New molecule may be basis for drugs that battle overeating and drug dependency

Main Category: Anxiety / Stress
Article Date: 15 May 2004 - 0:00 PDT


UCI study identifies how new anandamide inhibitor can regulate brain's natural 'bliss' system.

Irvine, Calif. , May 14, 2004

A new synthetic chemical may provide the framework for future drugs that can treat a variety of brain-based ailments, ranging from overeating and drug dependency to neuropathic pain.

Daniele Piomelli, professor of pharmacology at the UC Irvine College of Medicine, and colleagues at the University of Connecticut have created a molecule, AM1172, that regulates the processing of a neurotransmitter called anandamide. In tests on mice, Piomelli found AM1172 to be effective in increasing brain anandamide activity, in much the same way as the antidepressant drug Prozac increases activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

The study appears in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, May 10.

Anandamide is a natural marijuana-like compound that responds to hormones and external stimuli and activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain. This endocannabinoid system helps regulate pain, mood and appetite, along with dependence on drugs such as alcohol and marijuana. Because of this, anandamide is sometimes referred to as the "bliss" molecule.

According to Piomelli, AM1172 works by blocking anandamide degradation, boosting the actions of this natural transmitter without indiscriminately activating cannabinoid receptors in the brain, making it much more selective and effective at targeting specific receptors involved with specific behaviors.

"By understanding how this works at a biological level, we can begin to understand how anxiety and depression is connected with obesity and the dependence on substances such as marijuana," said Piomelli, who also studies how anandamide and other similar substances are involved in feeding and obesity. "By helping the body's own system give the brain a boost, compounds such as AM1172 might be able to counterbalance these feelings of anxiety and depression."

Piomelli's colleagues in the study included Darren Fegley and Satish Kathuria of UCI, and Richard Mercier, C. Li, Andreas Goutopolous and Alexandros Makriyannis of the University of Connecticut.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked public university dedicated to research, scholarship and community. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with approximately 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,300 faculty members. The third-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion.

A Service of UCI Communications © Copyright 2002-2004 UC Regents
Tom Vasich
(949) 824-6455
tmvasich@uci.edu

• Additional
• References
• Citations