Search results for "DamID"
showing 10 items of 73 documents
Effects of Anandamide and Noxious Heat on Intracellular Calcium Concentration in Nociceptive DRG Neurons of Rats
2007
As an endogenous agonist at the cannabinoid receptor CB1 and the capsaicin-receptor TRPV1, anandamide may exert both anti- and pronociceptive actions. Therefore we studied the effects of anandamide and other activators of both receptors on changes in free cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) in acutely dissociated small dorsal root ganglion neurons (diameter: ≤30 μm). Anandamide (10 μM) increased [Ca2+]iin 76% of the neurons. The EC50was 7.41 μM, the Hill slope was 2.15 ± 0.43 (mean ± SE). This increase was blocked by the competitive TRPV1-antagonist capsazepine (10 μM) and in Ca2+-free extracellular solution. Neither exclusion of voltage-gated sodium channels nor additional blockade of voltage-gate…
Anandamide inhibits IL-12p40 production by acting on the promoter repressor element GA-12: Possible involvement of the COX-2 metabolite prostamide E 2
2007
The eCB [endoCB (cannabinoid)] system is being considered as a novel therapeutic target for immune disorders. Cytokines of the IL-12 (interleukin-12) family have essential functions in cell-mediated immunity. In the present study, we have addressed the mechanisms of action of the eCB AEA (anandamide) on the regulation of IL-12p40 in activated microglia/macrophages. We demonstrated that AEA can inhibit the expression of p35, p19 and p40 subunits, which form the biologically-active cytokines IL-12 and IL-23 in microglia stimulated with LPS (lipopolysaccharide)/IFNγ (interferon γ). Additionally, we have provided evidence that AEA reduces the transcriptional activity of the IL-12p40 gene in LPS…
Masturbation to Orgasm Stimulates the Release of the Endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol in Humans
2017
Abstract Background Endocannabinoids are critical for rewarding behaviors such as eating, physical exercise, and social interaction. The role of endocannabinoids in mammalian sexual behavior has been suggested because of the influence of cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists on rodent sexual activity. However, the involvement of endocannabinoids in human sexual behavior has not been studied. Aim To investigate plasma endocannabinoid levels before and after masturbation in healthy male and female volunteers. Outcomes Plasma levels of the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), anandamide, the endocannabinoid-like lipids oleoyl ethanolamide and palmitoyl ethanolamide, arachido…
Oral Palmitoylethanolamide Treatment Is Associated with Reduced Cutaneous Adverse Effects of Interferon-β1a and Circulating Proinflammatory Cytokines…
2016
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endogenous lipid mediator known to reduce pain and inflammation. However, only limited clinical studies have evaluated the effects of PEA in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Although subcutaneous administration of interferon (IFN)-β1a is approved as first-line therapy for the treatment of relapsing–remitting MS (RR-MS), its commonly reported adverse events (AEs) such as pain, myalgia, and erythema at the injection site, deeply affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients with MS. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study,…
Reduced anxiety-like behaviour induced by genetic and pharmacological inhibition of the endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (…
2007
Anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, referred to as endocannabinoids (eCBs), are the endogenous agonists for the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). Several pieces of evidence support a role for eCBs in the attenuation of anxiety-related behaviours, although the precise mechanism has remained uncertain. The fatty acid amid hydrolase (FAAH), an enzyme responsible for the degradation of eCBs, has emerged as a promising target for anxiety-related disorders, since FAAH inhibitors are able to increase the levels of anandamide and thereby induce anxiolytic-like effects in rodents. The present study adopted both genetic and pharmacological approaches and tested the hypothesis that FAAH-deficient…
Inhibition by Anandamide and Synthetic Cannabimimetics of the Release of [3H]d-Aspartate and [3H]GABA from Synaptosomes Isolated from the Rat Hippoca…
2004
Cannabinoids (CB) can act as retrograde synaptic mediators of depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition or excitation in hippocampus. This mechanism may underlie the impairment of some cognitive processes produced by these compounds, including short-term memory formation in the hippocampus. In this study, we investigated several compounds known to interact with CB receptors, evaluating their effects on K +-evoked release of [ 3H]d-aspartate ([ 3H]d-ASP) and [ 3H]GABA from superfused synaptosomes isolated from the rat hippocampus. [ 3H]d-ASP and [ 3H]GABA release were inhibited to different degrees by the synthetic cannabinoids WIN 55,212-2; CP 55,940, and arachidonyl-2′- chloroethyla…
Serotonin, the Prefrontal Cortex, and the Antidepressant-Like Effect of Cannabinoids
2007
Preclinical and clinical studies show that cannabis modulates mood and possesses antidepressant-like properties, mediated by the agonistic activity of cannabinoids on central CB1 receptors (CB1Rs). The action of CB1R agonists on the serotonin (5-HT) system, the major transmitter system involved in mood control and implicated in the mechanism of action of antidepressants, remains however poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that, at low doses, the CB1R agonist WIN55,212-2 [R(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(morpholinyl)]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazinyl]-(1-naphthalenyl) methanone mesylate] exerts potent antidepressant-like properties in the rat forced-swim test (FST). This effect …
Presynaptic effects of anandamide and WIN55,212-2 on glutamatergic nerve endings isolated from rat hippocampus
2006
We examined the effects of the endocannabinoide-anandamide (AEA), the synthetic cannabinoid, WIN55,212-2, and the active phorbol ester, 4-beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (4-beta-PMA), on the release of [(3)H]d-Aspartate ([(3)H]d-ASP) from rat hippocampal synaptosomes. Release was evoked with three different stimuli: (1) KCl-induced membrane depolarization, which activates voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels and causes limited neurotransmitter exocytosis, presumably from ready-releasable vesicles docked in the active zone; (2) exposure to the Ca(2+) ionophore-A23187, which causes more extensive transmitter release, presumably from intracellular reserve vesicles; and (3) K(+) channel block…
Differential diurnal variations of anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol levels in rat brain.
2004
The endogenous ligands of cannabinoid receptors, also known as endocannabinoids, have been implicated in many physiological and pathological processes of the central nervous system. Here we show that the levels of the two major endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG), in four areas of the rat brain, change dramatically between the light and dark phases of the day. While anandamide levels in the nucleus accumbens, pre-frontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus were significantly higher in the dark phase, the opposite was observed with 2-AG, whose levels were significantly higher during the light phase in all four regions. We found that the activity of the fatty acid ami…
Endocannabinoid Levels in Newborns in Relation to the Mode of Delivery.
2015
Objective This study aims to examine the endocannabinoid levels in newborns in relation to the mode of delivery. Study Design In this study, the concentrations of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG), palmitoylethanolamine (PEA), and the metabolite arachidonic acid (AA) in umbilical cord vein blood of 49 newborns was determined by quantitative mass spectrometry using liquid chromatography multiple reaction monitoring. The newborns were divided by their mode of delivery. Only healthy newborns born after 34 0/7 gestational weeks without birth complications were included. Results The concentration of AEA, PEA, and AA was significantly higher in vaginal deliver…