Paper

Endocannabinoids in TNF- and Ethanol Actions
Valeria Rettori^a, Javier Fernandez-Solari^{a, b}, Juan P. Prestifilippo^a, Claudia Mohn^a, Andrea De Laurentiis^a, Stefan R. Bornstein^c, Monika Ehrhart-Bornstein^c, Juan C. Elverdin^b, Samuel M. McCann<sup>a

a</sup>Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CEFYBO-CONICET) and
^bLaboratorio de Glándulas Salivales, Catedra de Fisiología, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina;
^cDepartment of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, University Hospital, University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany

Address of Corresponding Author

Neuroimmunomodulation 2007;14:188-192 (DOI: 10.1159/000110645)

  Key Words

• Hypothalamus
• Submandibular gland
• CB1 receptor
• AM251

  Abstract

During marijuana and alcohol consumption as well as during inflammation the reproductive axis is inhibited, mainly through the inhibition of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone release. In male rats, this inhibitory effect is mediated, at least in part, by the activation of hypothalamic cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1). During inflammation, this activation of the endocannabinoid system seems to be mediated by an increase in TNF- production followed by anandamide augmentations, similarly the effect of intragastric administration of ethanol (3 g/kg) seems to be due to an increase in anandamide. On the other hand, a number of different actions mediated by the endocannabinoid system in various organs and tissues have been described. Both cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, are localized in the submandibular gland where they mediate the inhibitory effect of intrasubmandibular injections of the endocannabinoid anandamide (6 × 10^-5M) on salivary secretion. Lipopolysaccharide (5 mg/kg/3 h) injected intraperitoneally and ethanol (3 g/kg/1 h) injected intragastrically inhibited the salivary secretion induced by the sialogogue metacholine; this inhibitory effect was blocked by CB1 and/or CB2 receptor antagonists. Similar to the hypothalamus, these effects seem to be mediated by increased anandamide. In summary, similar mechanisms mediate the inhibitory actions of endocannabinoids and cannabinoids in both hypothalamus and submandibular gland during drug consumption and inflammation.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Valeria Rettori
CEFYBO-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Paraguay 2155, piso 16
1121 Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Tel. +54 11 4508 3680, ext. 112, Fax +54 11 4508 3680, ext. 106
E-Mail vrettori@yahoo.com

  Article Information

Samuel M. McCann passed away on March 16, 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The authors dedicate this manuscript to his memory.

Published online: December 5, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 27