The interaction between the main psychotropic ingredient of Cannabis, Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), with the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) is a critical and underrated issue that deserves utmost attention. The ECS, indeed, contributes to the formation and regulation of excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) neuronal networks that in the hippocampus underly spatial memory. This study explored sex-specific consequences of prenatal exposure to THC in hippocampus-dependent memory and the underlying cellular and molecular contributors of synaptic plasticity and E/I homeostasis. Sprague Dawley dams were exposed to THC (2 mg/kg) or vehicle, from gestational day 5-20. The adolescent progeny of both sexes was tested for: spatial memory retrieval and flexibility in the Barnes Maze; mRNA expression of relevant players of hippocampal synaptic plasticity; density of cholecystokinin-positive basket cells (CCK+BCs) - a major subtype of hippocampal inhibitory interneurons; mRNA expression of the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic proteins neuroligins (Nlgns), as a proxy of synaptic efficiency. Our results show a sex-specific disruption in spatial memory retrieval and flexibility, a male-specific decrease in CCK+BCs density and increase in the expression of markers of neuroplasticity, and consistent changes in the expression of Nlgn-1 and 3 isoforms. Despite a delay in memory retrieval, flexibility of memory was spared in prenatally-THC-exposed female offspring as well as most of the markers of neuroplasticity; a sex-specific increase in CCK+BCs density, and a consistent expression of Nlgn-3 was observed. The current results highlight a major vulnerability to prenatal exposure to THC on memory processing in the male progeny, and sex-specific alterations in the E/I balance and synaptic plasticity.
- MeSH
- bludiště - učení účinky léků MeSH
- cholecystokinin metabolismus MeSH
- hipokampus * účinky léků metabolismus MeSH
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- neuroplasticita * účinky léků MeSH
- pohlavní dimorfismus * MeSH
- potkani Sprague-Dawley * MeSH
- prostorová paměť * účinky léků MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- tetrahydrokanabinol * farmakologie toxicita MeSH
- zpožděný efekt prenatální expozice * chemicky indukované MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
The etiopathogenesis of mental disorders is not fully understood and accumulating evidence support that clinical symptomatology cannot be assigned to a single gene mutation, but it involves several genetic factors. More specifically, a tight association between genes and environmental risk factors, which could be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, may play a role in the development of mental disorders. Several data suggest that epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, post-translational histone modification and interference of microRNA (miRNA) or long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) may modify the severity of the disease and the outcome of the therapy. Indeed, the study of these mechanisms may help to identify patients particularly vulnerable to mental disorders and may have potential utility as biomarkers to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. This article summarizes the most relevant preclinical and human data showing how epigenetic modifications can be central to the therapeutic efficacy of antidepressant and/or antipsychotic agents, as possible predictor of drugs response.
In agreement with the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, prenatal exposure of Sprague-Dawley rats to the antimitotic agent methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) at gestational day 17 produces long-lasting behavioral alterations such as social withdrawal and cognitive impairment in adulthood, mimicking a schizophrenia-like phenotype. These abnormalities were preceded at neonatal age both by the delayed appearance of neonatal reflexes, an index of impaired brain maturation, and by higher 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) brain levels. Schizophrenia-like deficits were reversed by early treatment [from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND 8] with the CB1 antagonist/inverse agonist AM251 (0.5 mg/kg/day). By contrast, early CB1 blockade affected the behavioral performance of control rats which was paralleled by enhanced 2-AG content in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). These results suggest that prenatal MAM insult leads to premorbid anomalies at neonatal age via altered tone of the endocannabinoid system, which may be considered as an early marker preceding the development of schizophrenia-like alterations in adulthood.
- MeSH
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- methylazoxymethanolacetát * MeSH
- modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
- potkani Sprague-Dawley MeSH
- receptor kanabinoidní CB1 MeSH
- schizofrenie * chemicky indukované farmakoterapie genetika MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Perinatal exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) affects brain development and might increase the incidence of psychopathology later in life, which seems to be related to a dysregulation of endocannabinoid and/or dopaminergic systems. We here evaluated the transcriptional regulation of the genes encoding for the cannabinoid CB1 receptor (Cnr1) and the dopamine D2 receptor (Drd2) in perinatal THC-(pTHC) exposed male rats, focusing on the role of DNA methylation analyzed by pyrosequencing. Simultaneously, the molecular and behavioral abnormalities at two different time points (i.e., neonatal age and adulthood) and the potential preventive effect of peripubertal treatment with cannabidiol, a non-euphoric component of Cannabis, were assessed. The DRD2 methylation was also evaluated in a cohort of subjects with schizophrenia. We observed an increase in both Cnr1 and Drd2 mRNA levels selectively in the prefrontal cortex of adult pTHC-exposed rats with a consistent reduction in DNA methylation at the Drd2 regulatory region, paralleled by social withdrawal and cognitive impairment which were reversed by cannabidiol treatment. These adult abnormalities were preceded at neonatal age by delayed appearance of neonatal reflexes, higher Drd2 mRNA and lower 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) brain levels, which persisted till adulthood. Alterations of the epigenetic mark for DRD2 were also found in subjects with schizophrenia. Overall, reported data add further evidence to the dopamine-cannabinoid interaction in terms of DRD2 and CNR1 dysregulation which could be implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, suggesting that cannabidiol treatment may normalize pTHC-induced psychopathology by modulating the altered dopaminergic activity.
- MeSH
- chování zvířat účinky léků MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- maternofetální výměna látek MeSH
- messenger RNA metabolismus MeSH
- metylace DNA účinky léků MeSH
- potkani Sprague-Dawley MeSH
- prefrontální mozková kůra účinky léků metabolismus MeSH
- receptor kanabinoidní CB1 genetika MeSH
- receptory dopaminu D2 genetika MeSH
- regulace genové exprese účinky léků MeSH
- schizofrenie genetika MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- tetrahydrokanabinol farmakologie MeSH
- zpožděný efekt prenatální expozice * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Gestational methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) treatment produces offspring with adult phenotype relevant to schizophrenia, including positive- and negative-like symptoms, cognitive deficits, dopaminergic dysfunction, structural and functional abnormalities. Here we show that adult rats prenatally treated with MAM at gestational day 17 display significant increase in dopamine D3 receptor (D3) mRNA expression in prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus and nucleus accumbens, accompanied by increased expression of dopamine D2 receptor (D2) mRNA exclusively in the PFC. Furthermore, a significant change in the blood perfusion at the level of the circle of Willis and hippocampus, paralleled by the enlargement of lateral ventricles, was also detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Peripubertal treatment with the non-euphoric phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (30 mg/kg) from postnatal day (PND) 19 to PND 39 was able to reverse in MAM exposed rats: i) the up-regulation of the dopamine D3 receptor mRNA (only partially prevented by haloperidol 0.6 mg/kg/day); and ii) the regional blood flow changes in MAM exposed rats. Molecular modelling predicted that cannabidiol could bind preferentially to dopamine D3 receptor, where it may act as a partial agonist according to conformation of ionic-lock, which is highly conserved in GPCRs. In summary, our results demonstrate that the mRNA expression of both dopamine D2 and D3 receptors is altered in the MAM model; however only the transcript levels of D3 are affected by cannabidiol treatment, likely suggesting that this gene might not only contribute to the schizophrenia symptoms but also represent an unexplored target for the antipsychotic activity of cannabidiol.
- MeSH
- antipsychotika farmakologie MeSH
- haloperidol chemie farmakologie MeSH
- kanabidiol chemie farmakologie MeSH
- magnetická rezonanční tomografie MeSH
- methylazoxymethanolacetát toxicita MeSH
- modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
- molekulární modely MeSH
- mozek diagnostické zobrazování účinky léků MeSH
- mozkový krevní oběh MeSH
- potkani Sprague-Dawley MeSH
- puberta MeSH
- receptory dopaminu D2 chemie genetika metabolismus MeSH
- receptory dopaminu D3 chemie genetika metabolismus MeSH
- regulace genové exprese MeSH
- schizofrenie chemicky indukované diagnostické zobrazování farmakoterapie genetika MeSH
- simulace molekulární dynamiky MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- zpožděný efekt prenatální expozice MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
In agreement with the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, prenatal exposure of rats to the antimitotic agent methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) at gestational day 17 produced long-lasting behavioral alterations such as social withdrawal and cognitive impairment in the social interaction test and in the novel object recognition test, respectively. At the molecular level, an increased cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1) mRNA and protein expression, which might be due to reduction in DNA methylation at the gene promoter in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), coincided with deficits in the social interaction test and in the novel object recognition test in MAM rats. Both the schizophrenia-like phenotype and altered transcriptional regulation of CB1 receptors were reversed by peripubertal treatment (from PND 19 to PND 39) with the non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (30 mg/kg/day), or, in part, by treatment with the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist AM251 (0.5 mg/kg/day), but not with haloperidol (0.6 mg/kg/day). These results suggest that early treatment with cannabidiol may prevent both the appearance of schizophrenia-like deficits as well as CB1 alterations in the PFC at adulthood, supporting that peripubertal cannabidiol treatment might be protective against MAM insult.
- MeSH
- endokanabinoidy metabolismus MeSH
- ethanolaminy metabolismus MeSH
- glyceridy metabolismus MeSH
- hipokampus metabolismus MeSH
- interpersonální vztahy MeSH
- kanabidiol farmakologie MeSH
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- kyseliny arachidonové metabolismus MeSH
- kyseliny olejové metabolismus MeSH
- kyseliny palmitové metabolismus MeSH
- messenger RNA metabolismus MeSH
- methylazoxymethanolacetát farmakologie MeSH
- modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
- piperidiny farmakologie MeSH
- pohybová aktivita účinky léků MeSH
- polynenasycené alkamidy metabolismus MeSH
- prefrontální mozková kůra metabolismus MeSH
- puberta MeSH
- pyrazoly farmakologie MeSH
- receptor kanabinoidní CB1 metabolismus MeSH
- rozpoznávání (psychologie) účinky léků MeSH
- schizofrenie chemicky indukované farmakoterapie metabolismus MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- zpožděný efekt prenatální expozice farmakoterapie metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Compelling evidence supports the involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in psychosis vulnerability. We here evaluated the transcriptional regulation of ECS components in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from subjects suffering from bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia, focusing in particular on the effects of DNA methylation. We observed selective alterations of DNA methylation at the promoter of CNR1, the gene coding for the type-1 cannabinoid receptor, in schizophrenic patients (N=25) with no changes in any other disorder. We confirmed the regulation of CNR1 in a well-validated animal model of schizophrenia, induced by prenatal methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate exposure (N=7 per group) where we found, in the prefrontal cortex, a significant increase in CNR1 expression and a consistent reduction in DNA methylation at specific CpG sites of gene promoter. Overall, our findings suggest a selective dysregulation of ECS in psychosis, and highlight the evaluation of CNR1 DNA methylation levels in PBMCs as a potential biomarker for schizophrenia.
- MeSH
- bipolární porucha genetika metabolismus MeSH
- CpG ostrůvky MeSH
- depresivní porucha unipolární genetika metabolismus MeSH
- endokanabinoidy metabolismus MeSH
- kohortové studie MeSH
- leukocyty mononukleární metabolismus MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- methylazoxymethanolacetát MeSH
- metylace DNA * MeSH
- modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
- potkani Sprague-Dawley MeSH
- prefrontální mozková kůra metabolismus MeSH
- promotorové oblasti (genetika) * MeSH
- receptor kanabinoidní CB1 genetika metabolismus MeSH
- regulace genové exprese MeSH
- schizofrenie genetika metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
