , Técnica Direta de Fluorescência para Anticorpo , Genes ras/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Proteínas Quinases Ativadas por Mitógeno/fisiologia , Miócitos de Músculo Liso/metabolismo , Proteína Oncogênica v-akt/genética , Proteína Oncogênica v-akt/fisiologia , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/biossíntese , Receptor CB2 de Canabinoide/imunologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Transdução de Sinais/efeitos dos fármacos , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/genética , Regulação para Cima/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: N-arachidonoyl ethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) are endogenous cannabinoids binding to the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 to modulate neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in primary afferent neurons. To investigate the compartmentalization of the machinery for AEA and 2-AG signalling, we studied their partitioning into lipid raft fractions isolated from a dorsal root ganglion X neuroblastoma cell line (F-11). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: F-11 cells were homogenized and fractionated using a detergent-free OptiPrep density gradient. All lipids were partially purified from methanolic extracts of the fractions on solid phase cartridges and quantified using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Protein distribution was determined by Western blotting. KEY RESULTS: Under basal conditions, the endogenous cannabinoid AEA was present in both lipid raft and specific non-lipid raft fractions as was one of its biosynthetic enzymes, NAPE-PLD. The 2-AG precursor 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycerol (DAG), diacylglycerol lipase alpha (DAGLalpha), which cleaves DAG to form 2-AG, and 2-AG were all co-localized with lipid raft markers. CB1 receptors, previously reported to partition into lipid raft fractions, were not detected in F-11 membranes, but CB2 receptors were detected at high levels and partitioned into non-lipid raft fractions. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The biochemical machinery for the production of 2-AG via the putative diacylglycerol pathway is localized within lipid rafts, suggesting that 2-AG synthesis via DAG occurs within these microdomains. The observed co-localization of AEA, 2-AG, and their synthetic enzymes with the reported localization of CB1 raises the possibility of intrinsic-autocrine signalling within lipid raft domains and/or retrograde-paracrine signalling.
Assuntos
Moduladores de Receptores de Canabinoides/metabolismo , Endocanabinoides , Gânglios Espinais/metabolismo , Microdomínios da Membrana/metabolismo , Ácido Araquidônico/metabolismo , Ácidos Araquidônicos/farmacologia , Western Blotting , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Diglicerídeos/metabolismo , Gânglios Espinais/citologia , Glicerídeos/farmacologia , Humanos , Indicadores e Reagentes , Espectrometria de Massas , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismo , Prostaglandinas/metabolismoRESUMO
Following the discovery in the brain of the bonyfish Fugu rubripes of two genes encoding for type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1A and CB1B), investigations on the phylogeny of these receptors have indicated that the cannabinergic system is highly conserved. Among the multiple functions modulated by cannabinoids/endocannabinoids through the CB1 receptors one of the more investigated is the mammalian reproduction. Therefore, since studies performed in animal models other than mammals might provide further insight into the biology of these signalling molecules, the major aim of the present paper was to review the comparative data pointing toward the endocannabinoid involvement in the reproductive control of non-mammalian vertebrates, namely bonyfish and amphibians. The expression and distribution of CB1 receptors were investigated in the CNS and gonads of two teleosts, Pelvicachromis pulcher and Carassius auratus as well as in the anuran amphibians Xenopus laevis and Rana esculenta. In general the large diffusion of neurons targeted by cannabinoids in both fish and amphibian forebrain indicate endocannabinoids as pivotal local messengers in several neural circuits involved in either sensory integrative activities, like the olfactory processes (in amphibians) and food response (in bonyfish), or neuroendocrine machinery (in both). By using immunohistochemistry for CB1 and GnRH-I, the codistribution of the two signalling molecules was found in the fish basal telencephalon and preoptic area, which are key centers for gonadotropic regulation in all vertebrates. A similar topographical codistribution was observed also in the septum of the telencephalon in Rana esculenta and Xenopus laevis. Interestingly, the double standard immunofluorescence on the same brain section, aided with a laser confocal microscope, showed that in anurans a subset of GnRH-I neurons exhibited also the CB1 immunostaining. The fact that CB1-LI-IR was found indeed in the FSH gonadotrophs of the Xenopus pituitary gland and CB1 receptors together with the fatty acid amide hydrolase, the degradative enzyme of the endocannabinoid anandamide, were demonstrated in both bonyfish and frog gonads, strongly suggests that endocannabinoids are involved in central and peripheral gonadotropic functions of teleosts and amphibians.
Assuntos
Anfíbios/fisiologia , Moduladores de Receptores de Canabinoides/metabolismo , Endocanabinoides , Peixes/fisiologia , Reprodução/fisiologia , Animais , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/metabolismoRESUMO
Endocannabinoids are powerful modulators of synaptic transmission that act on presynaptic cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) is the dominant receptor in the CNS, and is present in many brain regions, including sensory cortex. To investigate the potential role of CB1 receptors in cortical development, we examined the developmental expression of CB1 in rodent primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex, using immunohistochemistry with a CB1-specific antibody. We found that before postnatal day (P) 6, CB1 receptor staining was present exclusively in the cortical white matter, and that CB1 staining appeared in the gray matter between P6 and P20 in a specific laminar pattern. CB1 staining was confined to axons, and was most prominent in cortical layers 2/3, 5a, and 6. CB1 null (-/-) mice showed altered anatomical barrel maps in layer 4, with enlarged inter-barrel septa, but normal barrel size. These results indicate that CB1 receptors are present in early postnatal development and influence development of sensory maps.
Assuntos
Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento/fisiologia , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/metabolismo , Córtex Somatossensorial/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Córtex Somatossensorial/metabolismo , Fatores Etários , Animais , Animais Recém-Nascidos , Mapeamento Encefálico , Feminino , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Ratos , Ratos Long-Evans , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/deficiênciaRESUMO
[N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxyamide] (SR 141716A), a selective cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, injected into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) of male rats, induces penile erection. This effect is mediated by the release of glutamic acid, which in turn activates central oxytocinergic neurons mediating penile erection. Double immunofluorescence studies with selective antibodies against CB1 receptors, glutamic acid transporters (vesicular glutamate transporters 1 and 2 (VGlut1 and VGlut2), glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 (GAD67) and oxytocin itself, have shown that CB1 receptors in the PVN are located mainly in GABAergic terminals and fibers surrounding oxytocinergic cell bodies. As GABAergic synapses in the PVN impinge directly on oxytocinergic neurons or on excitatory glutamatergic synapses, which also impinge on oxytocinergic neurons, these results suggest that the blockade of CB1 receptors decreases GABA release in the PVN, increasing in turn glutamatergic neurotransmission to activate oxytocinergic neurons mediating penile erection. Autoradiography studies with [(3)H](-)-CP 55,940 show that chronic treatment with SR 141716A for 15 days twice daily (1 mg/kg i.p.) significantly increases the density of CB1 receptors in the PVN. This increase occurs concomitantly with an almost twofold increase in the pro-erectile effect of SR 141716A injected into the PVN as compared with control rats. The present findings confirm that PVN CB1 receptors, localized mainly in GABAergic synapses that control in an inhibitory fashion excitatory synapses, exert an inhibitory control on penile erection, demonstrating for the first time that chronic blockade of CB1 receptors by SR 141716A increases the density of these receptors in the PVN. This increase is related to an enhanced pro-erectile effect of SR 141716A, which is still present 3 days after the end of the chronic treatment.
Assuntos
Inibição Neural/efeitos dos fármacos , Núcleo Hipotalâmico Paraventricular/metabolismo , Ereção Peniana/fisiologia , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/metabolismo , Animais , Ácido Glutâmico/metabolismo , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Microinjeções , Inibição Neural/fisiologia , Neurotransmissores/administração & dosagem , Ocitocina/metabolismo , Núcleo Hipotalâmico Paraventricular/efeitos dos fármacos , Núcleo Hipotalâmico Paraventricular/fisiologia , Ereção Peniana/efeitos dos fármacos , Piperidinas/administração & dosagem , Pirazóis/administração & dosagem , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/antagonistas & inibidores , Rimonabanto , Comportamento Sexual Animal/efeitos dos fármacos , Comportamento Sexual Animal/fisiologia , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Distribuição Tecidual , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/metabolismoRESUMO
Endocannabinoids, acting via type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1), are known to be involved in short-term synaptic plasticity via retrograde signaling. Strong depolarization of the postsynaptic neurons is followed by the endocannabinoid-mediated activation of presynaptic CB1 receptors, which suppresses GABA and/or glutamate release. This phenomenon is termed depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI) or excitation (DSE), respectively. Although both phenomena have been reported to be present in the basal ganglia, the anatomical substrate for these actions has not been clearly identified. Here we investigate the high-resolution subcellular localization of CB1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens, striatum, globus pallidus and substantia nigra, as well as in the internal capsule, where the striato-nigral and pallido-nigral pathways are located. In all examined nuclei of the basal ganglia, we found that CB1 receptors were located on the membrane of axon terminals and preterminal axons. Electron microscopic examination revealed that the majority of these axon terminals were GABAergic, giving rise to mostly symmetrical synapses. Interestingly, preterminal axons showed far more intense staining for CB1, especially in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra, whereas their terminals were only faintly stained. Non-varicose, thin unmyelinated fibers in the internal capsule also showed strong CB1-labeling, and were embedded in bundles of myelinated CB1-negative axons. The majority of CB1 receptors labeled by immunogold particles were located in the axonal plasma membrane (92.3%), apparently capable of signaling cannabinoid actions. CB1 receptors in this location cannot directly modulate transmitter release, because the release sites are several hundred micrometers away. Interestingly, both the CB1 agonist, WIN55,212-2, as well as its antagonist, AM251, were able to block action potential generation, but via a CB1 independent mechanism, since the effects remained intact in CB1 knockout animals. Thus, our electrophysiological data suggest that these receptors are unable to influence action potential propagation, thus they may not be functional at these sites, but are likely being transported to the terminal fields. The present data are consistent with a role of endocannabinoids in the control of GABA, but not glutamate, release in the basal ganglia via presynaptic CB1 receptors, but also call the attention to possible non-CB1-mediated effects of widely used cannabinoid ligands on action potential generation.
Assuntos
Potenciais de Ação/fisiologia , Gânglios da Base/ultraestrutura , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/ultraestrutura , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/ultraestrutura , Potenciais de Ação/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Animais Geneticamente Modificados , Gânglios da Base/metabolismo , Benzoxazinas , Bloqueadores dos Canais de Cálcio/farmacologia , Moduladores de Receptores de Canabinoides/metabolismo , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Microscopia Eletrônica de Transmissão , Morfolinas/farmacologia , Naftalenos/farmacologia , Técnicas de Cultura de Órgãos , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Piperidinas/farmacologia , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/metabolismo , Pirazóis/farmacologia , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Receptor CB1 de Canabinoide/metabolismo , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/efeitos dos fármacos , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/metabolismoRESUMO
Cannabinoids and opioids are widely consumed drugs of abuse that produce motor depression, in part via respective activation of the cannabinoid subtype 1 receptor (CB1R) and the mu-opioid receptor (muOR), in the striatal circuitry originating in the caudate putamen nucleus (CPN). Thus, the CB1R and muOR may show similar targeting in the CPN. To test this hypothesis, we examined the electron microscopic immunocytochemical labeling of CB1R and muOR in CPN patches of rat brain. Of the CB1R-labeled profiles, 34% (588) were dendrites, presumably arising from spiny as well as aspiny-type somata, which also contained CB1R immunoreactivity. In dendrites, CB1R often was localized to nonsynaptic and synaptic plasma membranes, particularly near asymmetric excitatory-type junctions. Almost one-half of the CB1R-labeled dendrites contained muOR immunoreactivity, whereas only 20% of all muOR-labeled dendrites expressed CB1R. Axons and axon terminals as well as abundant glial processes also showed plasmalemmal CB1R and were mainly without muOR immunoreactivity. Many CB1R-labeled axon terminals were small and without recognizable synaptic junctions, but a few also formed asymmetric, or more rarely symmetric, synapses. The CB1R-labeled glial processes were often perivascular or perisynaptic, surrounding asymmetric excitatory-type axospinous synapses. Our results show that in CPN patches CB1R and muOR are targeted strategically to some of the same postsynaptic neurons, which may account for certain similarities in motor function. Furthermore, they also provide evidence that CB1R may play a major role in the modulation of presynaptic transmitter release and glial functions that are unaffected in large part by opioids active at muOR in CPN.
Assuntos
Núcleo Caudado/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Putamen/metabolismo , Receptores de Droga/metabolismo , Receptores Opioides mu/metabolismo , Animais , Axônios/metabolismo , Axônios/ultraestrutura , Núcleo Caudado/ultraestrutura , Dendritos/metabolismo , Dendritos/ultraestrutura , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Microscopia Eletrônica , Neuroglia/metabolismo , Neuroglia/ultraestrutura , Neurônios/ultraestrutura , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/metabolismo , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/ultraestrutura , Putamen/ultraestrutura , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Receptores de Canabinoides , Membranas Sinápticas/metabolismo , Membranas Sinápticas/ultraestruturaRESUMO
To understand the functional significance and mechanisms of action in the CNS of endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids, it is crucial to identify the neural elements that serve as the structural substrate of these actions. We used a recently developed antibody against the CB1 cannabinoid receptor to study this question in hippocampal networks. Interneurons with features typical of basket cells showed a selective, intense staining for CB1 in all hippocampal subfields and layers. Most of them (85.6%) contained cholecystokinin (CCK), which corresponded to 96.9% of all CCK-positive interneurons, whereas only 4.6% of the parvalbumin (PV)-containing basket cells expressed CB1. Accordingly, electron microscopy revealed that CB1-immunoreactive axon terminals of CCK-containing basket cells surrounded the somata and proximal dendrites of pyramidal neurons, whereas PV-positive basket cell terminals in similar locations were negative for CB1. The synthetic cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 (0.01-3 microM) reduced dose-dependently the electrical field stimulation-induced [3H]GABA release from superfused hippocampal slices, with an EC50 value of 0. 041 microM. Inhibition of GABA release by WIN 55,212-2 was not mediated by inhibition of glutamatergic transmission because the WIN 55,212-2 effect was not reduced by the glutamate blockers AP5 and CNQX. In contrast, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR 141716A (1 microM) prevented this effect, whereas by itself it did not change the outflow of [3H]GABA. These results suggest that cannabinoid-mediated modulation of hippocampal interneuron networks operate largely via presynaptic receptors on CCK-immunoreactive basket cell terminals. Reduction of GABA release from these terminals is the likely mechanism by which both endogenous and exogenous CB1 ligands interfere with hippocampal network oscillations and associated cognitive functions.
Assuntos
Canabinoides , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Interneurônios/metabolismo , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/química , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/metabolismo , Receptores de Droga/fisiologia , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/metabolismo , Animais , Colecistocinina/análise , Hipocampo/citologia , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/análise , Parvalbuminas/análise , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Receptores de Canabinoides , Receptores de Droga/análise , Frações Subcelulares/metabolismoRESUMO
Cannabinoids are the most popular illicit drugs used for recreational purposes worldwide. However, the neurobiological substrate of their mood-altering capacity has not been elucidated so far. Here we report that CB1 cannabinoid receptors are expressed at high levels in certain amygdala nuclei, especially in the lateral and basal nuclei, but are absent in other nuclei (e.g., in the central nucleus and in the medial nucleus). Expression of the CB1 protein was restricted to a distinct subpopulation of GABAergic interneurons corresponding to large cholecystokinin-positive cells. Detailed electron microscopic investigation revealed that CB1 receptors are located presynaptically on cholecystokinin-positive axon terminals, which establish symmetrical GABAergic synapses with their postsynaptic targets. The physiological consequence of this particular anatomical localization was investigated by whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in principal cells of the lateral and basal nuclei. CB1 receptor agonists WIN 55,212-2 and CP 55,940 reduced the amplitude of GABA(A) receptor-mediated evoked and spontaneous IPSCs, whereas the action potential-independent miniature IPSCs were not significantly affected. In contrast, CB1 receptor agonists were ineffective in changing the amplitude of IPSCs in the rat central nucleus and in the basal nucleus of CB1 knock-out mice. These results suggest that cannabinoids target specific elements in neuronal networks of given amygdala nuclei, where they presynaptically modulate GABAergic synaptic transmission. We propose that these anatomical and physiological features, characteristic of CB1 receptors in several forebrain regions, represent the neuronal substrate for endocannabinoids involved in retrograde synaptic signaling and may explain some of the emotionally relevant behavioral effects of cannabinoid exposure.
Assuntos
Tonsila do Cerebelo/metabolismo , Receptores de Droga/metabolismo , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/metabolismo , Tonsila do Cerebelo/citologia , Tonsila do Cerebelo/efeitos dos fármacos , Analgésicos/farmacologia , Animais , Benzoxazinas , Moduladores de Receptores de Canabinoides , Canabinoides/farmacologia , Colecistocinina/biossíntese , Cicloexanóis/farmacologia , Interneurônios/efeitos dos fármacos , Interneurônios/metabolismo , Interneurônios/ultraestrutura , Masculino , Potenciais da Membrana/efeitos dos fármacos , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Morfolinas/farmacologia , Naftalenos/farmacologia , Rede Nervosa/efeitos dos fármacos , Rede Nervosa/fisiologia , Inibição Neural/efeitos dos fármacos , Inibição Neural/fisiologia , Especificidade de Órgãos , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/metabolismo , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/ultraestrutura , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Receptores de Canabinoides , Receptores de Droga/agonistas , Receptores de GABA-A/metabolismoRESUMO
Channels from KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 genes have been suggested to underlie the neuronal M-type K(+) current. The M current is modulated by muscarinic agonists via G-proteins and an unidentified diffusible cytoplasmic messenger. Using whole-cell clamp, we studied tsA-201 cells in which cloned KCNQ2/KCNQ3 channels were coexpressed with M(1) muscarinic receptors. Heteromeric KCNQ2/KCNQ3 currents were modulated by the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine-M (oxo-M) in a manner having all of the characteristics of modulation of native M current in sympathetic neurons. Oxo-M also produced obvious intracellular Ca(2+) transients, observed by using indo-1 fluorescence. However, modulation of the current remained strong even when Ca(2+) signals were abolished by the combined use of strong intracellular Ca(2+) buffers, an inhibitor of IP(3) receptors, and thapsigargin to deplete Ca(2+) stores. Muscarinic modulation was not blocked by staurosporine, a broad-spectrum protein kinase inhibitor, arguing against involvement of protein kinases. The modulation was not associated with a shift in the voltage dependence of channel activation. Homomeric KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 channels also expressed well and were modulated individually by oxo-M, suggesting that the motifs for modulation are present on both channel subtypes. Homomeric KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 currents were blocked, respectively, at very low and at high concentrations of tetraethylammonium ion. Finally, when KCNQ2 subunits were overexpressed by intranuclear DNA injection in sympathetic neurons, total M current was fully modulated by the endogenous neuronal muscarinic signaling mechanism. Our data further rule out Ca(2+) as the diffusible messenger. The reconstitution of muscarinic modulation of the M current that uses cloned components should facilitate the elucidation of the muscarinic signaling mechanism.
Assuntos
Neurônios/química , Neurônios/fisiologia , Canais de Potássio/genética , Receptores Muscarínicos/genética , Animais , Antracenos/farmacologia , Atropina/farmacologia , Cálcio/metabolismo , Sinalização do Cálcio/efeitos dos fármacos , Sinalização do Cálcio/fisiologia , Células Cultivadas , Quelantes/farmacologia , Clonagem Molecular , Citoplasma/metabolismo , Ácido Egtázico/análogos & derivados , Ácido Egtázico/farmacologia , Inibidores Enzimáticos/farmacologia , Etilmaleimida/farmacologia , Proteínas de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Expressão Gênica/fisiologia , Humanos , Canal de Potássio KCNQ2 , Canal de Potássio KCNQ3 , Masculino , Agonistas Muscarínicos/farmacologia , Antagonistas Muscarínicos/farmacologia , Neurônios/citologia , Oxotremorina/farmacologia , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Canais de Potássio/metabolismo , Canais de Potássio de Abertura Dependente da Tensão da Membrana , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Receptores Muscarínicos/metabolismo , Sistemas do Segundo Mensageiro/fisiologia , Estaurosporina/farmacologia , Gânglio Cervical Superior/citologia , Tetraetilamônio/farmacologia , Tapsigargina/farmacologiaRESUMO
Desensitization of cannabinoid receptor signaling by a G-protein coupled receptor kinase (GRK) was examined using the Xenopus oocyte expression system. Application of a CB1 agonist, WIN 55,212-2, evoked a concentration-dependent increase in K+ conductance (Kir3) in oocytes coexpressing rat CB1 with the G-protein-gated, inwardly rectifying K+ channels Kir3.1 and Kir3.4. Desensitization was slight during continuous agonist application in the absence of GRK and arrestin. However, coexpression of GRK3 and beta-arrestin 2 (beta-arr2) caused profound homologous CB1 receptor desensitization, supporting the hypothesis that GRK3 and beta-arr2 effectively produce CB1 receptor desensitization. To identify the regions of the CB1 receptor responsible for GRK3- and beta-arr2-mediated desensitization, we constructed several CB1 receptor mutants. Truncation of the C-terminal tail of CB1 receptor at residue 418 (Delta418) almost completely abolished desensitization but did not affect agonist activation of Kir3. In contrast, truncation at residues 439 and 460 did not significantly affect GRK3- and beta-arr2-dependent desensitization. A deletion mutant (Delta418-439) did not desensitize, indicating that residues within this region are important for GRK3- and beta-arr2-mediated desensitization. Phosphorylation in this region was likely involved in desensitization, because mutation of either of two putative phosphorylation sites (S426A or S430A) significantly attenuated desensitization. CB1 receptors rapidly internalize after activation by agonist. Phosphorylation of S426 or S430 was not necessary for internalization, because the S426A/S430A CB1 mutant internalized when stably expressed in AtT20 cells. These studies establish that CB1 desensitization can be regulated by a GRK and that different receptor domains are involved in GRK- and beta-arrestin-dependent desensitization and CB1 internalization.
Assuntos
Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Receptores de Droga/fisiologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Benzoxazinas , Testes Genéticos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Morfolinas/farmacologia , Mutação , Naftalenos/farmacologia , Oócitos , Fosforilação , Canais de Potássio/efeitos dos fármacos , Canais de Potássio/fisiologia , Receptores de Canabinoides , Receptores de Droga/química , Receptores de Droga/genética , XenopusRESUMO
Agonist-induced internalization of G-protein-coupled receptors is an important mechanism for regulating receptor abundance and availability at the plasma membrane. In this study we have used immunolabeling techniques and confocal microscopy to investigate agonist-induced internalization and trafficking of CB(1) receptors in rat cultured hippocampal neurons. The levels of cell surface CB(1) receptor immunoreactivity associated with presynaptic GABAergic terminals decreased markedly (by up to 84%) after exposure to the cannabinoid agonist (+)-WIN55212, in a concentration-dependent (0.1-1 microm) and stereoselective manner. Inhibition was maximal at 16 hr and abolished in the presence of SR141716A, a selective CB(1) receptor antagonist. Methanandamide (an analog of an endogenous cannabinoid, anandamide) also reduced cell surface labeling (by 43% at 1 microm). Differential labeling of cell surface and intracellular pools of receptor demonstrated that the reduction in cell surface immunoreactivity reflects agonist-induced internalization and suggests that the internalized CB(1) receptors are translocated toward the soma. The internalization process did not require activated G-protein alpha(i) or alpha(o) subunits. A different pattern of cell surface CB(1) receptor expression was observed using an undifferentiated F-11 cell line, which had pronounced somatic labeling. In these cells substantial CB(1) receptor internalization was also observed after exposure to (+)-WIN55212 (1 microm) for relatively short periods (30 min) of agonist exposure. In summary, this dynamic modulation of CB(1) receptor expression may play an important role in the development of cannabinoid tolerance in the CNS. Agonist-induced internalization at presynaptic terminals has important implications for the modulatory effects of G-protein-coupled receptors on neurotransmitter release.
Assuntos
Hipocampo/metabolismo , Morfolinas/farmacologia , Naftalenos/farmacologia , Receptores de Droga/metabolismo , Animais , Benzoxazinas , Células Cultivadas , Proteínas de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Hipocampo/efeitos dos fármacos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Microscopia Confocal , Ratos , Receptores de CanabinoidesRESUMO
Cannabinoids have been shown to modulate the inhibitory effect of cholecystokinin-containing GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus via type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1 receptor). Although immunohistochemical studies, using pre-embedding techniques, have demonstrated that these receptors are abundant on GABAergic axon terminals, little is known about their exact location relative to the synapse. Here we used two recently developed antibodies against the CB1 receptor to study this question with the postembedding immunogold method, which allows the quantitative examination of receptor distribution along the axonal membrane, even within the synaptic active zone. CB1 receptor positive terminals target both the dendritic and somatic surface of neurons in the CA1 area of the rat hippocampus. We found no difference between these two populations of terminals either in their CB1 receptor density or in the distribution of receptors on their membrane. Recent studies suggest that endocannabinoids play a role in retrograde signaling at these synapses, i.e. signaling molecules diffuse from the postsynaptic membrane to nearby presynaptic terminals. Therefore, we examined the distribution of CB1 receptors on the terminal membranes. We found that they are rare in the synaptic active zone, but are enriched in the perisynaptic annulus, where they can directly influence synaptic calcium channels. Perisynaptic CB1 receptors represent about one tenth of all CB1 receptors in a terminal. In contrast, CB1 receptors have a lower density on the extrasynaptic membrane of terminals far from the postsynaptic cell. We estimated that these terminals contain exceptionally large numbers of CB1 receptors, i.e. a single axon terminal was usually labeled with more than 450 particles. An unexpected finding was that the density of CB1 receptors was significantly higher on preterminal axons than on synaptic terminals. These observations suggest that endocannabinoid signaling may subserve roles other than simply reducing transmitter release from axon terminals.