Alcohol conditioning reduced endocannabinoid levels in brain reward circuits, and pharmacological CB2 receptor manipulation altered alcohol's rewarding properties in mice.
Addiction researchers, neuropharmacologists, and clinicians exploring cannabinoid targets for alcohol use disorder.
CB2 modulated alcohol reward
What the researchers found
Alcohol-conditioned place preference was associated with decreased anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines in the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral midbrain. Blocking CB2 receptors during conditioning reduced alcohol reward. However, activating CB2 reduced both alcohol AND food reward, suggesting a non-specific effect on reward processing.
Why it matters
Understanding how the endocannabinoid system mediates alcohol reward could inform treatments for alcohol use disorder. CB2 receptors are of particular interest because they can be targeted without the psychoactive effects of CB1 manipulation.
The numbers in context
Anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines were markedly decreased in medial prefrontal cortex and ventral midbrain of alcohol-conditioned mice. AM630 (CB2 antagonist) reduced alcohol CPP during acquisition.
How the study worked
Conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in C57BL/6 mice with endocannabinoid level measurement in brain regions (LC-MS/MS). CB2 receptor agonist (JWH133) and antagonist (AM630) administered during acquisition phase.
What this study cannot tell us
Mouse model of alcohol preference, not addiction. CB2 agonist reduced food reward too, raising selectivity concerns. Acute pharmacological manipulation may not predict chronic treatment effects.
How to read the evidence
Preliminary: mouse behavioral and biochemical study.
When this study was published
Published in 2019.
The bigger picture
The endocannabinoid system is increasingly recognized as a modulator of multiple types of reward. This study adds evidence that CB2 receptors specifically influence alcohol reward, expanding the potential therapeutic toolkit for addiction beyond traditional approaches.
Questions still open
- Could CB2-targeted treatments reduce alcohol craving in humans without affecting normal reward processing? Can the non-specific reward suppression of CB2 agonists be refined through drug design?
Common questions
Could cannabinoid drugs treat alcohol addiction?
How does alcohol affect the endocannabinoid system?
Read the original research
Alcohol-induced conditioned place preference is modulated by CB2 cannabinoid receptors and modifies levels of endocannabinoids in the mesocorticolimbic system.
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 183, 22-31
Citation
Martín-Sánchez, Ana; Warnault, Vincent; Montagud-Romero, Sandra; Pastor, Antoni; Mondragón, Neus; De La Torre, Rafael; Valverde, Olga. (2019). Alcohol-induced conditioned place preference is modulated by CB2 cannabinoid receptors and modifies levels of endocannabinoids in the mesocorticolimbic system.. Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 183, 22-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2019.06.007
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