An Introduction to the Endogenous Cannabinoid System.
Hui-Chen Lu, Ken Mackie
Biological Psychiatry April 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.07.028 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Cannabinoid Lipid signaling Retrograde messenger Schizophrenia |
| Key findings | Argues that the endocannabinoid system plays important roles in central nervous system development, synaptic plasticity, and responses to insults, and that 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and anandamide, though chemically similar, are synthesized and degraded by distinct enzymatic pathways that give them different physiological and pathophysiological roles. The review focuses on synaptic plasticity and how the system is perturbed in schizophrenia. |
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a widespread neuromodulatory system that plays important roles in central nervous system development, synaptic plasticity, and the response to endogenous and environmental insults. The ECS comprises cannabinoid receptors, endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids), and the enzymes responsible for the synthesis and degradation of the endocannabinoids. The most abundant cannabinoid receptors are the CB1 cannabinoid receptors; however, CB2 cannabinoid receptors, transient receptor potential channels, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptors are also engaged by some cannabinoids. Exogenous cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol, produce their biological effects through their interactions with cannabinoid receptors. The best-studied endogenous cannabinoids are 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and arachidonoyl ethanolamide (anandamide). Despite similarities in chemical structure, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and anandamide are synthesized and degraded by distinct enzymatic pathways, which impart fundamentally different physiologic and pathophysiologic roles to these two endocannabinoids. As a result of the pervasive social use of cannabis and the involvement of endocannabinoids in a multitude of biological processes, much has been learned about the physiologic and pathophysiologic roles of the ECS. This review provides an introduction to the ECS with an emphasis on its role in synaptic plasticity and how the ECS is perturbed in schizophrenia.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A neurotrophic hypothesis of depression: role of synaptogenesis in the actions of NMDA receptor antagonists | 2012 | Review | |
| Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity. Review of preclinical and clinical studies | 2023 | Review | |
| Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation [In the Spotlight] | 2008 | Review | |
| Neuroplasticity as a convergent mechanism of ketamine and classical psychedelics | 2021 | Review | |
| Psychedelics in Psychiatry: Neuroplastic, Immunomodulatory, and Neurotransmitter Mechanisms | 2020 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 42
- Unraveling the Intoxicating and Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis Ingredients on Psychosis and Cognition Frontiers in Psychology May 14, 2020
- Cannabinoids and Vanilloids in Schizophrenia: Neurophysiological Evidence and Directions for Basic Research Frontiers in Pharmacology June 21, 2017
- Gender Differences in Dual Diagnoses Associated with Cannabis Use: A Review Brain Sciences March 15, 2022
- The CannTeen study: verbal episodic memory, spatial working memory, and response inhibition in adolescent and adult cannabis users and age-matched controls Psychopharmacology April 29, 2022
- Chronic adolescent exposure to cannabis in mice leads to sex-biased changes in gene expression networks across brain regions Neuropsychopharmacology August 22, 2022
and 37 more in the library
Cites 8
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- Antagonist-elicited cannabis withdrawal in humans. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology October 2011
- Inhibition of endocannabinoid catabolic enzymes elicits anxiolytic-like effects in the marble burying assay. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior March 2011
- Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol is a full agonist at CB1 receptors on GABA neuron axon terminals in the hippocampus. Neuropharmacology 2010
- The acute effects of synthetic intravenous Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on psychosis, mood and cognitive functioning. Psychological Medicine October 2009
and 3 more in the library