These results corroborate findings indicating that CBD induces antipsychotic-like effects. In addition, they pointed to the nucleus accumbens as a possible site of these effects. The increase of anandamide availability may be enrolled in the CBD effects.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major Cannabis sativa constituent, which does not cause the typical marijuana psychoactivity. However, it has been shown to be active in a numerous pharmacological assays, including mice tests for anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and schizophrenia. In human trials the doses of CBD needed to achieve effects in anxiety and schizophrenia are high. We report now the synthesis of 3 fluorinated CBD derivatives, one of which, 4'-F-CBD (HUF-101) (1), is considerably more potent than CBD in behavioral assays in mice predictive of anxiolytic, antidepressant, antipsychotic and anti-compulsive activity. Similar to CBD, the anti-compulsive effects of HUF-101 depend on cannabinoid receptors.

This study provides the first demonstration that an increase in NO can improve the PPI response and block the amphetamine-disruptive effects on the PPI response. Our data are consistent with recent clinical results. However, these effects do not appear to be related to an increase in cGMP levels, and further investigation is thus required.

Pharmacological manipulation of nitric oxide (NO) has been suggested as a promising treatment for schizophrenia symptoms. A single infusion of sodium nitroprusside, a NO donor with short half-life, was found to improve schizophrenia symptoms. However, an increasing number of preclinical studies have demonstrated the potential beneficial effects of both NO donors and inhibitors. We investigated the potential synergistic effect of sub-effective doses of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside or the NO inhibitor 7-Nitroindazole (7NI) combined with clozapine, a standard atypical antipsychotic, on counteracting amphetamine or MK-801-induced psychosis-like behaviors. The impact of sodium nitroprusside and 7NI on cAMP regulation in the prefrontal cortex and striatum was also evaluated. Confirming previous results, we found that both NO donors and inhibitors prevented amphetamine-induced effects (prepulse inhibition [PPI] disruption and hyperlocomotion). In addition, we observed a synergistic effect of sodium nitroprusside and clozapine on antagonizing the disruptive effects of amphetamine, but not MK-801, in the PPI test. The sub-effective dose of 7NI tested did not prevent amphetamine or MK-induced PPI effects when combined with clozapine. Interestingly, cAMP levels were significantly decreased in the prefrontal cortex after treatment with sodium nitroprusside. In the striatum, both sodium nitroprusside and 7NI blocked the amphetamine-induced increase of cAMP. Our data corroborate previous findings on the dopaminergic mechanisms involved in the action of sodium nitroprusside. It is likely that the differential effects of sodium nitroprusside are related to its ability to modify cAMP levels in the prefrontal cortex.

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O canabidiol, fitocanabinóide presente na planta Cannabis sativa é desprovido dos efeitos psicotomiméticos característicos do principal composto da Cannabis, o ∆9-tetraidrocanabinol, mais conhecido como delta 9-THC. Um conjunto crescente de evidências sugere que o canabidiol apresente potencial terapêutico para o tratamento dos sintomas de distúrbios psiquiátricos, como a depressão, a ansiedade e as psicoses. A observação em humanos, mas também em modelos animais experimentais da capacidade do canabidiol de antagonizar os efeitos psicotomiméticos do delta 9-THC constitui uma importante evidência de seu potencial para utilização clínica. Embora os efeitos farmacológicos do canabidiol tenham sido investigados em diferentes sistemas biológicos in vitro e in vivo, seu mecanismo de ação ainda não é claro. O delta 9-THC ativa os receptores canabinóides do tipo CB1 e CB2 contudo o canabidiol apresenta uma baixa afinidade por esses receptores. Adicionalmente, o canabidiol tem apresentado boa tolerabilidade em testes com humanos, tornando-o alvo de grande interesse da comunidade científica. O objetivo dessa revisão é apresentar, de forma breve, algumas das principais evidências experimentais e clínicas do provável perfil antipsicótico do canabidiol.

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