CELL DEATH PATHWAYS INDUCED BY ENDOCANNABINOIDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RETINAL CELLS

The cannabinoid system is well described in various parts of the central nervous system, including the retina. The retina is a tissue essential for vision since it is responsible for transducing the light signal into a neurochemical signaling, which is transmitted to the brain. It has already been shown that the retina expresses the main components of the cannabinoid system, such as the predominant endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA), the classic metabotropic receptors CB1 and CB2, and also the enzymes responsible for the degradation (MAGL, FAAH) and synthesis (DAGL, NAPE-PLD) of these endocannabinoids. Data from our group demonstrated that the inhibition of MAGL, responsible for the hydrolysis of 2-AG, in the retinal development of chicken embryo cultures, causes cell death. However the mechanisms involved are yet to be elucidated.