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Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
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Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
23 articles
Newest firstIntroduction Certain events that occur in early life, such as changes in nutrition, can induce structural and functional modifications in brain development, leading to behavioral programing in the offspring. These effects depend on the timing, intensity, and duration of exposure, and may contribute to chronic disorders in adulthood. Artificial non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS), such as saccharin, have recently been p…
Open article record in new tab ↗Synthetic cannabinoid use raises concerns about its neuroinflammatory effects, including molecular adaptations of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the brain. This study investigates the pharmacological effects of 14-day repeated intraperitoneal administration, as well as 14-day administration followed by a 7-day withdrawal period of two synthetic cannabinoids: WIN55,212-2 and HU-210. The study assessed gene exp…
Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) alters fetal brain development, potentially increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) later in life. Although glial activation is implicated in AD pathology via cannabinoid and neuroinflammatory signaling, its potential response to PEE in the developing brain and its contribution to AD pathogenesis remain unknown. Using 3×Tg-AD offspring of b…
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. In AD-associated neuroinflammation, astrocytes play a key role, finding glial activation both in patients and in animal models. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a neurolipid signaling system with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties implicated in AD. Astrocytes respond to external cannabinoid signals and also have their own cannabinoid…
(1) Background: Negative experiences during adolescence increase the vulnerability to develop mental disorders later in life. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these long-term alterations could help to identify better therapeutic interventions. (2) Methods: Adolescent male Wistar rats were used to explore the effects of repeated stress and alcohol exposure on anxiety-like behaviors, plasma cortic…
Maternal malnutrition in critical periods of development increases the risk of developing short- and long-term diseases in the offspring. The alterations induced by this nutritional programming in the hypothalamus of the offspring are of special relevance due to its role in energy homeostasis, especially in the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is involved in metabolic functions. Since astrocytes are essential f…
Both maternal and early life malnutrition can cause long-term behavioral changes in the offspring, which depends on the caloric availability and the timing of the exposure. Here we investigated in a rat model whether a high-caloric palatable diet given to the mother and/or to the offspring during the perinatal and/or postnatal period might dysregulate emotional behavior and prefrontal cortex function in the offspr…
Oleoylethanolamide is an endogenous NAE that modulates ethanol-seeking behavior and ethanol-induced neuroinflammation. In the present study we further analyze the role of OEA in hippocampal neurogenesis, BDNF-ERK signaling, and spatial memory that are affected by alcohol. Additionally, we addressed the effects of OEA on the association of alcohol and cannabis, a frequent combination in human alcohol addicts, and w…
The PPAR-α agonist, oleoylethanolamide (OEA) has neuroprotective properties in stroke models. However, its rapid degradation represents a limitation for an effective therapeutic approach. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a stable OEA-modeled compound, octadecylpropyl sulfamide (SUL) on the cognitive, behavioral, cellular and molecular alterations associated with hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in mice. Mice subjec…
Undernutrition during pregnancy has been associated to increased vulnerability to develop metabolic and behavior alterations later in life. The endocannabinoid system might play an important role in these processes. Therefore, we investigated the effects of a moderate maternal calorie-restricted diet on the levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), arachidonic acid (AA) and the N-acylethanolami…
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165432.].
Open article record in new tab ↗Maternal malnutrition causes long-lasting alterations in feeding behavior and energy homeostasis in offspring. It is still unknown whether both, the endocannabinoid (eCB) machinery and the lipid metabolism are implicated in long-term adaptive responses to fetal reprogramming caused by maternal undernutrition. We investigated the long-term effects of maternal exposure to a 20% standard diet restriction during preco…
Exposure to inadequate nutritional conditions in critical windows of development has been associated to disturbances on metabolism and behavior in the offspring later in life. The role of the endocannabinoid system, a known regulator of energy expenditure and adaptive behaviors, in the modulation of these processes is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the impact of exposing rat dams to diet restrictio…
Fatty liver disease is one of the main hepatic complications associated with obesity. To date, there are no effective treatments for this pathology apart from the use of classical fibrates. In this study, we have characterized the in vivo effects of a novel conjugation of oleic acid with an amphetamine derivative (OLHHA) in an animal model of genetic obesity. Lean and obese Zucker rats received a daily intraperito…
Cannabinoid CB1 receptors peripherally modulate energy metabolism. Here, we investigated the role of CB1 receptors in the expression of glucose/pyruvate/tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolism in rat abdominal muscle. Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD), a flavoprotein component (E3) of α-ketoacid dehydrogenase complexes with diaphorase activity in mitochondria, was specifically analyzed. After assessing the effectiv…
There are sex differences in the progression of drug addiction, relapse, and response to therapies. Because biological factors participate in these differences, they should be considered when using biomarkers for addiction. In the current study, we evaluated the sex differences in psychiatric comorbidity and the concentrations of plasma mediators that have been reported to be affected by cocaine. Fifty-five abstin…
Endocannabinoids participate in the control of neurogenesis, neural cell death and gliosis. The pharmacological effect of the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597, which limits the endocannabinoid degradation, was investigated in the present study. Cell proliferation (phospho-H3(+) or BrdU(+) cells) of the main adult neurogenic zones as well as apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3(+)), astroglia (GFAP(+)), a…
Chronic alcohol exposure reduces endocannabinoid activity and disrupts adult neurogenesis in rodents, which results in structural and functional alterations. Cannabinoid receptor agonists promote adult neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation. We evaluated the protective effects of the selective CB1 receptor agonist ACEA, the selective CB2 receptor agonist JWH133 and the fatty-acid amide-hydrolase (FAAH) inhibit…
Open article record in new tab ↗Addiction to major drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, has recently been linked to alterations in adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. The endogenous cannabinoid system modulates this proliferative response as demonstrated by the finding that pharmacological activation/blockade of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors not only modulates neurogenesis but also modulates cell death in the brain. In the present study, we e…
Growing awareness of cerebellar involvement in addiction is based on the cerebellum's intermediary position between motor and reward, potentially acting as an interface between motivational and cognitive functions. Here, we examined the impact of acute and repeated cocaine exposure on the two main signaling systems in the mouse cerebellum: the endocannabinoid (eCB) and glutamate systems. To this end, we investigat…