The dopamine precursor L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) has been used as an effective drug for treating dopamine depletion-induced Parkinson's disease (PD). However, long-term administration of L-DOPA produces motor complications. L-DOPA has also been found to modify the two key signaling cascades, protein kinase A/dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa (DARPP-32) and extrac...

Previous studies have shown that mice primed with Corynebacterium parvum produce higher levels of inflammatory cytokines than unprimed mice upon challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Herein, we describe experiments in which two cannabinoid (CB) agonists, WIN 55212-2 [(R)-(+)-[2, 3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(4-morpholinyl)methyl]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]1, 4-benzoxazin-6-yl](1-naphthyl)methanone) and HU-21...

Numerous evidence indicate that Cannabis derivatives may serve as positive reinforcers in rodents, yet the hypothesis whereby genetic or gender related factors may influence drug taking behaviour has not been tested in laboratory animals. In this study we verified whether rat strain, sex and ovariectomy might be critical in the initiation, retention and extinction of the self-administration (SA...

Cannabinoid CB1 receptor and cholecystokinin-1 (CCK(1)) receptors are located in peripheral nerve terminals of the gut, where they mediate satiety signals. Here we describe a detailed analysis of the interaction of both receptors in the control of feeding of food-deprived rats. Male Wistar rats were deprived for food 24h before testing. Rats were pre-treated with SR141716A (Rimonabant) or WIN 5...

Objective(s) The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cannabinoid on cortical spreading depression (CSD) in rat brain. Cannabis has been used for centuries for both symptomatic and prophylactic treatment of different types of headaches including migraine. CSD is believed to be a putative neuronal mechanism underlying migraine aura and subsequent pain. Materials and Methods T...

Antonelli, T., M. C. Tomasini, et al. (2005). "Prenatal Exposure to the CB1 Receptor Agonist WIN 55,212-2 Causes Learning Disruption Associated with Impaired Cortical NMDA Receptor Function and Emotional Reactivity Changes in Rat Offspring." Cereb Cortex. The aim of this study was to investigate whether prenatal exposure to the cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN) at a daily dose...

Cannabinoids, the active components of Cannabis sativaLinnaeus (marijuana) and their derivatives have receivedrenewed interest in recent years due to their diversepharmacologic activities such as cell growth inhibition,anti-inflammatory effects and tumor regression. Here weshow that expression levels of both cannabinoid receptors,CB1 and CB2, are significantly higher in ...