AIM To determine whether Nucb2/nesfatin1 production is regulated by the cannabinoid system through the intracellular mTOR pathway in the stomach. METHODS Sprague Dawley rats were treated with vehicle, rimonabant, rapamycin or rapamycin+rimonabant. Gastric tissue obtained from the animals was used for biochemical assays: Nucb2 mRNA measurement by real time PCR, gastric Nucb2/nesfatin protein c...

The intestinal hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) inhibits food intake via stimulation of vagal afferent neurons (VAN). Recent studies suggest that CCK also regulates the expression of some G protein-coupled receptors and neuropeptide transmitters in these neurons. The aim of the present study was to characterize the expression of cannabinoid (CB)1 receptors in VAN and to determine whether stimulati...

Painful peripheral neuropathy is a dose-limiting complication of chemotherapy. Cisplatin produces a cumulative toxic effect on peripheral nerves, and 30-40% of cancer patients receiving this agent experience pain. By modeling cisplatin-induced hyperalgesia in mice with daily injections of cisplatin (1 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 d, we investigated the anti-hyperalgesic effects of anandamide (AEA) and cy...

Mammalian tissues express at least two types of cannabinoid receptor, CB1 and CB2, both G protein coupled. CB1 receptors are expressed predominantly at nerve terminals where they mediate inhibition of transmitter release. CB2 receptors are found mainly on immune cells, one of their roles being to modulate cytokine release. Endogenous ligands for these receptors (endocannabinoids) also exist. Th...

The cannabinoid CB(1) (CB(1)) and dopamine D(2) (D(2)) receptors are coexpressed in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain involved in such processes as cognition, motor function, and emotional control. Several lines of evidence suggest that CB(1) and D(2) receptors may oligomerize, providing a unique pharmacology in vitro and in vivo. However, limited information exists on the regulation of C...

Glucocorticoid negative feedback in the brain controls stress, feeding, and neural-immune interactions by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, but the mechanisms of inhibition of hypothalamic neurosecretory cells have never been elucidated. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in an acute hypothalamic slice preparation, we demonstrate a rapid suppression of excitatory glutamat...

BACKGROUND T-type calcium channels and cannabinoid receptors are known to play important roles in chronic pain, making them attractive therapeutic targets. We recently reported on the design, synthesis and analgesic properties of a novel T-type channel inhibitor (NMP-7), which also shows mixed agonist activity on CB1 and CB2 receptors in vitro. Here, we analyzed the analgesic effect of systemic...

Background: T-type calcium channels and cannabinoid receptors are known to play important roles in chronic pain, making them attractive therapeutic targets. We recently reported on the design, synthesis and analgesic properties of a novel T-type channel inhibitor (NMP-7), which also shows mixed agonist activity on CB1 and CB2 receptors in vitro. Here, we analyzed the analgesic effect of systemi...