title: Evaluation of cAMP involvement in cannabinoid-induced antinociception.
abstract: It has been proposed that cannabinoids act at a Gi protein-coupled receptor to produce antinociception. One action of Gi-proteins is to decrease intracellular cAMP via inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity. Although cannabinoid inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase is used as a confirmation of functional cannabinoid receptors, it is unknown whether this second messenger system specifically mediates cannabinoid-induced antinociception. This in vivo study was conducted using enantiomeric cAMP analogs, Rp-cAMPS (an antagonist) and Sp-cAMPS (an agonist), and the cAMP agonist Cl-cAMP to test the hypothesis that cannabinoid-induced antinociception is due to decreased adenylyl cyclase activity. None of the cAMP analogs, forskolin, or 1,9-dideoxy-forskolin affected delta 9-THC or CP-55,940-induced antinociception produced by intrathecal (i.t.) or intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections in mice. Experiments were also conducted to investigate whether i.c.v. administration of Sp-cAMPS would block i.c.v. cannabinoid-induced antinociception in rats. Sp-cAMPS failed to block CP-55,940-induced antinociception. However, Sp-cAMPS produced hyper-excitability and reactive behavior indicating that it did elicit a pharmacological effect. Although, adenylyl cyclase may mediate other cannabinoid-induced actions, these results do not support the hypothesis that it is involved in cannabinoid-induced antinociception. Alternatively, other effector systems such as calcium or potassium channels coupled to cannabinoid receptors may mediate cannabinoid-induced antinociception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0613, USA.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lichtman
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D005576:Colforsin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D005576:Colforsin; D013759:Dronabinol; C054649:3-(2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)phenyl)-4-(3-hydroxypropyl)cyclohexanol; D000242:Cyclic AMP; C047983:1,9-dideoxyforskolin