Enhancing Endocannabinoid Signaling via β-Catenin in the Nucleus Accumbens Attenuates PTSD- and Depression-like Behavior of Male Rats.

ABSTRACT: Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which increases anandamide levels, has been suggested as a potential treatment for stress-related conditions. We examined whether the stress-preventing effects of the FAAH inhibitor URB597 on behavior are mediated via β-catenin in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Male rats were exposed to the shock and reminders model of PTSD and then treated with URB597 (0.4 mg/kg; i.p.). They were tested for anxiety- (freezing, startle response), depression-like behaviors (despair, social preference, anhedonia), and memory function (T-maze, social recognition). We also tested the involvement of the CB1 receptor (CB1r), β-catenin, and metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) proteins. URB597 prevented the shock- and reminders-induced increase in anxie

SUBMITTER: Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9394396 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature