French E D, Dillon K, Wu X
Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724, USA.
Neuroreport. 1997 Feb 10;8(3):649-52. doi: 10.1097/00001756-199702100-00014.
Extracellular recordings were used to determine the effects of cannabinoids on the activity of dopamine neurons within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC). Systemic administration of the natural psychoactive cannabinoid delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) and the synthetic cannabimimetic aminoalkylindole WIN 55,212-2 produced dose-dependent increases in firing rate and burst firing in both neuronal populations. These effects appear to be specific as the non-psychoactive cannabidiol and the inactive enantiomer WIN 55,212-3 failed to alter either parameter of neuronal excitability. Furthermore, dopamine neurons in the VTA were more sensitive than those in the SNC to the stimulatory actions of delta 9-THC. These results may provide a mechanism by which psychoactive cannabinoids increase extracellular dopamine levels in mesolimbic and striatal tissues, and thereby contribute to the reinforcing effects of marijuana.
细胞外记录被用于确定大麻素对腹侧被盖区（VTA）和黑质致密部（SNC）内多巴胺神经元活性的影响。全身性给予天然精神活性大麻素Δ9-四氢大麻酚（Δ9-THC）和合成大麻模拟物氨基烷基吲哚WIN 55,212-2，在这两种神经元群体中均产生了剂量依赖性的放电频率增加和爆发式放电增加。这些效应似乎具有特异性，因为非精神活性的大麻二酚和无活性对映体WIN 55,212-3未能改变神经元兴奋性的任何参数。此外，VTA中的多巴胺神经元比SNC中的多巴胺神经元对Δ9-THC的刺激作用更敏感。这些结果可能提供了一种机制，通过该机制精神活性大麻素可增加中脑边缘和纹状体组织细胞外多巴胺水平，从而有助于大麻的强化作用。
