| Popis: |
Aging is the major risk factor for development of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease. The aging brain undergoes gradual neuroanatomical and neurochemical changes, including alterations in components of the endocannabinoid system. These changes impact brain functions controlling motoric, emotive, and cognitive activities. Some degree of age-related cognitive decline occurs independent of the presence of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. However, neurodegenerative diseases can also develop in younger individuals who exhibit what appears to be accelerated “aging” of selective populations of neurons. The discovery of the endogenous cannabinoid system is relatively recent and began with identification of receptors in brain that interacted and bound with the main psychoactive component of the phytocannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). At present, the various components of the endocannabinoid system (endogenous ligands, receptors, biosynthetic and degradative enzymes) have been characterized, and research in this field is rapidly growing. In this brief review, the changes in the endocannabinoid system that occur with aging and in several classical neurodegenerative diseases are discussed with a focus on the therapeutic potential of agents that interact with various components of the endocannabinoid system. |
