Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria of Monserrato, Italy.
Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2010 Jan;20(1):25-36. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2009.09.004.
Although considerable attention has been paid to the relationship between Cannabis use and schizophrenia, there is a significant uncertainty regarding the role of Cannabis consumption in the pathoetiology of the disorder. We investigated the correlation between voluntary cannabinoid consumption and behavioral traits in an animal model of schizophrenia. Male rats were trained to intravenously self-administer the cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 (WIN; 12.5 microg/kg/infusion) or vehicle; they subsequently received acute or chronic-intermittent intraperitoneal administration of the non-competitive N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist phencyclidine (PCP; 2.5mg/kg) or saline. We report that WIN self-administration attenuates PCP-induced deficits in (i) prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex, (ii) cognitive skills, and (iii) sociability, suggesting that cannabinoid consumption can ameliorate the schizophrenia-like behavioral alterations caused by PCP. A parallel study performed in animals receiving WIN on a non-voluntary basis (experimenter-given) confirmed an ameliorating effect of cannabinoid administration on the symptoms of schizophrenia induced by PCP.
尽管人们对大麻使用与精神分裂症之间的关系给予了相当多的关注，但大麻消费在该疾病的发病机制中的作用仍存在很大的不确定性。我们在精神分裂症的动物模型中研究了自愿性大麻素消费与行为特征之间的相关性。雄性大鼠被训练进行静脉内自我给予大麻素 CB1 受体激动剂 WIN55,212-2（WIN；12.5μg/kg/输注）或载体；随后，它们接受了非竞争性 N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸受体拮抗剂苯环己哌啶（PCP；2.5mg/kg）或生理盐水的急性或慢性间歇性腹腔内给药。我们报告说，WIN 自我给药可减轻 PCP 引起的（i）听觉惊跳反射的前脉冲抑制（PPI）、（ii）认知技能和（iii）社交能力的缺陷，表明大麻素消费可以改善 PCP 引起的类似精神分裂症的行为改变。在接受 WIN 非自愿给药（实验者给予）的动物中进行的平行研究证实了大麻素给药对 PCP 诱导的精神分裂症症状的改善作用。
