......................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... v List of Figures and Tables...........................................................................................

What is the role of the cannabinoid system in invertebrates and can it tell us something about the human system? We discuss in this review the possible presence of the cannabinoid system in invertebrates. Endocannabinoid processes, i.e., enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids, have been identified in various species of invertebrates. These signal molecules a...

Cannabinoids represent a promising class of compounds for developing novel therapeutic agents. Since the isolation and identification of the major psychoactive component Δ(9)-THC in Cannabis sativa in the 1960s, numerous analogues of the classical plant cannabinoids have been synthesized and tested for their biological activity. These compounds primarily target the cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1)...

Introduction: The Cannabinoid receptors (CBR) densities are high within the cerebellum. Cannabinoid receptors manipulations have been reported to cause altering the cerebellar functions. harmaline have immune-modulatory effects in several studies. i.e., significant anti-inflammatory effect via the inhibition of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Endocannabino...

Cannabinoid receptor density and cannabinoid receptor-mediated G protein stimulation were studied by autoradiographic techniques throughout the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) brain. The maximal CB(1) receptor density value (using [(3)H]CP55,940 as radioligand) was found in the molecular layer of the cerebellum (Mol), and high binding values were observed in the nucleus taeniae amygdalae (...

Functional interactions between catecholamines and cannabinoid transmission systems could explain the influence of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol on several central activities. Hence, the presence of cannabinoid CB(1) receptors in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) containing cells has been suggested, providing clue for a direct control of catecholamines synthesis. In the present study, we evidenced the ...

Alterations in the endogenous cannabinoid system have been described in almost every category of disease. These changes can alternatively be protective or maladaptive, such as producing antinociception in neuropathic pain or fibrogenesis in liver disease, making the system an attractive therapeutic target. However, the challenge remains to selectively target the site of disease while sparing ot...

Dronabinol (Delta 9-tetrahydocannabinol, THC), the main source of the pharmacological effects caused by the use of cannabis, is an agonist to both the CB1 and the CB2 subtype of cannabinoid receptors. It is available on prescription in several countries. The non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD), some analogues of natural cannabinoids and their metabolites, antagonists at the cannabinoid receptors...

Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) learn vocal behavior during sensitive developmental periods, similar to the way in which human language is acquired. As adults, they recite the learned song pattern in a stereotyped manner. Previously, we demonstrated that central nervous system-associated cannabinoid receptors (CB1) are expressed in brain regions known to control both juvenile song learning ...

ÐA number of studies suggested that cannabis use can cause or exacerbate psychoses and may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. These ®ndings suggest that changes in the cannabinoid system of the brain may be involved in the pathology of schizophrenia. To determine whether changes in the cannabinoid system were present in the brains of subjects with schizophrenia, we used in situ radi...