These studies probed the relationship between intrinsic efficacy and tolerance/cross-tolerance between ∆(9)-THC and synthetic cannabinoid drugs of abuse (SCBs) by examining in vivo effects and cellular changes concomitant with their repeated administration in mice. Dose-effect relationships for hypothermic effects were determined in order to confirm that SCBs JWH-018 and JWH-073 are higher...
Depression and suicide are known to be intricately entwined but the neurobiological basis underlying this association is yet to be understood. Ketamine is an N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist used for induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia but paradoxically its euphoric effects lead to its classification under drugs of abuse. The serendipitous finding of rapid-onset...
Evidence exists that schizophrenia is characterized by deficits in cell-cell communication and information processing. In the present study, we used the phencyclidine (PCP) animal model of schizophrenia to investigate possible defects in intracellular signaling proteins involved in neuroplasticity. Western Blot analysis has been performed to determine total and phospho-protein levels of...
Cannabis is the most commonly abused illegal drug in the world and its main psychoactive ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), produces rewarding effects in humans and non-human primates. Over the last several decades, an endogenous system comprised of cannabinoid receptors, endogenous ligands for these receptors and enzymes responsible for the synthesis and degradation of these...