TY - JOUR
T1 - Pregnenolone can protect the brain from cannabis intoxication
AU - Vallée, Monique
AU - Vitiello, Sergio
AU - Bellocchio, Luigi
AU - Heb́ert-Chatelain, Etienne
AU - Monlezun, Stéphanie
AU - Martin-Garcia, Elena
AU - Kasanetz, Fernando
AU - Baillie, Gemma L.
AU - Panin, Francesca
AU - Cathala, Adeline
AU - Roullot-Lacarrière, Valérie
AU - Fabre, Sandy
AU - Hurst, Dow P.
AU - Lynch, Diane L.
AU - Shore, Derek M.
AU - Deroche-Gamonet, Véronique
AU - Spampinato, Umberto
AU - Revest, Jean Michel
AU - Maldonado, Rafael
AU - Reggio, Patricia H.
AU - Ross, Ruth A.
AU - Marsicano, Giovanni
AU - Piazza, Pier Vincenzo
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Pregnenolone is considered the inactive precursor of all steroid hormones, and its potential functional effects have been largely uninvestigated. The administration of the main active principle of Cannabis sativa (marijuana), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), substantially increases the synthesis of pregnenolone in the brain via activation of the type-1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor. Pregnenolone then, acting as a signaling-specific inhibitor of the CB1 receptor, reduces several effects of THC. This negative feedback mediated by pregnenolone reveals a previously unknown paracrine/autocrine loop protecting the brain from CB1 receptor overactivation that could open an unforeseen approach for the treatment of cannabis intoxication and addiction.
AB - Pregnenolone is considered the inactive precursor of all steroid hormones, and its potential functional effects have been largely uninvestigated. The administration of the main active principle of Cannabis sativa (marijuana), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), substantially increases the synthesis of pregnenolone in the brain via activation of the type-1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor. Pregnenolone then, acting as a signaling-specific inhibitor of the CB1 receptor, reduces several effects of THC. This negative feedback mediated by pregnenolone reveals a previously unknown paracrine/autocrine loop protecting the brain from CB1 receptor overactivation that could open an unforeseen approach for the treatment of cannabis intoxication and addiction.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892749496&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1126/science.1243985
DO - 10.1126/science.1243985
M3 - Article
C2 - 24385629
AN - SCOPUS:84892749496
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 343
SP - 94
EP - 98
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6166
ER -