Category Archives: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

Contrasting protective effects of cannabinoids against oxidative stress and amyloid-β evoked neurotoxicity in vitro.

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“Cannabinoids have been widely reported to have neuroprotective properties in vitro and in vivo. In this study we compared the effects of CB1 and CB2 receptor-selective ligands, the endocannabinoid anandamide and the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol, against oxidative stress and the toxic hallmark Alzheimer’s protein, β-amyloid (Aβ)…

 …the endocannabinoid anandamide protects neuronal cells from Aβ exposure via a pathway unrelated to CB1 or CB2 receptor activation…protective effect of cannabidiol against oxidative stress…

…divergent pathways for neuroprotection of these two cannabinoids.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22233683

Protective effect of cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation against altered intrinsic repetitive firing properties induced by Aβ neurotoxicity.

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Neuroscience Letters

“The amyloid β (Aβ) protein is believed to be the key pathological mediator of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) which is the first and most well known type of dementia. Despite a growing body of evidence indicating that Aβ neurotoxicity induces changes in synaptic function, little effort, if any, has been made to investigate the effect of in vivo Aβ treatment on intrinsic neuronal properties. The present study was designed to examine the effects that in vivo Aβ treatment have on the intrinsic repetitive firing properties of CA1 pyramidal neurons, using whole cell patch clamp recording. Protective effect of cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation was also investigated against Aβ-induced alterations in evoked electrophysiological activities. The findings from present study demonstrated that a bilateral injection of Aβ into the prefrontal cortex causes robust changes in activity-dependent electrophysiological responses in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. The effects of Aβ treatment alone was almost completely prevented by combined treatment with Aβ and ACEA, a selective CB1 receptor agonist. It can be concluded Aβ treatment reduces evoked neuronal activity and activation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors may have beneficial preventative effects on Aβ-induced electrophysiological changes.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22172925

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304394011015667

CB1 cannabinoid receptor activation rescues amyloid β-induced alterations in behaviour and intrinsic electrophysiological properties of rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurones.

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“Amyloid beta (Aβ) is believed to be responsible for the synaptic failure that occurs in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but there is little known about the functional impact of Aβ on intrinsic neuronal properties. Here, the cellular effect of Aβ-induced neurotoxicity on the electrophysiological properties of CA1 pyramidal neurons and the mechanism(s) of neuroprotection by CB1 cannabinoid receptor activation was explored.

CONCLUSIONS:

In vivo Aβ treatment altered significantly the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of CA1 pyramidal neurons and the activation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors exerted a strong neuroprotective action against Aβ toxicity.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22508047

Distribution patterns of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the hippocampus of APPswe/PS1ΔE9 double transgenic mice.

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Abstract

“Cannabinoids have neuroprotective effects that are exerted primarily through cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the brain. This study characterized CB1 receptor distribution in the double transgenic (dtg) APP(swe)/PS1(ΔE9) mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease. Immunohistochemical labeling of CB1 protein in non-transgenic mice revealed that CB1 was highly expressed in the hippocampus, with the greatest density of CB1 protein observed in the combined hippocampal subregions CA2 and CA3 (CA2/3). CB1 immunoreactivity in the CA1 and CA2/3 hippocampal regions was significantly decreased in the dtg APP(swe)/PS1(ΔE9) mice compared to non-transgenic littermates. Reduced CB1 expression in dtg APP(swe)/PS1(ΔE9) mice was associated with astroglial proliferation and elevated expression of the cytokines inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor alpha. This finding suggests an anti-inflammatory effect of cannabinoids that is mediated by CB1 receptor, particularly in the CA2/3 region of the hippocampus. Furthermore, the study suggests a decreased CB1 receptor expression may result in diminished anti-inflammatory processes, exacerbating the neuropathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21192920

Functional autoradiography shows unaltered cannabinoid CB1 receptor signalling in hippocampus and cortex of APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

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Abstract

“The cannabinoid CB1-receptor is among the most abundant G-protein-coupled receptors in the mammalian brain. Whereas post-mortem studies in Alzheimer´s disease (AD) brains compared to age-matched controls have reported decreased CB1-receptor binding but no change in their protein levels (immunoreactivity), decreased or increased CB1-receptor protein levels have been reported in APP/PS1 transgenic mice modelling AD. To complete the picture, the present study used functional autoradiography to assess CB1-receptor-dependent Gi protein activation in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and medial frontal cortex of 13- to14-month-old female APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic and wild-type littermate control mice. The mouse brains were processed for [35S]GTPγS autoradiography so that brain sections were analysed in pairs of one transgenic and one control mouse brain. The autoradiography protocol was completed for each pair both in the absence and presence of dithiotreitol (DTT) to reveal possible redox-dependent alterations in CB1 receptor function. Five treatments were used: baseline, incubation with 10 μM GTPγS to assess non-specific binding, and CB1 receptor agonist CP55,940 in three concentrations. By and large we found no statistically significant differences between the APP/PS1 transgenic and control mice in CB1 receptor signalling. The only exception was a modest redox-dependent alteration in entorhinal cortical CB1 receptors between the genotypes. Thus, in accordance with the majority of earlier human AD findings, we did not find evidence for notable changes in the number of functional CB1 receptors in the common APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of AD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23244427

Metals Linked To Alzheimer’s And Other Neurodegenerative Diseases

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“A multi-institutional team of researchers led by Emory University has defined for the first time how metal ions bind to amyloid fibrils in the brain in a way that appears toxic to neurons. Amyloid fibrils are linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Creutzfeldt-Jakob.”

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070813185007.htm

The marijuana component cannabidiol inhibits beta-amyloid-induced tau protein hyperphosphorylation through Wnt/beta-catenin pathway rescue in PC12 cells.

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“Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder. A massive accumulation of beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide aggregates has been proposed as pivotal event in AD. Abeta-induced toxicity is accompanied by a variegated combination of events including oxidative stress… Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive marijuana component, has been recently proposed as an antioxidant neuroprotective agent in neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, it has been shown to rescue PC12 cells from toxicity induced by Abeta peptide. Here, we report that cannabidiol inhibits hyperphosphorylation of tau protein in Abeta-stimulated PC12 neuronal cells, which is one of the most representative hallmarks in AD… These results provide new molecular insight regarding the neuroprotective effect of cannabidiol and suggest its possible role in the pharmacological management of AD, especially in view of its low toxicity in humans.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16389547

 

Cannabidiol inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression and nitric oxide production in beta-amyloid stimulated PC12 neurons through p38 MAP kinase and NF-kappaB involvement.

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“In view of the pro-inflammatory scenario observed in Alzheimer’s disease, in the recent years anti-inflammatory drugs have been proposed as potential therapeutic agents. We have previously shown that cannabidiol, the main non-psychotropic component from Cannabis sativa, possess a variegate combination of anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic effects that protect PC12 cells from Abeta toxicity. In parallel, cannabidiol has been described to have anti-inflammatory properties in acute models of inflammation …

The here reported data increases our knowledge about the possible neuroprotective mechanism of cannabidiol, highlighting the importance of this compound to inhibit beta-amyloid induced neurodegeneration, in view of its low toxicity in humans.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16490313

Effects of cannabinoids on the immune system and central nervous system: therapeutic implications.

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“Cannabinoids possess immunomodulatory activity, are neuroprotective in vivo and in vitro and can modify the production of inflammatory mediators… Cannabinoid-induced immunosuppression may have implications for the treatment of neurological disorders that are associated with excess immunological activity, such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. There is anecdotal evidence that cannabis use improves the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and studies with animal models are beginning to provide evidence for the mechanism of such effects. The development of nonpsychotropic cannabinoid analogues and modulators of the metabolism of endogenous cannabinoid ligands may lead to novel approaches to the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18031185

Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology by Cannabinoids: Neuroprotection Mediated by Blockade of Microglial Activation

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“Cannabinoids are neuroprotective agents against excitotoxicity in vitro and acute brain damage in vivo. This background prompted us to study the localization, expression, and function of cannabinoid receptors in AD and the possible protective role of cannabinoids after betaA treatment, both in vivo and in vitro. Here, we show that senile plaques in AD patients express cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2……

…Our results indicate that cannabinoid receptors are important in the pathology of AD and that cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease.”

Free full text: http://www.jneurosci.org/content/25/8/1904.long