title: Nicotine-induced neuroprotection against ischemic injury involves activation of endocannabinoid system in rats.
abstract: Nicotine has been reported to exert certain protective effect in the Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Whether it has a similar action in focal cerebral ischemia was unclear. In the present study, rats received either an injection of (-)-nicotine hydrogen tartrate salt (1.2 mg/kg, i.p.) or the vehicle 2 h before the 120 min middle cerebral artery occlusion. Neurological deficits and histological injury were assessed at 24 h after reperfusion. The content of endocannabinoids and the expression of cannabinoid receptor CB1 in brain tissues were determined at different time points after nicotine administration. Results showed that nicotine administration ameliorated neurological deficits and reduced infarct volume induced by cerebral ischemia in the rats. The neuroprotective effect was partially reversed by CB1 blockage. The content of the endocannabinoids N-arachidonylethanolamine and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, as well as the expression of cannabinoid receptor CB1 were up-regulated in brain tissues after nicotine delivery. These results suggest that endogenous cannabinoid system is involved in the nicotine-induced neuroprotection against transient focal cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Huang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Lujia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Hanfei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Lize
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000819:agonists / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000819:agonists / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D063388:Endocannabinoids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D009538:Nicotine