Search results for "Endocannabinoid"

Anandamide-induced apoptosis in Chang liver cells involves ceramide and JNK/AP-1 pathway

2006

In the present study we demonstrate that anandamide, the most important endogenous cannabinoid, markedly induced apoptosis in Chang liver cells, an immortalized non-tumor cell line derived from normal liver tissue, while it induced only modest effects in a number of hepatoma cell lines. The apoptotic effect was reduced by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, a membrane cholesterol depletor, suggesting an interaction between anandamide and the membrane microdomains named lipid rafts. Anandamide effects were mediated by the production of ceramide, as demonstrated by experiments performed with the sphingomyelinase inhibitor, desipramine, or with the sphingomyelinase activator, melittin. This conclusion w…

High Expression of Cannabinoid Receptor 2 on Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells and Multiple Myeloma Cells

2020

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by aberrant bone marrow plasma cell (PC) proliferation and is one of the most common hematological malignancies. The potential effect of cannabinoids on the immune system and hematological malignancies has been poorly characterized. Cannabidiol (CBD) may be used to treat various diseases. CBD is known to exert immunomodulatory effects through the activation of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), which is expressed in high levels in the hematopoietic system. Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells are a heterogeneous population of polyclonal T lymphocytes obtained via ex vivo sequential incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with interferon-&gam…

ENDOCANNABINOIDS CB1 AND CB2: A POSSIBLE ROLE IN ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA PATHOGENESIS

2014

Aim. Cancer of the oral cavity is the eighth most common malignancy in the world. The disease is diagnosed after a considerable delay and predict the individual progression is difficult. The improvements of the therapy did not increased the rate of survival at 5 years, that is still about 50%. The identification of the possible markers that indicates the progression of the tumor is therefore necessary. Endocannabinoids may play an important role in the process of carcinogenesis in the oral mucosa. They are able to bind and activate specific membrane receptors coupled to G proteins, cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the expression of CB1 and CB2 rece…

Plasticity of mouse enteric synapses mediated through endocannabinoid and purinergic signaling

2012

The myenteric and submucosal plexuses of the enteric nervous system (ENS) exist as interconnected integrative nerve networks within the wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Activity of the ENS is responsible for the control of the digestive and protective functions of the gut.1 Synaptic transmission between enteric neurons propagates information from intrinsic afferent neurons to interneurons, and then from interneurons to motor neurons that control final effectors such as smooth muscle and the secretory epithelium. Acetylcholine (ACh) is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the myenteric plexus, acting on nicotinic receptors at synapses between neurons and on muscarinic receptors a…

SY26-2ACETALDEHYDE ENDOCANNABINOIDS AND DOPAMINE: IS THIS –JUST- “A MENAGE A TROIS”?

2015

As ethanol, its first metabolite, acetaldehyde (ACD), enhances dopamine neurotransmission and exerts rewarding and motivational effects in animal models tailored for studying addictive-like behaviours. The endocannabinoid system fine-tuning dopamine cell activity, affects distinct drug-related behaviours and specific drug-induced effects. In light of this, it becomes urgent to investigate the implications of …

Cannabinoids in the management of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis.

2008

Anna Maria Malfitano, Maria Chiara Proto, Maurizio BifulcoDipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di SalernoAbstract: The endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid-based treatments have been involved in a wide number of diseases. In particular, several studies suggest that cannabinoids and endocannabinoids may have a key role in the pathogenesis and therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study we highlight the main findings reported in literature about the relevance of cannabinoid drugs in the management and treatment of MS. An increasing body of evidence suggests that cannabinoids have beneficial effects on the symptoms of MS, including spasticity and pai…

Requirement of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in cortical pyramidal neurons for appropriate development of corticothalamic and thalamocortical projections

2010

A role for endocannabinoid signaling in neuronal morphogenesis as the brain develops has recently been suggested. Here we used the developing somatosensory circuit as a model system to examine the role of endocannabinoid signaling in neural circuit formation. We first show that a deficiency in cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB(1)R), but not G-protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), leads to aberrant fasciculation and pathfinding in both corticothalamic and thalamocortical axons despite normal target recognition. Next, we localized CB(1)R expression to developing corticothalamic projections and found little if any expression in thalamocortical axons, using a newly established reporter mouse expre…

Identification of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 in serotonergic cells of raphe nuclei in mice.

2007

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) possesses neuromodulatory functions by influencing the release of various neurotransmitters, including GABA, noradrenaline, dopamine, glutamate and acetylcholine. Even though there are studies indicating similar interactions between the ECS and the serotonergic system, there are no results showing clear evidence for type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) location on serotonergic neurons. In this study, we show by in situ hybridization that a low but significant fraction of serotonergic neurons in the raphe nuclei of mice contains CB1 mRNA as illustrated by the coexpression with the serotonergic marker gene tryptophane hydroxylase 2, the rate limiting enzyme for t…

Genetic dissection of the endocannabinoid system and how it changed our knowledge of cannabinoid pharmacology and mammalian physiology

2014

Mechanisms of gustatory perception of dietary lipids : cross-talk with bitter taste and endocannabinoid receptors

2018

Obesity is one of the major public health problems at the beginning of the 21st century. Its prevalence is increasing steadily, especially among children. This observation is not insignificant because obesity is generally associated with various serious pathologies (type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer, etc.). Thus, investigations into the mechanisms involved in the taste perception of dietary lipids could shed light on their roles in the incidence of obesity.Several studies have demonstrated the role of endocannabinoids and bitter foods in obesity. Thus, we studied the cross-talk of cannabinoid receptors and bitter taste with lipid taste. This thesis has two components: cannabinoid rec…