title: Neuroscience. Stout guards of the central nervous system.
abstract: Endocannabinoids have paradoxical effects on the mammalian nervous system: Sometimes they block neuronal excitability and other times they augment it. In their Perspective, Mechoulam and Lichtman discuss new work (Marsicano et al.) showing that activation of the cannabinoid receptor CB1 by the endocannabinoid anandamide protects against excitotoxic damage in a mouse model of kainic acid-induced epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Medical Faculty, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. mechou@cc.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mechoulam
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lichtman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000378:metabolism; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D002185:Cannabidiol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003292:Convulsants / Q000378:metabolism; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005989:Glycerides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D051381:Rats; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D002186:Cannabinoids; D003292:Convulsants; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D005989:Glycerides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D002185:Cannabidiol; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D013759:Dronabinol; C094503:glyceryl 2-arachidonate; C062018:HU 211; D007608:Kainic Acid; C078814:anandamide