Therapeutic-like activity of cannabidiolic acid methyl ester (HU-580) in
the MK-801 mouse model of schizophrenia: role for cannabinoid CB1 and
serotonin-1A receptors
Abstract
Schizophrenia is an incurable psychotic illness. Those diagnosed have
limited pharmacological treatment options, many of which do not provide
long term relief and come with unpleasant side effects. The
endocannabinoid and serotonergic systems are important neuromodulators
in psychotic illness. We hypothesize that cannabidiolic acid methyl
ester (HU-580) that exerts action on both these systems could have
therapeutic potential by antagonizing cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB1R) and
agonizing 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor-1A (5-HT1AR). We employed
behavioural and brain protein analyses in male and female mice exposed
to MK-801, which precipitated schizophrenia-related reactivity across a
number of behavioural dimensions. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to a
battery of behavioral tests, and we found that subchronic treatment of
MK-801 (once daily for seven days) induced positive-like, negative-like,
and cognitive-related behavioral deficits; primarily in females.
Sub-chronic treatment of MK-801 (once daily for 17 days) induced
positive- and negative-like behavioral deficits in females. Low-dose
(0.01ug/kg) but not high-dose (0.05 ug/kg) treatment rescued female mice
from schizophrenia-related behavioral deficits. Altogether, these data
suggest that HU-580 may have dose-dependent antipsychotic-like potential
that rely on mechanisms that recruit CB1R and 5-HT1AR.