# Endocannabinoid Mechanisms in the Pathophysiology of Alcohol Use Disorders

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $360,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) manifest from a convergence of characteristics of the individual, the environment,
and the alcohol itself, and is strongly associated with pain disorders. In addition to the well-known analgesic and
anesthetic effects of alcohol intoxication, alcohol withdrawal is associated with hyperalgesic states which
contribute to relapse in patients with AUD-pain comorbidities. Here we will test the preclinical efficacy of
endocannabinoid (eCB) augmentation for the alleviation of alcohol withdrawal-associated hyperalgesic states
and determine the underlying neurobiological mechanisms subserving these effects. eCB augmentation and
cannabis products are known to exert analgesic effects. Our preliminary data demonstrate that pharmacological
augmentation of eCB signaling, specifically the eCB ligand 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), exerts reliable anti-
hyperalgesic effects in mouse models, while depletion of 2-AG levels worsens and prolongs hyperalgesic states
associated with alcohol withdrawal. Based on these data we will rigorously and comprehensively test the global
hypothesis that pharmacological augmentation of 2-AG levels will alleviate hyperalgesic states associated with
alcohol withdrawal via actions at CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. We will also test the hypothesis that
endogenous 2-AG serves a physiological role to counteract withdrawal-associated hyperalgesic states. We will
next test the hypothesis that 2-AG regulates an amygdala-prefrontal cortical (PFC)-periaqueductal gray (PAG)
neural circuit. We will use optogenetics, retrograde tracing, and ex vivo electrophysiology to test the hypothesis
that 2-AG signaling suppresses amygdala-mediated inhibition of PAG-projecting PFC neurons. We hypothesize
that 2-AG signaling exerts analgesic actions in alcohol withdrawal via inhibition of glutamatergic transmission
preferentially onto PFC GABA neurons thus increasing the excitation/inhibition ratio onto PAG-projecting PFC
neurons, which contribute to descending pain modulation. Lastly, we will use in vivo calcium imaging of PAG-
projecting PFC neurons to test the hypothesis that noxious mechanical stimulation-induced activity of these
neurons is reduced in alcohol withdrawal and normalized by pharmacological 2-AG augmentation, and that
activity of these neurons is required for the analgesic effects of 2-AG augmentation during alcohol withdrawal.
Completion of these studies could provide preclinical validation for 2-AG augmentation in the treatment of AUD-
pain comorbidity and provide novel mechanistic insight into how 2-AG signaling regulates descending pain
circuits under physiological conditions and during alcohol withdrawal.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10587760
- **Project number:** 2R01AA026186-07A1
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Sachin Patel
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $360,000
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2028-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10587760

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10587760, Endocannabinoid Mechanisms in the Pathophysiology of Alcohol Use Disorders (2R01AA026186-07A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10587760. Licensed CC0.

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