[Graywolf]

Research article
3104 The Journal of Clinical Investigation http://www.jci.org Volume 115 Number 11 November 2005
Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult
[font="Arial"][size="7"][size="6"][size="3"]hippocampus neurogenesis and produce
anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects

1
Neuropsychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

2
Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.

3
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Dental School, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.


The hippocampal dentate gyrus in the adult mammalian brain contains neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) capable of generating new neurons, i.e., neurogenesis. Most drugs of abuse examined to date decrease adult hippocampal neurogenesis, but the effects of cannabis (marijuana or cannabinoids) on hippocampal neurogenesis remain unknown.

This study aimed atinvestigating the potential regulatory capacity ofthe potent synthetic cannabinoid HU210 on hippocampal neurogenesis and its possible correlation with behavioral change.

We show that both embryonic and adult rat hippocampal NS/PCs are immunoreactive for CB1 cannabinoid receptors, indicating that cannabinoids could act onCB1 receptors to regulate neurogenesis.

This hypothesis is supported by further findings that HU210 promotes proliferation, but not differentiation, of cultured embryonic hippocampal NS/PCs likely via a sequential activation of CB1 receptors, Gi/o proteins, and ERK signaling.

For more, check out complete documetn at:

http://www.jci.org/a.../view/25509/pdf