am-630 and Ischemia

Chronic alcohol consumption is a critical contributing factor to ischemic stroke, as it enhances ischemia-induced glutamate release, leading to more severe excitotoxicity and brain damage. But the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood.. We evaluated the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on the modulation of ischemia-induced glutamate release via CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors during middle cerebral artery occlusion, using in vivo microdialysis coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography, in alcohol-naïve rats or rats after 1 or 30 days of withdrawal from chronic ethanol intake (6% v/v for 14 days).. Intra-dorsal hippocampus (DH) infusions of ACEA or JWH133, selective CB1 or CB2 receptor agonists, respectively, decreased glutamate release in the DH in alcohol-naïve rats in a dose-dependent manner. Such an effect was reversed by co-infusions of SR141716A or AM630, selective CB1 or CB2 receptor antagonists, respectively. After 30 days, but not 1 day of withdrawal, ischemia induced an enhancement in glutamate release in the DH, as compared with non-alcohol-treated control group. Intra-DH infusions of JWH133, but not ACEA, inhibited ischemia-induced glutamate release in the DH after 30 days of withdrawal. Finally, 1 day of withdrawal did not alter the protein level of CB1 or CB2 receptors in the DH, as compared to non-alcohol-treated control rats. Whereas 30 days of withdrawal robustly decreased the protein level of CB1 receptors, but failed to alter the protein level of CB2 receptors, in the DH, as compared to non-alcohol-treated control rats.. Together, these findings suggest that loss of expression/function of CB1 receptors, but not CB2 receptors in the DH, is correlated with the enhancement of ischemia-induced glutamate release after prolonged alcohol withdrawal.

Topics: Animals; Arachidonic Acids; Cannabinoids; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol; Glutamic Acid; Hippocampus; Indoles; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; Ischemia; Male; Piperidines; Pyrazoles; Rats; Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; Rimonabant

Cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor agonists can protect myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we report the antiapoptotic effect of CB2 receptor agonist, JWH133, during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and potential underlying mechanisms.. Ischemia was performed by blocking left coronary artery of rat for 30 min. After ischemia for 30 min, the rat heart was reperfused for 120 min by loosing the ligation of blocking left coronary artery. JWH133 (20 mg/kg), a CB2 receptor selective agonist, or vehicles were injected intravenously 5 minutes before ischemia. Infarct size of myocardium was assessed by histological stain, myocardial apoptosis index (AI) was determined by TUNEL, and mitochondrial membrane potential (∆Ψm) was measured by flow cytometry. Western blots were performed to measure the cytochrome c release, cleaved caspase 3, cleaved caspase 9 and PI3K/Akt kinase phosphorylation.. JWH133 significantly reduced the infarct size and AI of myocardium suffering I/R compared to vehicle-treated group. Further mechanistic study revealed that activation of CB2 receptor by JWH133 inhibited the loss of ΔΨm, reduction of the cleaved caspases-3 and -9, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c to the cytosol, and increase of phosphorylated Akt. These JWH133-mediated effects could be totally abrogated by PI3K inhibitor wortmanin or CB2 receptor antagonist AM630.. Our results demonstrate that activation of CB2 receptor by JWH133 prevent apoptosis during ischemia/reperfusion through inhibition of the intrinsic mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway and involvement of the PI3K/Akt signal pathway.

Topics: Androstadienes; Animals; Apoptosis; Cannabinoids; Caspase 3; Caspase 9; Cytochromes c; Indoles; Ischemia; Male; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mitochondria; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury; Myocardium; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; Signal Transduction; Wortmannin

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of endogenous cannabinoids on neuroprotection of the spinal cord afforded by limb remote ischemic preconditioning.. In experiment 1 (RIPC group), 3 cycles of limb remote ischemic preconditioning within different episodes (2, 3, or 5 minutes) were induced before spinal cord ischemia in rats (N = 5, n = 8). In experiment 2, animals were pretreated intravenously by the vehicles, cannabinoid 1 (AM251, 1 mg/kg) or cannabinoid 2 (AM630, 1 mg/kg) receptor antagonist 15 minutes before remote ischemic preconditioning, or else they were subjected to a sham operation. Thirty minutes after the pretreatment, spinal cord ischemia was induced (N = 8, n = 8). In experiment 3, the arachidonylethanolamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol contents in the spinal cord after remote ischemic preconditioning and spinal cord ischemia were detected in rats (N = 2, n = 12). Spinal cord ischemia was induced by 12 minutes of thoracic aorta occlusion in rats. Neurologic function was assessed 24 and 48 hours after reperfusion. Histopathologic examination was performed and the number of normal neurons in anterior spinal cord were counted.. In experiment 1, 3 cycles of limb remote ischemic preconditioning (3 minutes of ischemia/3 minutes of reperfusion) induced ischemic tolerance on the spinal cords of the rats. The RIPC group showed a significant reduction in motor deficit index (P < .01) as well as an increase in the number of normal neurons (P < .01). In experiment 2, the cannabinoid 1 receptor antagonist AM251 pretreatment abolished the protective effects of remote preconditioning. In experiment 3, arachidonylethanolamide content in spinal cord was elevated by remote ischemic preconditioning in rats.. These results indicated that endogenous cannabinoids, through acting on cannabinoid 1 receptors, were involved in the neuroprotective phenomenon on spinal cords of limb remote ischemic preconditioning.

Topics: Animals; Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists; Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; Indoles; Ischemia; Ischemic Preconditioning; Male; Piperidines; Pyrazoles; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; Reperfusion Injury; Spinal Cord