Rapid elevations in limbic endocannabinoid content by glucocorticoid hormones in vivo. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010 Oct;35(9):1333-8
Date
04/20/2010Pubmed ID
20399021Pubmed Central ID
PMC2914801DOI
10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.03.005Scopus ID
2-s2.0-77956618349 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 138 CitationsAbstract
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 BSAuthor
Cecilia J. Hillard PhD Associate Dean, Center Director, Professor in the Pharmacology and Toxicology department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AmygdalaAnimals
Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators
Corticosterone
Endocannabinoids
Glucocorticoids
Hippocampus
Hormones
Hypothalamus
Injections, Subcutaneous
Limbic System
Male
Prefrontal Cortex
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Time Factors
Up-Regulation