ABSTRACT
Alcohol consumption is associated with gut dysbiosis, increased intestinal permeability, endotoxemia, and a cascade that leads to persistent systemic inflammation, alcoholic liver disease, and other ailments. Craving for alcohol and its consequences depends, among other things, on the endocannabinoid system. We have analyzed the relative role of central vs. peripheral cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1R) using a "two-bottle" as well as a "drinking in the dark" paradigm in mice. The globally acting CB1R antagonist rimonabant and the non-brain penetrant CB1R antagonist JD5037 inhibited voluntary alcohol intake upon systemic but not upon intracerebroventricular administration in doses that elicited anxiogenic-like behavior and blocked CB1R-induced hypothermia and catalepsy. The peripherally restricted hybrid CB1R antagonist/iNOS inhibitor S-MRI-1867 was also effective in reducing alcohol consumption after oral gavage, while its R enantiomer (CB1R inactive/iNOS inhibitor) was not. The two MRI-1867 enantiomers were equally effective in inhibiting an alcohol-induced increase in portal blood endotoxin concentration that was caused by increased gut permeability. We conclude that (i) activation of peripheral CB1R plays a dominant role in promoting alcohol intake and (ii) the iNOS inhibitory function of MRI-1867 helps in mitigating the alcohol-induced increase in endotoxemia.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/pathology , Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists/pharmacology , Endotoxemia/pathology , Ethanol/adverse effects , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/antagonists & inhibitors , Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/antagonists & inhibitors , Alcohol Drinking/blood , Animals , Anxiety/blood , Anxiety/complications , Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Catalepsy/chemically induced , Catalepsy/complications , Cyclohexanols/administration & dosage , Elevated Plus Maze Test , Endotoxemia/blood , Endotoxemia/complications , Endotoxins/blood , Gastrointestinal Tract/drug effects , Gastrointestinal Tract/metabolism , Hypothermia, Induced , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/metabolism , Pyrazoles/administration & dosage , Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism , Rimonabant/administration & dosage , Rimonabant/pharmacology , Stereoisomerism , Sulfonamides/administration & dosageABSTRACT
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) causes multiple inflammatory complications, resulting not only in severe lung inflammation but also harm to other organs. Although the current focus is on the management of acute COVID-19, there is growing concern about long-term effects of COVID-19 (Long Covid), such as fibroproliferative changes in the lung, heart and kidney. Therefore, the identification of therapeutic targets not only for the management of acute COVID-19 but also for preventing Long Covid are needed, and would mitigate against long-lasting health burden and economic costs, in addition to saving lives. COVID-19 induces pathological changes via multiple pathways, which could be targeted simultaneously for optimal effect. We discuss the potential pathologic function of increased activity of the endocannabinoid/CB1 receptor system and inducible NO synthase (iNOS). We advocate a polypharmacology approach, wherein a single chemical entity simultaneously interacts with CB1 receptors and iNOS causing inhibition, as a potential therapeutic strategy for COVID-19-related health complications. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on The second wave: are we any closer to efficacious pharmacotherapy for COVID 19? (BJP 75th Anniversary). To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.10/issuetoc.