Drugs acting at cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1) have modulatory effects on glutamate and GABA neurotransmission in basal ganglia; thus, they potentially affect motor behavior in the parkinsonian setting. Preclinical trials with diverse cannabinoid agents have shown varied results, and the precise effects of blocking cannabinoid CB1 receptors remain uncertain. We tested behavioral effects of the selective antagonist 1-[7-(2-chlorophenyl)-8-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-methylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-[1,3,5]triazin-4-yl]-3-ethylaminoazetidine-3-carboxylic acid amide benzenesulfonate (CE) as monotherapy and in combination with L-DOPA in treatment-naive and L-DOPA-primed 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated rhesus monkeys with moderate and severe parkinsonism. Motor disability and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias were scored with a standardized scale after subcutaneous drug administration, and plasma levels of L-DOPA were determined by highperformance liquid chromatography/electrochemical detection. CE doses ranged from 0.03 to 1 mg/kg, and L-DOPA methyl ester doses were selected as optimal and suboptimal doses (maximal and 50% of maximal responses, respectively). CE had no intrinsic effects on motor behavior regardless of the degree of parkinsonism (moderate or severe groups) or previous drug exposure ("de novo" or after L-DOPA priming). Initial CE administration did not affect development of L-DOPA antiparkinsonian responses. In coadministration trials, CE, in a dose-dependent manner, increased responses to L-DOPA (suboptimal doses). These effects were seen in both moderate and severely parkinsonian monkeys as a 30% increase of, predominantly, response duration with no effects on L-DOPA pharmacokinetics. CE did not modify levodopa-induced dyskinesias. These results suggest that selective cannabinoid CB1 antagonists may enhance the antiparkinsonian action of dopaminomimetics and possibly facilitate the use of lower doses, thereby reducing side effects.Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized principally by progressive neurodegeneration of the nigrostriatal dopamine system and its accompanying motor dysfunction: tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Dopamine replacement with the dopamine precursor L-DOPA improves motor symptoms, although long-term therapy causes disabling side effects, such as varied motor complications (response fluctuations and dyskinesias) (Nutt, 2000;Obeso et al., 2000). Because of these shortcomings, therapies that act as either adjuncts or alternatives to L-DOPA by modulating its effects and reducing adverse reactions may help in restoring normal function in the late-stage disease. Putative bases for developing new therapies lie in the interaction of dopamine with other neurotransmitter systems in basal ganglia. In fact, pathogenic mechanisms of L-DOPA-induced motor complications involve the glutamate system as the major transmitter driving the activity of striatal neurons (Chase and Oh, 2000). Other