title: Experimental parkinsonism alters endocannabinoid degradation: implications for striatal glutamatergic transmission.
abstract: Cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands have been recently identified in the brain as potent inhibitors of neurotransmitter release. Here we show that, in a rat model of Parkinson's disease induced by unilateral nigral lesion with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), the striatal levels of anandamide, but not that of the other endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, were increased. Moreover, we observed a decreased activity of the anandamide membrane transporter (AMT) and of the anandamide hydrolase [fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)], whereas the binding of anandamide to cannabinoid receptors was unaffected. Spontaneous glutamatergic activity recorded from striatal spiny neurons was higher in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Inhibition of AMT by N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-arachidonoylamide (AM-404) or by VDM11, or stimulation of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor by HU-210 reduced glutamatergic spontaneous activity in both naive and 6-OHDA-lesioned animals to a similar extent. Conversely, the FAAH inhibitors phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and methyl-arachidonoyl fluorophosphonate were much more effective in 6-OHDA-lesioned animals. The present study shows that inhibition of anandamide hydrolysis might represent a possible target to decrease the abnormal cortical glutamatergic drive in Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimentos di Neuroscienze, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy. paolo.calabresi@uniroma2.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gubellini
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Picconi
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bari
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Battista
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calabresi
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Centonze
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finazzi-Agrò
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maccarrone
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005989:Glycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016627:Oxidopamine; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases
chemical_list: D000581:Amidohydrolases; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D002186:Cannabinoids; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D013759:Dronabinol; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005989:Glycerides; D016627:Oxidopamine; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases; C462953:N-(2-methyl-3-hydroxyphenyl)-5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenamide; C094503:glyceryl 2-arachidonate; C062018:HU 211; C078814:anandamide; C107594:N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)arachidonylamide