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Involvement of Adenosine A2A Receptors in Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Tetrahydrocannabinol-Treated Mice
Burçin Ün1,2, Zeki Akarsakarya3, Özlem Yorulmaz Özü3
1Department of Addiction, Institute of Addiction and Forensic Sciences, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
Background:
Previous studies have suggested that adenosinergic system in the central nervous system may play a role in both behavioral changes and the physiopathology induced by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and this is thought to be mediated by adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs). However, the contribution of the adenosinergic system to the anxiety-like behaviors in response to THC in mice is not well understood.
Aims:
In this study, we aimed to investigate the possible role of the adenosinergic system in THC-treated mice.
Methods:
For that purpose, we combined behavioral tests and molecular analyses to investigate the effects of THC in relation with the agonist and antagonist of the adenosinergic system, CGS-21680 (CGS) and istradefylline, respectively, on both anxiety-like behaviors and hippocampal gene expression.
Results:
The results demonstrated that THC induced anxiety-like behavior, and gene expression patterns indicated a significant interaction between the adenosinergic and cannabinoidergic systems. Notably, the data suggest that THC plays a predominant role in this molecular interplay, with its effects being partially modulated by changes in the expression of both cannabinoidergic and adenosinergic receptors, CB1R and A2AR, respectively.
Conclusion:
These findings contribute to the understanding of THC's complex pharmacological actions, highlighting the importance of receptor cross talk in modulating anxiety and other behavioral outcomes.
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