| Title | Elevating levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol blunts opioid reward but not analgesia. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2024 |
| Authors | Martínez-Rivera A, Fetcho RN, Birmingham L, Xu J, Yang R, Foord C, Scala-Chávez D, Mekawy N, Pleil K, Pickel VM, Liston C, Castorena CM, Levitz J, Pan Y-X, Briand LA, Rajadhyaksha AM, Lee FS |
| Journal | Sci Adv |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 48 |
| Pagination | eadq4779 |
| Date Published | 2024 Nov 29 |
| ISSN | 2375-2548 |
| Keywords | Analgesia, Analgesics, Opioid, Animals, Arachidonic Acids, Benzodioxoles, Dopamine, Endocannabinoids, Female, Glycerides, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Monoacylglycerol Lipases, Nucleus Accumbens, Piperidines, Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1, Reward, Ventral Tegmental Area |
| Abstract | Converging findings have established that the endocannabinoid (eCB) system serves as a possible target for the development of new treatments as a complement to opioid-based treatments. Here, we show in male and female mice that enhancing levels of the eCB, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), through pharmacological inhibition of its catabolic enzyme, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), either systemically or in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) with JZL184, leads to a substantial attenuation of the rewarding effects of opioids in mice using conditioned place preference and self-administration paradigms, without altering their analgesic properties. These effects are driven by cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) within the VTA, as VTA CB1R conditional knockout counteracts JZL184's effects. Using fiber photometry with fluorescent sensors for calcium and dopamine (DA), we find that enhancing 2-AG levels diminishes opioid reward-related nucleus accumbens (NAc) activity and DA neurotransmission. Together, these findings reveal that 2-AG diminishes the rewarding properties of opioids and provides a potential adjunctive therapeutic strategy for opioid-related analgesic treatments. |
| DOI | 10.1126/sciadv.adq4779 |
| Alternate Journal | Sci Adv |
| PubMed ID | 39612328 |
| PubMed Central ID | PMC11606496 |
| Grant List | R01 DA050454 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 DA047851 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 DA042888 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 MH125006 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R01 MH109685 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R01 DA049837 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R21 DA048635 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R33 DA051529 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 MH118934 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R01 DA029122 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States F30 MH115622 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R01 DA053261 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 DA054368 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 DA047265 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 MH123154 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R61 DA051529 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 MH118451 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R01 DA042943 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States |
