Over the past 2 decades, there has been rapidly growing interest in the role of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in the regulation of stress and emotional processes. Several lines of converging evidence provide strong evidence that eCB signaling is a key player in these processes. First, genetic ablation or pharmacologic antagonism of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R) results in exaggerated neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to acute stress (1). More so, sustained disruption of CB1R signaling produces an array of neurobiological changes consistent with alterations seen after chronic stress or in mood disorders, such as reductions in neurotrophin levels, neurogenesis and dendritic complexity, and increased levels of central neuroinflammation (2,3).
PMID: 27130852 [PubMed – in process]
LinkOut – more resources
