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Rapid elevations in limbic endocannabinoid content by glucocorticoid hormones in vivo. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010 Oct;35(9):1333-8

Date

04/20/2010

Pubmed ID

20399021

Pubmed Central ID

PMC2914801

DOI

10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.03.005

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-77956618349 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   138 Citations

Abstract

Functional interactions between glucocorticoids and the endocannabinoid system have been repeatedly documented; yet, to date, no studies have demonstrated in vivo that glucocorticoid hormones regulate endocannabinoid signaling. We demonstrate that systemic administration of the glucocorticoid corticosterone (3 and 10 mg/kg) resulted in an increase in the tissue content of the endocannabinoid N-arachidonylethanolamine (AEA) within several limbic structures (amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus), but not the prefrontal cortex, of male rats. Tissue AEA content was increased at 10min and returned to control 1h post-corticosterone administration. The other primary endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, was found to be elevated by corticosterone exclusively within the hypothalamus. The rapidity of the change suggests that glucocorticoids act through a non-genomic pathway. Tissue contents of two other N-acylethanolamines, palmitoylethanolamide and oleolyethanolamide, were not affected by corticosterone treatment, suggesting that the mechanism of regulation is neither fatty acid amide nor N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D. These data provide in vivo support for non-genomic steroid effects in mammals and suggest that AEA is a mediator of these effects.

Author List

Hill MN, Karatsoreos IN, Hillard CJ, McEwen BS

Author

Cecilia J. Hillard PhD Associate Dean, Center Director, Professor in the Pharmacology and Toxicology department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Amygdala
Animals
Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators
Corticosterone
Endocannabinoids
Glucocorticoids
Hippocampus
Hormones
Hypothalamus
Injections, Subcutaneous
Limbic System
Male
Prefrontal Cortex
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Time Factors
Up-Regulation