Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC) prevents cerebral infarction via hypothalamic-independent hypothermia

Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), a primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, has been reported to act as a neuroprotectant via the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor. In this study, Delta(9)-THC significantly decreased the infarct volume in a 4 h mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Life sciences (1973) 2007-03, Vol.80 (16), p.1466-1471
Main Authors: Hayakawa, Kazuhide, Mishima, Kenichi, Nozako, Masanori, Hazekawa, Mai, Ogata, Ayumi, Fujioka, Masayuki, Harada, Kazuhiko, Mishima, Shohei, Orito, Kensuke, Egashira, Nobuaki, Iwasaki, Katunori, Fujiwara, Michihiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Blotting, Western
Body Temperature - drug effects
Body Temperature Regulation - drug effects
Body Temperature Regulation - physiology
Cerebral Cortex - metabolism
Cerebral Infarction - prevention & control
Dronabinol - antagonists & inhibitors
Dronabinol - pharmacology
Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects
Hypothermia, Induced - methods
Male
Mice
Piperidines - pharmacology
Pyrazoles - pharmacology
Tetrazolium Salts
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), a primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, has been reported to act as a neuroprotectant via the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor. In this study, Delta(9)-THC significantly decreased the infarct volume in a 4 h mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model. The neuroprotective effect of Delta(9)-THC was completely abolished by SR141716, cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist, and by warming the animals to 31 degrees C. Delta(9)-THC significantly decreased the rectal temperature, and the hypothermic effect was also inhibited by SR141716 and by warming to 31 degrees C. At 24 h after cerebral ischemia, Delta(9)-THC significantly increased the expression level of CB(1) receptor in both the striatum and cortex, but not in the hypothalamus. Warming to 31 degrees C during 4 h cerebral ischemia did not increase the expression of CB(1) receptor at the striatum and cortex in MCA-occluded mice. These results show that the neuroprotective effect of Delta(9)-THC is mediated by a temperature-dependent mechanism via the CB(1) receptor. In addition, warming to 31 degrees C might attenuate both the neuroprotective and hypothermic effects of Delta(9)-THC through inhibiting the increase in CB(1) receptor in both the striatum and cortex but not in the hypothalamus, which may suggest a new thermoregulation mechanism of Delta(9)-THC.
ISSN:0024-3205