Endocannabinoids and Schizophrenia.docVIP

Pharmaceuticals 2010, 3, 3101-3126; doi:10.3390/ph3103101 OPEN ACCESS pharmaceuticals ISSN 1424-8247 /journal/pharmaceuticals Review Endocannabinoids and Schizophrenia Jo?lle Desfossés, Emmanuel Stip, Lahcen Ait Bentaleb and Stéphane Potvin * Centre de Recherche Fernand-Seguin, Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal, Quebec, H1N 3V2, Canada; E-Mail: joelle.desfosses@umontreal.ca (J.D.); emmanuel.stip@umontreal.ca (E.S.); lahcen.ait.bentaleb@umontreal.ca (L.A.B.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: stephane.potvin@umontreal.ca; Tel.: +1-514-251-4015; Fax: +1-514-251-2617. Received: 10 September 2010 / Accepted: 25 September 2010 / Published: 8 October 2010 Abstract: The endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachydonoylglycerol (2-AG) are lipids naturally derived from membrane precursors which bind cannabinoid receptors (CB1, CB2). This endocannabinoid system is disturbed in schizophrenia. Indeed, there seems to be an association between schizophrenia and polymorphisms of the CB1 receptor gene. Moreover, CB1 receptors are found in higher density in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia of patients with schizophrenia. Similarly, anandamide levels are increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in the serum of schizophrenia patients, including during the prodromal state, suggesting that they may play a protective role in psychosis homeostasis. Future studies are needed to further explore the role of the endocannabinoid system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Keywords: endocannabinoids; schizophrenia; cannabis; drug abuse; metabolism 1. Introduction Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 0.4% in the general population [1–3] Thus far, several etiological models have been proposed to explain the biological bases of the disorder, including neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative or cortic