The CB1 cannabinoid receptor mediates excitotoxicity-induced neural progenitor proliferation and neurogenesis.

Endocannabinoids are lipid signaling mediators that exert an important neuromodulatory role and confer neuroprotection in several types of brain injury. Excitotoxicity and stroke can induce neural progenitor (NP) proliferation and differentiation as an attempt of neuroregeneration after damage. Here we investigated the mechanism of hippocampal progenitor cell engagement upon excitotoxicity induced by kainic acid administration and the putative involvement of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in this process. Adult NPs express kainate receptors that mediate proliferation and neurosphere generation in vitro via CB1 cannabinoid receptors. Similarly, in vivo studies showed that excitotoxicity-induce…

The CB1Cannabinoid Receptor Drives Corticospinal Motor Neuron Differentiation through the Ctip2/Satb2 Transcriptional Regulation Axis

The generation and specification of pyramidal neuron subpopulations during development relies on a complex network of transcription factors. The CB1cannabinoid receptor is the major molecular target of endocannabinoids and marijuana active compounds. This receptor has been shown to influence neural progenitor proliferation and axonal growth, but its involvement in neuronal differentiation and the functional impact in the adulthood caused by altering its signaling during brain development are not known. Here we show that the CB1receptor, by preventing Satb2 (special AT-rich binding protein 2)-mediated repression, increased Ctip2 (COUP-TF interacting protein 2) promoter activity, and Ctip2-po…

[P2.61]: CB 1 cannabinoid receptors regulate pyramidal neuron layer specification

Loss of striatal type 1 cannabinoid receptors is a key pathogenic factor in Huntington's disease.

Endocannabinoids act as neuromodulatory and neuroprotective cues by engaging type 1 cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are highly abundant in the basal ganglia and play a pivotal role in the control of motor behaviour. An early downregulation of type 1 cannabinoid receptors has been documented in the basal ganglia of patients with Huntington's disease and animal models. However, the pathophysiological impact of this loss of receptors in Huntington's disease is as yet unknown. Here, we generated a double-mutant mouse model that expresses human mutant huntingtin exon 1 in a type 1 cannabinoid receptor-null background, and found that receptor deletion aggravates the symptoms, neuropatholog…

The Endocannabinoid System Promotes Astroglial Differentiation by Acting on Neural Progenitor Cells

Endocannabinoids exert an important neuromodulatory role via presynaptic cannabinoid CB1receptors and may also participate in the control of neural cell death and survival. The function of the endocannabinoid system has been extensively studied in differentiated neurons, but its potential role in neural progenitor cells remains to be elucidated. Here we show that the CB1receptor and the endocannabinoid-inactivating enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase are expressed, bothin vitroandin vivo, in postnatal radial glia (RC2+cells) and in adult nestin type I (nestin+GFAP+) neural progenitor cells. Cell culture experiments show that CB1receptor activation increases progenitor proliferation and differ…