Neuroscience 2004 Abstract
| Presentation Number: | 678.18 |
|---|---|
| Abstract Title: | Cannabinoids protect against dopaminergic cell loss in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of Parkinson's disease. |
| Authors: |
Price, D. A.*1,2,3
; Roberts, J. L.1,2,3
; Giuffrida, A.1,2,3
1Pharmacol., UTHSCSA, San Antonio, TX 2Ctr. for Biomed. Neurosci., UTHSCSA, San Antonio, TX 3Barshop Ctr. for Longevity and Aging Studies, UTHSCSA, San Antonio, TX |
| Primary Theme and Topics |
Neurological and Psychiatric Conditions - Neurodegenerative Disorders -- Parkinson's Disease: Experimental therapies |
| Secondary Theme and Topics | Synaptic Transmission and Excitability<br />- Neurotransmitters<br />-- Cannabinoids |
| Session: |
678. Parkinson's Disease: Drug and Diet Treatments (Animal Models) II Poster |
| Presentation Time: | Tuesday, October 26, 2004 9:00 AM-10:00 AM |
| Location: | San Diego Convention Center - Hall A-H, Board # VV15 |
| Keywords: | basal ganglia, nigrostriatal, neuroprotection, tyrosine hydroxylase |
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, of unknown etiology, causing progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons and disabling motor impairments. Current therapeutic interventions are aimed at alleviating PD symptoms but fail to halt the underlying progressive degeneration of DA neurons. Thus, there is an urgent need to acquire more information on the pathogenesis of PD to develop alternative therapeutic strategies. Cannabinoid receptors – the pharmacological target of marijuana – are highly expressed in brain regions implicated in PD. In addition, cannabinoid drugs have been shown to be neuroprotective in several in vitro and in vivo models of neurotoxicity. However, no information is available as to whether cannabinoid drugs protect nigrostriatal DA neurons from neurotoxicity induced by MPTP – a neurotoxin that has been extensively used to model PD in animals. We found that CB1 receptors are present in both striatum and substantia nigra pars compacta of the intact C57BL/6 (6-8 weeks old) mouse brain. In addition, we found that systemic administration of the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55212-2 (WIN, 1 mg/kg, i.p.) protected nigrostriatal neurons from neurotoxic damage inflicted by acute administration of MPTP (55 mg/kg, i.p.), as revealed by tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry 7 days post-treatment . This effect, however, was not reversed by the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (1 mg/kg, i.p), which displayed – when administered alone – neuroprotective effects that were similar to those observed after WIN pre-treatment. These data suggest that distinct pharmacological mechanisms mediate the neuroprotective actions of WIN and AM251 and that cannabinoid pharmacotherapy may be useful to halt neurodegeneration in PD.
Supported by NIH grant AG 08538 and Nathan Shock T32 AG 021890
Sample Citation:
[Authors]. [Abstract Title]. Program No. XXX.XX. 2004 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience, 2004. Online.
Copyright © 2004-2025 Society for Neuroscience; all rights reserved. Permission to republish any abstract or part of any abstract in any form must be obtained in writing by SfN office prior to publication.
