title: The tumour suppressor protein, p53, is involved in the activation of the apoptotic cascade by Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in cultured cortical neurons.
abstract: Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug of abuse in Western society. Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, regulates a variety of neuronal processes including neurotransmitter release and synaptic transmission. An increasing body of evidence suggests that cannabinoids play a key role in the regulation of neuronal viability. In cortical neurons tetrahydrocannabinol has a neurodegenerative effect, the mechanisms of which are poorly understood, but involve the cannabinoid receptor subtype, CB(1). In this study we report that tetrahydrocannabinol (5 muM) evokes a rapid phosphorylation, and thus activation, of the tumour suppressor protein, p53, in a manner involving the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor, and the stress-activated protein kinase, c-jun N-terminal kinase, in cultured cortical neurons. Tetrahydrocannabinol increased expression of the p53-transcriptional target, Bax and promoted Bcl phosphorylation. These events were abolished by the p53 inhibitor, pifithrin-alpha (100 nM). The tetrahydrocannabinol-induced activation of the pro-apoptotic cysteine protease, caspase-3, and DNA fragmentation was also blocked by pifithrin-alpha. A siRNA knockdown of p53 further verified the role of p53 in tetrahydrocannabinol-induced apoptosis. This study demonstrates a novel cannabinoid signalling pathway involving p53 that culminates in neuronal apoptosis.
authors: Department of Physiology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors: Eric J
authors: EJ
authors: Downer
authors: Aoife
authors: A
authors: Gowran
authors: Aine C
authors: AC
authors: Murphy
authors: Veronica A
authors: VA
authors: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000187:drug effects*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006213:Hallucinogens; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D013759:Dronabinol; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3