Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The basic premise underlying the cannabinoid pharmacophore is that at least three functional groups are involved in the interaction between the ligand and the receptor and that these functional groups in delta 9-THC comprise (a) C11, (b) the phenolic hydroxyl, and (c) the side chain. In order to assess the relative importance of the C11 position and the side chain, a series of C11 substituted analogs were prepared which contained a dimethylheptyl side chain. Consistent with previous studies, incorporation of a dimethylheptyl side chain dramatically enhanced both pharmacological potency in mice and receptor affinity. Incorporation of a hydroxy at C11 along with this branched side chain resulted in an extremely potent cannabinoid with ED50S of 0.01, 0.04, 0.16 and 0.04 mumol/kg in depression of spontaneous activity, reduction in body temperature, antinociception, and immobility, respectively. This compound was also very potent as a discriminative stimulus in a drug discrimination procedure and exhibited an extended duration of action. Its high affinity for the cannabinoid receptor (Ki = 400 pM) was consistent with this pharmacological potency. Incorporation of an oxo rather than a hydroxy reduced potency somewhat, although this analog was much more potent than delta 9-THC in most behavioral assays. The most striking observation was that incorporation of a carboxylic acid to form 11-nor-delta 9-THC-DMH-9-carboxylic acid did not eliminate pharmacological activity. This analog was as potent as delta 9-THC. The improbability that all three of the functional groups are interacting in a similar fashion with the receptor provides further support that the C11 position is not an essential requirement for activity. On the other hand, it is possible that substituents in the C9 region are interacting somewhere within or near the same site, but differently.
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PMID:Pharmacological evaluation of dimethylheptyl analogs of delta 9-THC: reassessment of the putative three-point cannabinoid-receptor interaction. 779 17

Although a receptor exists for cannabinoid drugs, it is uncertain which pharmacological actions this receptor mediates. This structure-activity relationship investigation was initiated to determine which effects might correspond to binding affinity for the cannabinoid receptor, as well as to explore the binding requirements of this site. The ability of nearly 60 cannabinoids to displace [3H]CP-55,940 [(-)-3-[2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl) phenyl]-4-[3-hydroxy propyl] cyclohexan-1-ol] was determined before establishing correlations between receptor affinity and in vivo pharmacological potency. Analysis of [3H]CP-55,940 binding indicated a Hill coefficient of 0.97, a Bmax of 499 pM (3.3 pmol/mg of protein) and an apparent Kd of 924 pM. Closer inspection indicated the binding assay exhibited "zone B" characteristics, and use of correction equations indicated a true Kd for CP-55,940 of 675 pM. The structure-activity relationship indicated the importance of side chain structure to high-affinity binding, with the most potent analogs (K1 < 10 nM) possessing either a dimethylheptyl side-chain, a similarly complex branched side chain or a halogen substituent at the 5' position. Comparative analysis of K1 values to in vivo potency in a mouse model indicated a high degree of correlation between parameters for the depression of spontaneous locomotor activity (r = 0.91) and for the production of antinociception (r = 0.90), hypothermia (r = 0.89) and catalepsy (r = 0.85). Similarly high correlations were demonstrated between binding affinity and in vivo potency in both the rat drug discrimination model (r = 0.81) and for psychotomimetic activity in humans (r = 0.88).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Cannabinoid structure-activity relationships: correlation of receptor binding and in vivo activities. 847 8

Recent breakthroughs in cannabinoid research, including the identification of two cannabinoid receptors (CB receptors) and a family of endogenous ligands, the anandamides, may shed new light on the sequelae of pre- and perinatal exposure to cannabinoid receptor ligands and enable the experimental manipulation of the endogenous ligand in the developing organism. In the present study we examined the behavioural response to anandamide (ANA) in developing mice from day 13 into adulthood. We observed that depression of ambulation in an open field and the analgetic response to ANA are not fully developed until adulthood. In a separate set of experiments, we administered five daily injections of ANA (SC, 20 mg/kg) during the last trimester of pregnancy. No effects on birth weight, litter size, sex ratio and eye opening were detected after maternal ANA treatment. Further, no effects on open field performance of the offspring were observed until 4 weeks of age. However, from 40 days of age, a number of differences between the prenatal ANA and control offspring were detected. Thus, the offspring from ANA-treated dams showed impaired responsiveness to a challenge with ANA or delta 0-THC expressed as a lack of immobility in the ring test for catalepsy, hypothermia and analgesia. On the other hand, without challenge, they exhibited a spontaneous decrease in open field activity, catalepsy, hypothermia and a hypoalgetic tendency. These data suggest that exposure to excessive amounts of ANA during gestation alters the functioning of the ANA-CB receptor system. Further experiments investigating responsivity of the immune system suggest an increased inflammatory response to arachidonic acid, and enhanced hypothermic response to lipopolysaccharide in prenatally treated offspring. The results are discussed in relation to other manipulations of the maternal milieu, especially prenatal stress. It is concluded that alterations induced by prenatal exposure to ANA, cannabinoids and other psychotropic drugs or prenatal stress, share common features, but the data also suggest specific effects on the ANA-CB receptor system.
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PMID:Developmental aspects of anandamide: ontogeny of response and prenatal exposure. 877 60

Arachidonic acid ethanolamide (anandamide) is a brain constituent that binds to the brain cannabinoid receptor (CB1). It produces many of the pharmacological effects caused by delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) in mice. Anandamide parallels delta 9-THC in its specific interaction with the cannabinoid receptor and in inhibition of adenylate cyclase. Two additional fatty acid ethanolamides that bind to the cannabinoid receptor, homo-gamma-linolenylethanolamide and docostetraenylethanolamide, have been identified in the brain. We believe that the anandamides are involved in the coordination of movement and short term memory. Depression of ambulation in an open field and the analgetic response to anandamide are not fully developed until adulthood, possibly due to an age-related increase in the CB1 receptor concentration. This observation has clinical implications in pediatrics. A second cannabinoid receptor (CB2) is present in the spleen. A monoglyceride, 2-arachidonyl-glycerol which binds to both CB1 and CB2 in transfected cells and inhibits andenylate cyclase in spleen cells was found in the gut. Its role is apparently associated with the immune system. These fatty acids amides and esters represent a new family of chemical modulators in the body.
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PMID:Endogenous cannabinoid ligands--chemical and biological studies. 890 44

The objective of the present study was to determine the neurobehavioral effects of the putative endogenous cannabinoid ligand, anandamide, and its influence on cannabinoid (CB1) receptor gene expression. The effect of acute administration of anandamide to C57BL/6, DBA/2, and ICR mice were evaluated in motor function and emotionality tests. The C57BL/6 and ICR mouse strains were more sensitive than the DBA/2 strain to the depression of locomotor activity and stereotyped behavior caused by anandamide. Although anandamide produced catalepsy in all three strains, anandamide induced ataxia in the minus-maze test only in the C57BL/6 animals and only at the lowest dose used. In the plus-maze test system, anandamide produced a mild aversive response, and by the third day of treatment the mouse strains developed an intense aversion to the open arms of the plus-maze. Northern analysis data using the recently cloned mouse cannabinoid receptor cDNA as a probe indicated that there was abundant expression of CB1 gene in the whole brain of the ICR mouse than in the brains of the C57BL/6 and DBA/2 strains with or without pretreatment with anandamide. The anandamide induced neurobehavioral profile does not seem to correspond to the CB1 gene expression in the mouse strains. It is, therefore, unlikely that the CB1 receptor mediates all the cannabinomimetic effects of anandamide in the brain.
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PMID:Neurobehavioral effects of anandamide and cannabinoid receptor gene expression in mice. 943 4

We have found that phosphorylation of a G-protein-coupled receptor by protein kinase C (PKC) disrupts modulation of ion channels by the receptor. In AtT-20 cells transfected with rat cannabinoid receptor (CB1), the activation of an inwardly rectifying potassium current (Kir current) and depression of P/Q-type calcium channels by cannabinoids were prevented by stimulation of protein kinase C by 100 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). In contrast, activation of Kir current by somatostatin was unaffected, and inhibition of calcium channels was only modestly attenuated. The possibility that PKC acted by phosphorylating CB1 receptors was confirmed by demonstrating that PKC phosphorylated a single serine (S317) of a fusion protein incorporating the third intracellular loop of CB1. Mutating this serine to alanine did not affect the ability of CB1 to modulate currents, but it eliminated disruption by PMA, demonstrating that PKC can disrupt ion channel modulation by receptor phosphorylation.
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PMID:Protein kinase C disrupts cannabinoid actions by phosphorylation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. 952

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 impairments produced by marijuana, we studied the effects of cannabinoid receptor activation on two models of learning and memory, long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), in hippocampal slices. Although LTP and LTD of CA1 field potentials were blocked by cannabinoid receptor activation in the presence of Mg(2+), they could be induced after Mg(2+) was removed. Similarly, LTP and LTD of whole-cell EPSCs were unimpaired in the presence of cannabinoid receptor agonist when the postsynaptic membrane was depolarized during the LTP or LTD induction protocol. Cannabinoid receptor activation also reduced EPSCs and enhanced paired-pulse facilitation, while having no effect on the amplitude of spontaneous miniature EPSCs. Finally, as with cannabinoid receptor activation, inhibition of LTP by adenosine receptor activation could be overcome by removal of Mg(2+) or depolarization of the postsynaptic membrane during tetanus. Our results indicate that cannabinoid receptor activation does not directly inhibit the molecular mechanisms responsible for long-term synaptic plasticity but instead impairs LTP and LTD by reducing presynaptic neurotransmitter release to a level below that required to depolarize the postsynaptic membrane to relieve Mg(2+) blockade of NMDA receptors.
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PMID:Mechanism of cannabinoid effects on long-term potentiation and depression in hippocampal CA1 neurons. 1043 37

Cannabinoids, such as marijuana, are known to impair learning and memory perhaps through their actions in the hippocampus where cannabinoid receptors are expressed at high density. Although cannabinoid receptor activation decreases glutamatergic synaptic transmission in cultured hippocampal neurons, the mechanisms of this action are not known. Cannabinoid receptor activation also inhibits calcium channels that support neurotransmitter release in these cells, making modulation of these channels a candidate for cannabinoid-receptor-mediated effects on synaptic transmission. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings of glutamatergic neurons cultured from the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus were used to identify the mechanisms of the effects of cannabinoids on synaptic transmission. Cannabinoid receptor activation reduced excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) size by approximately 50% but had no effect on the amplitude of spontaneous miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs). This reduction in EPSC size was accompanied by an increase in paired-pulse facilitation measured in low (1 mM) extracellular calcium and by a decrease in paired-pulse depression measured in normal (2.5 mM) extracellular calcium. Together, these results strongly support the hypothesis that cannabinoid receptor activation decreases EPSC size by reducing release of neurotransmitter presynaptically while having no effect on postsynaptic sensitivity to glutamate. Further experiments were done to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying this cannabinoid-receptor-mediated decrease in neurotransmitter release. Cannabinoid receptor activation had no effect on the size of the presynaptic pool of readily releasable neurotransmitter-filled vesicles, eliminating reduction in pool size as a mechanism for cannabinoid-receptor-mediated effects. After blockade of Q- and N-type calcium channels with omega-agatoxin TK and omega-conotoxin GVIA; however, activation of cannabinoid receptors reduced EPSC size by only 14%. These results indicate that cannabinoid receptor activation reduces the probability that neurotransmitter will be released in response to an action potential via an inhibition of presynaptic Q- and N-type calcium channels. This molecular mechanism most likely contributes to the impairment of learning and memory produced by cannabinoids and may participate in the analgesic, antiemetic, and anticonvulsive effects of these drugs as well.
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PMID:Mechanisms of cannabinoid-receptor-mediated inhibition of synaptic transmission in cultured hippocampal pyramidal neurons. 1048 47

Cannabinoids receptors have been reported to modulate synaptic transmission in many structures of the CNS, but yet little is known about their role in the prefrontal cortex where type I cannabinoid receptor (CB-1) are expressed. In this study, we tested first the acute effects of selective agonists and antagonist of CB-1 on glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in slices of rat prefrontal cortex (PFC). EPSCs were evoked in patch-clamped layer V pyramidal cells by stimulation of layer V afferents. Monosynaptic EPSCs were strongly depressed by bath application (1 microM) of the cannabinoid receptors agonists WIN55212-2 (-50.4 +/- 8.8%) and CP55940 (-42.4 +/- 10.9%). The CB-1 antagonist SR141716A reversed these effects. Unexpectedly, SR141716A alone produced a significant increase of glutamatergic synaptic transmission (+46.9 +/- 11.2%), which could be partly reversed by WIN55212-2. In the presence of strontium in the bath, the frequency but not the amplitude of asynchronous synaptic events evoked in layer V pyramidal cells by stimulating layer V afferents, was markedly decreased (-54.2 +/- 8%), indicating a presynaptic site of action of cannabinoids at these synapses. Tetanic stimulation (100 pulses at 100 Hz, 4 trains) induced in control condition, no changes (n = 7/18), long-term depression (LTD; n = 6/18), or long-term potentiation (LTP; n = 5/18) of monosynaptic EPSCs evoked by stimulation of layer V afferents. When tetanus was applied in the presence of WIN 55,212-2 or SR141716-A (1 microM) in the bath, the proportion of "nonplastic" cells were not significantly changed (n = 7/15 in both cases). For the plastic ones (n = 8 in both cases), WIN 55,212-2 strongly favored LTD (n = 7/8) at the apparent expense of LTP (n = 1/8), whereas the opposite effect was observed with SR141716-A (7/8 LTP; 1/8 LTD). These results demonstrate that cannabinoids influence glutamatergic synaptic transmission and plasticity in the PFC of rodent.
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PMID:Cannabinoids modulate synaptic strength and plasticity at glutamatergic synapses of rat prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons. 1084 48

We report a type of synaptic modulation that involves retrograde signaling from postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) to presynaptic cannabinoid receptors. Activation of mGluR subtype 1 (mGluR1) expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) reduced neurotransmitter release from excitatory climbing fibers. This required activation of G proteins but not Ca2+ elevation in postsynaptic PCs. This effect was occluded by a cannabinoid agonist and totally abolished by cannabinoid antagonists. Depolarization-induced Ca2+ transients in PCs also caused cannabinoid receptor-mediated presynaptic inhibition. Thus, endocannabinoid production in PCs can be initiated by two distinct stimuli. Activation of mGluR1 by repetitive stimulation of parallel fibers, the other excitatory input to PCs, caused transient cannabinoid receptor-mediated depression of climbing fiber input. Our data highlight a signaling mechanism whereby activation of postsynaptic mGluR retrogradely influences presynaptic functions via endocannabinoid system.
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PMID:Presynaptic inhibition caused by retrograde signal from metabotropic glutamate to cannabinoid receptors. 1151 2


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