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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
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Vibrodissociation of Neurons from Rodent Brain Slices to Study Synaptic Transmission and Image Presynaptic Terminals
Published on: May 25, 2011
Endocannabinoid-mediated control of synaptic transmission
Masanobu Kano1, Takako Ohno-Shosaku, Yuki Hashimotodani
1Department of Neurophysiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. mkano-tky@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Physiological Reviews
|January 8, 2009
Summary
The endocannabinoid system, involving cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids, modulates brain synaptic transmission. This review integrates research on its function, focusing on how endocannabinoids regulate neurotransmitter release.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropharmacology
Background:
- Cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids discovered in the 1990s.
- Endocannabinoids mediate retrograde synaptic signaling, influencing neural activity.
- Significant advances in understanding the endocannabinoid system in the last 7 years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and integrate current knowledge on the endocannabinoid system's functions.
- To focus on the regulation of synaptic transmission in the brain.
- To incorporate recent findings from electrophysiological, anatomical, biochemical, and behavioral studies.
Main Methods:
- Summary of recent electrophysiological studies on brain synapses.
- Review of anatomical studies on the subcellular distribution of signaling molecules.
- Overview of research on cannabinoid receptors, intracellular signaling, endocannabinoid metabolism, and behavior.
Main Results:
- Endocannabinoids are released from postsynaptic neurons.
- They activate presynaptic cannabinoid CB(1) receptors.
- This activation causes transient and long-lasting reductions in neurotransmitter release.
Conclusions:
- The endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in modulating synaptic transmission in the brain.
- Understanding its molecular arrangement and signaling pathways is key.
- Further research continues to elucidate its diverse roles in neural functions.
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