The devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the significant threat infectious diseases pose to our society. Pregnancy represents a particularly vulnerable period for infections, which can compromise maternal health and increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring. Preclinical and clinical investigations suggest a potential association between maternal immune activation (MIA), triggered by viral or bacterial infections, and the increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Genetic and environmental factors might contribute to the overall risk. Hence, the two-hit hypothesis of schizophrenia suggests that MIA could act as a first trigger, with subsequent factors, such as stress or drug abuse, exacerbating latent abnormalities. A growing body of research focuses on the interaction between MIA and cannabis use during adolescence, considering the role of the endocannabinoid system in neurodevelopment and in neurodevelopmental disorders. The endocannabinoid system, crucial for fetal brain development, may be disrupted by MIA, leading to adverse outcomes in adulthood. Recent research indicates the endocannabinoid system's significant role in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders in preclinical models. However, findings on adolescent cannabinoid exposure in MIA-exposed animals reveal unexpected complexities, with several studies failing to support the exacerbation of MIA-related abnormalities. This review delves into the functional implications of the endocannabinoid system in MIA models, emphasizing 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) signaling's role in synaptic plasticity and neuroinflammation, and its relevance to the two-hit model of schizophrenia.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.11.015 | DOI Listing |
Reprod Toxicol
December 2024
Laboratory of Animal Endocrine and Reproductive Physiology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba-Brazil. Electronic address:
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a pivotal role in reproductive physiology, including gonadal development, though its influence on testis and ovary development has only recently gained attention. The ECS comprises lipid-derived ligands such as anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), along with cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, which are expressed in various gonadal cells. Emerging research indicates that ECS signaling is critical for testosterone synthesis and gonadal cell proliferation and differentiation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurochem Int
December 2024
Basic School of Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 260071, China. Electronic address:
The central endocannabinoid (eCB) system in brain shows a crucial role in the regulation of feeding behaviors, influencing both metabolic and non-metabolic mechanisms of appetite control, which has been paid much attention. Although there are already many review articles discussing eCB modulation of feeding behaviors, our paper attempts to summarize the recent advancements through synapses, circuits, and network in brain. Our focus is on the dual role of eCB signalling in regulating metabolic energy balance and hedonic reward-related feeding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoron Artery Dis
December 2024
Second Department of Cardiology.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
November 2024
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Northridge, CA, 91330, USA. Electronic address:
The endocannabinoid signaling system is comprised of CB1 and CB2 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). CB2 receptor subtype is predominantly expressed in the immune cells and signals through its transducer proteins (Gi protein and β-arrestin-2). Arrestins are signaling proteins that bind to many GPCRs after receptor phosphorylation to terminate G protein signaling (desensitization) and to initiate specific G protein-independent arrestin-mediated signaling pathways via a "phosphorylation barcode", that captures sequence patterns of phosphorylated Ser/Thr residues in the receptor's intracellular domains and can lead to different signaling effects.
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