Cannabinoids and neuroprotection in global and focal cerebral ischemia and in neuronal cultures.
Marijuana and related drugs (cannabinoids) have been proposed as treatments for a widening spectrum of medical disorders. R(+)-[2, 3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(morpholinyl)methyl]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1, 4-benzoxazin-yl]-(1-naphthalenyl)methanone mesylate (R(+)-WIN 55212-2), a synthetic cannabinoid agonist, decreased hippocampal neuronal loss after transient global cerebral ischemia and reduced infarct volume after permanent focal cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. The less active enantiomer S(-)-WIN 55212-3 was ineffective, and the protective effect of R(+)-WIN 55212-2 was blocked by the specific central cannabinoid (CB1) cannabinoid receptor antagonist N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide-hydrochloride. R(+)-WIN 55212-2 also protected cultured cerebral cortical neurons from in vitro hypoxia and glucose deprivation, but in contrast to the receptor-mediated neuroprotection observed in vivo, this in vitro effect was not stereoselective and was insensitive to CB1 and CB2 receptor antagonists. Cannabinoids may have therapeutic potential in disorders resulting from cerebral ischemia, including stroke, and may protect neurons from injury through a variety of mechanisms.
Nagayama
T
T
Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Sinor
A D
AD
Simon
R P
RP
Chen
J
J
Graham
S H
SH
Jin
K
K
Greenberg
D A
DA
D000818:Animals; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D048588:Benzoxazines; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009025:Morpholines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D048588:Benzoxazines; D002186:Cannabinoids; D009025:Morpholines; D009281:Naphthalenes; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C070417:(3R)-((2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-((4-morpholinyl)methyl)pyrrolo-(1,2,3-de)-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl)(1-naphthalenyl))methanone; D005947:Glucose