Current Neuropharmacology - Volume 2, Issue 1, 2004

Cannabinoid Special Issue The progress of cannabinoid research is of growing interest to both government and the general public. This is evidenced by the plethora of articles on the topic in popular science press. Here are some recent quotes: “The painkilling effect of cannabis can be reproduced by boosting the effect of the body's own cannabislike chemicals. The finding raises the prospect of painkillers that do the sa Read More

Cannabis is not only a widely abused drug, but also has the potential for the development of useful agents for the treatment of emesis, anorexia and several neurological disorders. In this article we will review the biology of endogenous cannabinoid system and the effects of modulation of transmitter release by cannabinoids in the nervous system. During the past decade, two cannabinoid receptors, named CB1 and CB2, w Read More

There is convincing evidence that mammalian tissues express at least two types of cannabinoid receptor, CB1 and CB2, and that the endogenous cannabinoid, anandamide, and certain other eicosanoid agonists for known cannabinoid receptors can also activate vanilloid (VR1) receptors. Evidence is now also emerging that in addition to these established receptors for cannabinoids, other pharmacological targets for eicosa Read More

G protein-coupled CB1 cannabinoid receptors are found in high density in the nervous system. CB1 cannabinoid receptors have the ability to change conformation between inactive and active receptor states in the absence of agonists. The ability to adopt an active conformation in the absence of agonists results in constitutive receptor signaling. Inverse agonists reverse the constitutive activity of the receptor in the abs Read More

Endocannabinoids are thought to act as retrograde messengers in the central nervous system. By activating presynaptic cannabinoid CB1 receptors they can reduce neurotransmitter release and modulate synaptic plasticity. To date, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2- AG) are the best studied endocannabinoids. The life span of these lipid molecules in the extracellular space is an important factor in the regulati Read More

Recent electrophysiological studies have clarified that endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) mediate retrograde signals from postsynaptic neurons to presynaptic terminals in the CNS. Endocannabinoids can be released from postsynaptic neurons following depolarization-induced elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The released endocannabinoids act retrogradely onto presynaptic cannabinoid CB1 recept Read More

DRG neurones are a heterogeneous population of neurones that vary in sensory transduction mechanisms, myelination, axon diameter, cell soma size, neurotransmitter content, receptor and ion channel expression. The generation, conduction, integration and transmission of pain signals begin in DRG neurones and they remain an important target for therapeutic intervention in pain disorders. In this review we discuss the expres Read More

The endocannabinoid system, consisting of cannabinoid1 (CB1) and cannabinoid2 (CB2) receptors, endogenous cannabinoid ligands and metabolising enzymes, is present throughout the pathways mediating responses to painful stimuli. Electrophysiological and behavioural studies have demonstrated that endocannabinoids, as well as plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoid agonists have anti-nociceptive effects in Read More

This work summarises recent findings relating to the activation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract with a particular emphasis on the endocannabinoid and endovanilloid systems. Of the endogenous cannabinoid ligands discovered thus far (anandamide, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), noladin ether, virodhamine and N-arachidonoyl dopamine), only anandamide and 2-AG have been investig Read More

The use of cannabinoids for medicinal purposes has attracted wide interest in recent years, especially after the discovery of the endocannabinoid system. However, mechanisms relevant for neuroprotection and recovery of both exogenously applied and endogenous cannabinoids are only partly established. Supported by the observation that cannabinoids are released after neuronal injury and disorder, various CNS applicat Read More

Cannabinoids are well known for their effects on neurotransmission in the central nervous system. Whereas the components of cannabinoid signaling have been intensively studied in neurons, recent data suggest that a cannabinoid signaling system, i.e. the endogenous cannabinoid ligands, the receptors that they activate and the components that degrade them, also exist in the non-neuronal cells of the brain, the gli Read More

It has long been known that cannabinoids can alter perception and cognitive function. In this review article, we first discuss the current knowledge of both plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoid effects on learning and memory formation in animals with a particular emphasis on spatial mapping. It appears that stimulation of the cannabinoid receptors in the brain is detrimental to spatial learning, and recent advances su Read More