title: Involvement of vanilloid-like receptors in the effects of anandamide on motor behavior and nigrostriatal dopaminergic activity: in vivo and in vitro evidence.
abstract: The administration of the endocannabinoid anandamide to rats produces hypokinesia in parallel to a decrease in the activity of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. It was earlier hypothesized that this effect was mediated through the activation of CB(1) receptors, although these receptors have not been found in dopaminergic neurons, but in striatal projection neurons connected with them. However, two recent discoveries: (i) that anandamide is also able to activate vanilloid VR(1) receptors, and (ii) that VR(1) receptors are located on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, allow to re-evaluate this hypothesis and suggest that the activation of vanilloid-like receptors rather than CB(1) receptors might be responsible of anandamide-induced hypokinesia and decreased nigrostriatal dopaminergic activity. To validate this new hypothesis, we carried out two different experiments. First, we explored whether the inhibitory effects of anandamide on motor activity and dopaminergic transmission were reversed by capsazepine, an antagonist for vanilloid-like receptors. Our data demonstrated that anandamide reduced ambulation, stereotypies and exploration, measured in the open-field test, whereas it increased the time spent in inactivity. All these effects were completely reversed by capsazepine, which had no effect by itself. Anandamide also caused a significant decrease in nigrostriatal dopaminergic activity, reflected by a reduction in DOPAC contents in the caudate-putamen, which was also reversed by capsazepine. As a second objective, we explored whether anandamide is able to directly influence nigrostriatal dopaminergic function by examining its effects on in vitro dopamine (DA) release using perifused striatal fragments. Our data confirmed that anandamide significantly decreased K(+)-stimulated dopamine release from nigrostriatal terminals and that this effect was vanilloid-like receptor-mediated since it was prevented by capsazepine. This in vitro inhibitory effect was not seen with a classic cannabinoid agonist that does not bind vanilloid-like receptors. In summary, anandamide behaves as a hypokinetic substance, thus producing motor depression in the open-field test, presumably related to a decrease in nigrostriatal dopaminergic activity. These effects were completely reversed by the vanilloid-like receptor antagonist capsazepine, thus indicating a role of these receptors, which are located on dopaminergic neurons, in mediating hypokinetic effects of anandamide. In vitro studies, using perifused striatal fragments, support this vanilloid-like receptor-mediated direct action, which would not be available for classic cannabinoid agonists.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Lago
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Miguel
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lastres-Becker
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Ruiz
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007473:Ion Channels; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000502:physiology*; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D007473:Ion Channels; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; C476722:Trpv2 protein, rat; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; C071423:capsazepine; D011188:Potassium; D002211:Capsaicin; C078814:anandamide; D004298:Dopamine