Modulation of the endocannabinoid system by focal brain ischemia in the rat is involved in neuroprotection afforded by 17beta-estradiol.
Endogenous levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide, and the activities of the synthesizing and hydrolyzing enzymes, i.e. N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D and fatty acid amide hydrolase, respectively, were determined in the cortex and the striatum of rats subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Anandamide content was markedly increased ( approximately 3-fold over controls; P < 0.01) in the ischemic striatum after 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion, but not in the cortex, and this elevation was paralleled by increased activity of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D ( approximately 1.7-fold; P < 0.01), and reduced activity ( approximately 0.6-fold; P < 0.01) and expression ( approximately 0.7-fold; P < 0.05) of fatty acid amide hydrolase. These effects of middle cerebral artery occlusion were further potentiated by 1 h of reperfusion, whereas anandamide binding to type 1 cannabinoid and type 1 vanilloid receptors was not affected significantly by the ischemic insult. Additionally, the cannabinoid type 1 receptor antagonist SR141716, but not the receptor agonist R-(+)-WIN55,212-2, significantly reduced (33%; P < 0.05) cerebral infarct volume detected 22 h after the beginning of reperfusion. A neuroprotective intraperitoneal dose of 17beta-estradiol (0.20 mg x kg(-1)) that reduced infarct size by 43% also minimized the effect of brain ischemia on the endocannabinoid system, in an estrogen receptor-dependent manner. In conclusion, we show that the endocannabinoid system is implicated in the pathophysiology of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced brain damage, and that neuroprotection afforded by estrogen is coincident with a re-establishment of anandamide levels in the ischemic striatum through a mechanism that needs to be investigated further.
Department of Pharmacobiology and University Center for the Study of Adaptive Disorder and Headache (UCADH), Section of Neuropharmacology of Normal and Pathological Neuronal Plasticity, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), Italy.
Diana
D
Amantea
Paola
P
Spagnuolo
Monica
M
Bari
Filomena
F
Fezza
Cinzia
C
Mazzei
Cristina
C
Tassorelli
Luigi A
LA
Morrone
Maria T
MT
Corasaniti
Mauro
M
Maccarrone
Giacinto
G
Bagetta
D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000502:physiology*; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D004958:Estradiol