Not too excited? Thank your endocannabinoids.
Endocannabinoids can mediate neuroprotection, but it is not known how. In this issue of Neuron, Monory et al. use mutant mice and localized viral targeting to produce conditional knockouts of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor. They show that protection against kainic acid-induced seizures and cell death is conferred by CB1Rs on hippocampal glutamatergic nerve terminals.
Alger
Bradley E
BE
Department of Physiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, 21201, USA.
D000818:Animals; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000502:physiology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics
D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D007608:Kainic Acid