title: Is the cannabinoid CB1 receptor a 2-arachidonoylglycerol receptor? Structural requirements for triggering a Ca2+ transient in NG108-15 cells.
abstract: The effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and 2-arachidonoylglycerol on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in NG108-15 cells were examined in detail. We found that delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol induces a rapid, modest increase in [Ca2+]i. The response was detectable with 3 nM delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol. We also found that very low concentrations of 2-arachidonoylglycerol elicit a rapid, more prominent increase in [Ca2+]i. Such a response was observed not only in NG108-15 cells but also in N18TG2 cells. The response induced by 2-arachidonoylglycerol in either NG108-15 cells or N18TG2 cells was abolished by pretreatment of the cells with a cannabinoid CB1 receptor specific antagonist, SR141716A, suggesting that 2-arachidonoylglycerol interacts with the CB1 receptor to induce the response. The results of an experiment involving a phospholipase C inhibitor suggested that phospholipase C is involved in the rapid increase in [Ca2+]i induced by 2-arachidonoylglycerol. We also found that 1(3)-arachidonoylglycerol exhibits similar activity to that of 2-arachidonoylglycerol, although its activity at low concentrations was somewhat weak compared with that of 2-arachidonoylglycerol. We further confirmed that several structural analogues of 2-arachidonoylglycerol were less active compared with 2-arachidonoylglycerol. These results suggest that the structure of 2-arachidonoylglycerol is strictly recognized by the CB1 receptor, which raises the possibility that the CB1 receptor is originally a 2-arachidonoylglycerol receptor.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Sagamiko, Kanagawa.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakane
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Waku
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D004075:Diglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004075:Diglycerides; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D002118:Calcium