A Basal Tone of 2-Arachidonoylglycerol Contributes to Early Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Proliferation by Activating Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)/AKT and the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (MTOR) Pathways

Abstract A basal tone of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) enhances late oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) differentiation. Here, we investigated whether endogenous 2-AG may also promote OPC proliferation in earlier stages. We found that the blockade of 2-AG synthesizing enzymes, sn-1-diacylglycerol lipases α and β (DAGLs), with RHC-80267 or the antagonism of either CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptors with AM281 and AM630, respectively, impaired early OPC proliferation stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AA) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). On the contrary, increasing the levels of endogenous 2-AG by blocking the degradative enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) with JZL-184, significantly increased OPC proliferation as did agonists of cannabinoid receptor CB1 (ACEA), CB2 (JWH133) or both (HU-210). To elucidate signaling pathways underlying OPC proliferation, we studied the involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and its downstream target mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). We show that phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR is required for OPC proliferation stimulated by growth factors (PDGF-AA and bFGF) or by CB1/CB2 agonists (ACEA/JWH133), since it was strongly decreased after LY294002 or rapamycin treatment. In line with this, blockade of CB1 (AM281), CB2 (AM630) or DAGLs (RHC-80267), decreased phosphorylation of Akt, mTOR and 4E-BP1, diminished cyclin E-cdk2 complex association and increased p27kip1...
Source: Journal of NeuroImmune Pharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research