Receptors and Channels Targeted by Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists and Antagonists

R.   G.   Pertwee

doi:10.2174/092986710790980050

Abstract

It is widely accepted that non-endogenous compounds that target CB1 and/or CB2 receptors possess therapeutic potential for the clinical management of an ever growing number of disorders. Just a few of these disorders are already treated with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol or nabilone, both CB1/CB2 receptor agonists, and there is now considerable interest in expanding the clinical applications of such agonists and also in exploiting CB2-selective agonists, peripherally restricted CB1/CB2 receptor agonists and CB1/CB2 antagonists and inverse agonists as medicines. Already, numerous cannabinoid receptor ligands have been developed and their interactions with CB1 and CB2 receptors well characterized. This review describes what is currently known about the ability of such compounds to bind to, activate, inhibit or block non-CB1, non- CB2 G protein-coupled receptors such as GPR55, transmitter gated channels, ion channels and nuclear receptors in an orthosteric or allosteric manner. It begins with a brief description of how each of these ligands interacts with CB1 and/or CB2 receptors.

Keywords: Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, rimonabant, AM251, cannabinoid receptors, GPR55, G protein-coupled receptors, transmitter gated and ion channels, the nuclear receptors PPARα, PPARγ