Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in ethanol-induced corticostriatal synaptic depression

Ethanol is a wildly abused substance that causes various problems and damage in our society. We examined the connection between the action of ethanol and the endocannabinoid system in corticostriatal synaptic transmission by recording excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs). Acute treatment of ethanol (100 mM) inhibited corticostriatal EPSCs. In the presence of AM 251 (5 μM), a cannabinoid 1 (CB(1))-receptor antagonist, or AM 404 (5 μM), a cannabinoid transporter inhibitor, the inhibition of corticostriatal EPSCs caused by ethanol was significantly reduced. This result suggests the possibility that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the action of ethanol. To support this result, brain slices were pre-treated with WIN 55,212-2 (1 μM), a CB(1)-receptor agonist, following treatment of ethanol or treated with WIN 55,212-2 alone. There was no significant difference between each other, indicating that when CB(1) receptors are previously activated, the effect of ethanol is blunted. These results suggest that the activation of the endocannabinoid system is one of the possible mechanisms involved in ethanol-induced corticostriatal synaptic depression.