title: Cannabinoid-1 receptor antagonist rimonabant (SR141716) increases striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability.
abstract: The cannabinoid 1 receptor antagonist rimonabant (SR141716) alters rewarding properties and intake of food and drugs. Additionally, striatal dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) availability has been implicated in reward function. This study shows that chronic treatment of rats with rimonabant (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg/day) dose-dependently increased DRD2 availability in the dorsal striatum (14 and 23%) compared with vehicle. High-dose rimonabant also increased DRD2 availability in the ventral striatum (12%) and reduced weight gain. Thus, up-regulation of striatal DRD2 by chronic rimonabant administration may be an underlying mechanism of action and confirms the interactions of the endocannabinoid and dopaminergic systems.
authors.affiliation: Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research and Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Department of Nuclear Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Department of Neuropharmacology, Brain Research Institute, University of Bremen, Germany Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cleo L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Crunelle
authors.forename: Elsmarieke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van de Giessen
authors.forename: Sybille
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Louk J M J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Vanderschuren
authors.forename: Kora
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Bruin
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van den Brink
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Booij
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012201:Reward; D000077285:Rimonabant; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D000077285:Rimonabant