Cannabinoids inhibit agonist-stimulated formation of inositol phosphates in rat hippocampal cultures.

The effect of cannabinoids on phosphoinositide metabolism stimulated by activation of muscarinic receptors, alpha 1-adrenoceptors or glutamate receptors was examined in rat hippocampal cultures. Carbachol stimulated phosphoinositide turnover by 5.5-fold over basal level, whereas glutamate and norepinephrine stimulated phosphoinositide turnover by 2-fold. Addition of cannabinoids, such as delta 8-tetrahydrocannabinol, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol or the psychoinactive cannabidiol inhibited formation of inositol phosphates evoked by carbachol, glutamate or norepinephrine by 55-90%. The cannabinoids alone only slightly inhibited the basal unstimulated formation of inositol phosphates. The inhibitory effect of the cannabinoids was dose-dependent and was achieved within the range of pharmacologically relevant concentrations. IC50 values for delta 8-tetrahydrocannabinol, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol were 9.6 +/- 1.0, 9.7 +/- 0.3 and 7.9 +/- 0.4 microM, respectively. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin (100 ng/ml, 18 h) did not affect the carbachol-induced stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover or its inhibition by the cannabinoids. This suggests that the inhibition by the cannabinoids of the stimulated formation of inositol phosphates is not mediated through a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein nor through the known effect of the cannabinoids on adenylate cyclase inhibition.