Exposure to cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 during early adolescence increases alcohol preference and anxiety in CD1 mice.

Exposure to cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 during early adolescence increases alcohol preference and anxiety in CD1 mice. Neuropharmacology. 2018 May 16;137:268-274 Authors: Frontera JL, Gonzalez Pini VM, Messore FL, Brusco A Abstract The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is involved in the modulation of the reward system and participates in the reinforcing effects of different drugs of abuse, including alcohol. The most abundant receptor of the eCB system in the central nervous system is the CB1 receptor (CB1R), which is predominantly expressed in areas involved in drug addiction, such as the nucleus accumbens, the ventral tegmental area, the substantia nigra and the raphe nucleus. CB1R is expressed in early stages during development, and reaches maximum levels during early adolescence. In addition, cannabinoid receptor 2 has been found expressed also in the central nervous system at postsynaptic level. In order to analyze the participation of the eCB system on ethanol (EtOH) preference, mice were exposed to cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN) for 5 consecutive days during early adolescence. Anxiety tests were performed the day after WIN treatment withdrawal, and EtOH preference was measured throughout adolescence. Mice exposed to WIN during early adolescence exhibited a significant increase in EtOH intake and preference after treatment. Moreover, WIN exposure during early adolescence induced an anxiogenic effect. Morphometric analy...
Source: Neuropharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Neuropharmacology Source Type: research