Deletion of Cryab increases the vulnerability of mice to the addiction-like effects of the cannabinoid JWH-018 via upregulation of striatal NF-κB expression
Frontiers in Pharmacology March 16, 2023 Leandro Val Sayson, Darlene Mae Ortiz, Hyun Jun Lee et al. 4 citations
Mice lacking the Cryab gene show stronger addiction-like responses to the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018, including greater self-administration and place preference, along with altered gamma brain waves, compared to normal mice. Repeated JWH-018 exposure did not change endocannabinoid or dopamine gene expression or dopamine levels in the brain's reward center between the two groups. However, the knockout mice displayed increased neuroinflammation, linked to upregulated NF-κB, and higher levels of synaptic plasticity markers. These findings suggest that heightened neuroinflammation via NF-κB may drive the enhanced cannabinoid addiction-related behaviors in Cryab knockout mice, making them a potential model for studying susceptibility to cannabinoid abuse.