The CB(1) cannabinoid receptor shows complex interactions with intracellular signalling partners, and responses to cannabinoid ligands are likely to be influenced by concomitant inputs modifying the overall tone of signalling cascades. This appears even more relevant as we previously evidenced opposite regulations of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression by the two common cannabinoid agonists HU...

Cannabinoids, the active constituents of marijuana, are known to impair learning and memory. Receptors for cannabinoids are highly expressed in the hippocampus, a brain region that is believed to play an important role in certain forms of learning and memory. To investigate the possible contribution of cannabinoid receptor-mediated deficits in hippocampal function to the learning and memory imp...

AIM To specify the functional activity of cannabinoid CB1 receptor in alcohol-preferring Fawn Hooded and alcohol nonpreferring Wistar rats under naïve conditions. METHOD Cannabinoid CB1 (WIN-55,212)-stimulated [35S]-GTPgammas binding autoradiography, and cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene expression were measured in rats of both strains that received only water. RESULTS Cannabinoid CB1 receptor ...

The cannabinoid system is known to interact with a variety of neuromodulators in the central nervous system and impacts diverse behaviors. Previous studies have demonstrated that limbic norepinephrine is a critical determinant in the behavioral expression of cannabinoid-induced aversion. The present study was carried out to define the adrenergic receptor subtype involved in mediating cannabinoi...

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has been implicated in the mediation of the stress-like and negative affective consequences of withdrawal from drugs of abuse, such as alcohol, cocaine, and opiates. This study sought to determine whether brain CRF systems also have a role in cannabinoid dependence. Rats were treated daily for 2 weeks with the potent synthetic cannabinoid HU-210. Withdrawal,...

We analyzed the role of the cannabinoid system in the cognitive deficits caused by developmentally-induced hypothyroidism. We studied in control and hypothyroid rats the effect of a cannabinoid agonist on spatial memory, hippocampal phosphorylation of CREB and expression of early genes. Our results show that, 1-basal hippocampal expression of early genes and spatial learning are decreased in hy...

It has been hypothesized that tinnitus is a form of sensory epilepsy, arising partly from neuronal hyperactivity in auditory regions of the brain such as the cochlear nucleus and inferior colliculus. Although there is currently no effective drug treatment for tinnitus, anti-epileptic drugs are used in some cases as a potential treatment option. There is increasing evidence to suggest that canna...

Knowledge of the cannabinoid system and its components has expanded greatly over the past decade. There is increasing evidence for its role in the regulation of food intake and appetite. Cannabinoid system activity in the hypothalamus is thought to contribute to the homeostatic regulation of energy balance, under the control of the hormone leptin. A second component of cannabinoid-mediated food...

The effect of unilateral intranigral cannabinoid receptor stimulation on rotational behavior was explored. The potent cannabinoid agonist CP 55,940 (5 and 10 micrograms/0.5 microliter) induced contralateral turning when microinjected unilaterally into the substantia nigra pars reticulata. In addition, the cannabinoid agonist markedly attenuated the contralateral rotation induced by the dopamine...

Previous evidence suggests that the endogenous cannabinoid system could emerge and be operative early during brain development. In the present study, we have explored the distribution of specific binding for cannabinoid receptors in rat brain at gestational day 21 (GD21), postnatal days 5 (PND5) and 30 (PND30), and at adult age (> 70 days after birth) by using autoradiography with [3H]CP-55,940...