Marijuana improved motor impairments and changes in synaptic plasticity-related molecules in the striatum in 6-OHDA-treated rats

Behav Brain Res. 2021 Jul 23:410:113342. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113342. Epub 2021 May 4.

Abstract

Using marijuana has become popular and is allowed for medical purposes in some countries. The effect of marijuana on Parkinson's disease is controversial and Medical marijuana may benefit for motor and non-motor symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease. No research has been conducted to fully prove the benefits, risks, and uses of marijuana as a treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease. In the present study, several different approaches, including behavioral measures and the western blot method for protein level assay, were used to investigate whether exposure to marijuana affects the motor and synaptic plasticity impairment induced by 6-OHDA. Marijuana consumption significantly decreased apomorphine-induced contralateral rotation, beam travel time, beam freeze time, and catalepsy time, but significantly increased latency to fall in the rotarod test, balance time, and protein level of PSD-95 and dopamine receptor D1 in the 6-OHDA + marijuana group. These results suggest that marijuana may be helpful for motor disorders and synaptic changes in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Keywords: Dopamine D1 receptors; Marijuana; Motor impairments; Parkinson’s disease; Postsynaptic density protein 95.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic Agents / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
  • Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists / administration & dosage
  • Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists / pharmacology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein / drug effects*
  • Dronabinol / administration & dosage
  • Dronabinol / pharmacology*
  • Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Medical Marijuana / administration & dosage
  • Medical Marijuana / pharmacology*
  • Neuronal Plasticity / drug effects*
  • Oxidopamine / pharmacology
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy
  • Plant Extracts
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Dopamine D1 / drug effects*

Substances

  • Adrenergic Agents
  • Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists
  • Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein
  • Dlg4 protein, rat
  • Drd1 protein, rat
  • Medical Marijuana
  • Plant Extracts
  • Receptors, Dopamine D1
  • Dronabinol
  • Oxidopamine