TY - JOUR
T1 - Neuroprotection by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active compound in marijuana, against ouabain-induced in vivo excitotoxicity
AU - Stelt, van der, M.
AU - Veldhuis, W.B.
AU - Bär, P.R.
AU - Veldink, G.A.
AU - Vliegenthart, J.F.G.
AU - Nicolaij, K.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Excitotoxicity is a paradigm used to explain the biochemical events in both acute neuronal damage and in slowly progressive, neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we show in a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study that ¿9-tetrahydrocannabinol (¿9-THC), the main active compound in marijuana, reduces neuronal injury in neonatal rats injected intracerebrally with the Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor ouabain to elicit excitotoxicity. In the acute phase ¿9-THC reduced the volume of cytotoxic edema by 22%. After 7 d, 36% less neuronal damage was observed in treated rats compared with control animals. Coadministration of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR141716 prevented the neuroprotective actions of ¿9-THC, indicating that ¿9-THC afforded protection to neurons via the CB1 receptor. In ¿9-THC-treated rats the volume of astrogliotic tissue was 36% smaller. The CB1 receptor antagonist did not block this effect. These results provide evidence that the cannabinoid system can serve to protect the brain against neurodegeneration.
AB - Excitotoxicity is a paradigm used to explain the biochemical events in both acute neuronal damage and in slowly progressive, neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we show in a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study that ¿9-tetrahydrocannabinol (¿9-THC), the main active compound in marijuana, reduces neuronal injury in neonatal rats injected intracerebrally with the Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor ouabain to elicit excitotoxicity. In the acute phase ¿9-THC reduced the volume of cytotoxic edema by 22%. After 7 d, 36% less neuronal damage was observed in treated rats compared with control animals. Coadministration of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR141716 prevented the neuroprotective actions of ¿9-THC, indicating that ¿9-THC afforded protection to neurons via the CB1 receptor. In ¿9-THC-treated rats the volume of astrogliotic tissue was 36% smaller. The CB1 receptor antagonist did not block this effect. These results provide evidence that the cannabinoid system can serve to protect the brain against neurodegeneration.
M3 - Article
SN - 0270-6474
VL - 21
SP - 6475
EP - 6479
JO - Journal of Neuroscience
JF - Journal of Neuroscience
IS - 17
ER -