EFFECTS OF ENHANCING ANANDAMIDE LEVELS ON HIPPOCAMPAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY AND SHORT-TERM MEMORY PROCESSING IN RATS

The endocannabinoids affect spatial-working memory by altering neuronal activity of pyramidal neurons present in the hippocampus. In this study extracellular action potentials were recorded using multi-neuron electrodes implanted in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus. The acute effects of R-Methanandamide; VMD11 and URB597 were measured on firing rates, bursting characteristics and synchrony of hippocampal cells and performance of the DNMS task. R-methanandamide and URB597 but not VDM11 showed a consistent decrease in firing rates, burst duration and interspike intervals, in behaving animals and anesthetized animals. Pretreatment with the cannabinoid receptor antagonist, SR141716 (Rimonanbant), was able to block some of these effects of the R-methanandamide, VDM11 and URB597. In addition, R-methanandamide but not, VDM11 and URB597, caused a significant decrease in performance of the DNMS task and reduction during sample but not during recall phases of the task and desynchronized CA3 pyramidal neurons. These results suggest that, in rats, enhancing anandamide may be related to alteration in hippocampal neuronal activities and performance in the short term spatial memory task. This work demonstrates that modulation of the anandamide system might be responsible for producing the observed deficits in spatial learning and memory that develop after acute cannabis (Δ9-THC) use.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Sesay, John Sanpha

• Anandamide

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/36414

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/36414