TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of caffeine on striatal neurotransmission
T2 - Focus on cannabinoid CB1 receptors
AU - Rossi, Silvia
AU - de Chiara, Valentina
AU - Musella, Alessandra
AU - Mataluni, Giorgia
AU - Sacchetti, Lucia
AU - Siracusano, Alberto
AU - Bernardi, Giorgio
AU - Usiello, Alessandro
AU - Centonze, Diego
PY - 2010/4
Y1 - 2010/4
N2 - Caffeine is the most commonly self-administered psychoactive substance worldwide. At usual doses, the effects of caffeine on vigilance, attention, mood and arousal largely depend on the modulation of central adenosine receptors. The present review article describes the action of caffeine within the striatum, to provide a possible molecular mechanism at the basis of the psychomotor and reinforcing properties of this pharmacological agent. The striatum is in fact a subcortical area involved in sensorimotor, cognitive, and emotional processes, and recent experimental findings showed that chronic caffeine consumption enhances the sensitivity of striatal GABAergic synapses to the stimulation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors. The endo-cannabinoid system is involved in the psychoactive effects of many compounds, and adenosine A2A receptors (the main receptor target of caffeine) elicit a permissive effect towards CB1 receptors, thus suggesting that A2A-CB1 receptor interaction plays a major role in the generation and maintenance of caffeine reinforcing behavior. Aim of this review is to describe the effects of caffeine on striatal neurotransmission with special reference to the modulation of the endocannabinoid system.
AB - Caffeine is the most commonly self-administered psychoactive substance worldwide. At usual doses, the effects of caffeine on vigilance, attention, mood and arousal largely depend on the modulation of central adenosine receptors. The present review article describes the action of caffeine within the striatum, to provide a possible molecular mechanism at the basis of the psychomotor and reinforcing properties of this pharmacological agent. The striatum is in fact a subcortical area involved in sensorimotor, cognitive, and emotional processes, and recent experimental findings showed that chronic caffeine consumption enhances the sensitivity of striatal GABAergic synapses to the stimulation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors. The endo-cannabinoid system is involved in the psychoactive effects of many compounds, and adenosine A2A receptors (the main receptor target of caffeine) elicit a permissive effect towards CB1 receptors, thus suggesting that A2A-CB1 receptor interaction plays a major role in the generation and maintenance of caffeine reinforcing behavior. Aim of this review is to describe the effects of caffeine on striatal neurotransmission with special reference to the modulation of the endocannabinoid system.
KW - Adenosine
KW - IPSC
KW - Psychostimulant
KW - Reward
KW - Stress
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U2 - 10.1002/mnfr.200900237
DO - 10.1002/mnfr.200900237
M3 - Article
C2 - 20087854
AN - SCOPUS:77951067861
VL - 54
SP - 525
EP - 531
JO - Molecular Nutrition and Food Research
JF - Molecular Nutrition and Food Research
SN - 1613-4125
IS - 4
ER -