AUTHOR=Wang Jing , Wang Shenghong , Zhang Hua 

TITLE=Modulation of Astrocytic Glutamine Synthetase by Endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol in JNK-Independent Pathway

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pain Research

VOLUME=2

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pain-research/articles/10.3389/fpain.2021.682051

DOI=10.3389/fpain.2021.682051

ISSN=2673-561X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background and Objective:</bold> The glutamine synthetase (GS), an astrocyte-specific enzyme, plays an important role in neuroprotection through the glutamate/glutamine shuttle and can be modulated by endocannabinoid (eCB) 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) through extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase ½ (ERK1/2) and p38 signaling pathways. However, the role of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway in the modulation of GS in astrocytes by 2-AG is not clear.</p><p><bold>Materials and Methods:</bold> The expression of GS and JNK in astrocytes following the exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was examined with Western blotting and immunochemistry.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The results revealed that short-term exposure to LPS activated GS and increased phosphorylation of JNK in astrocytes in a time-dependent manner. Treatment with 2-AG reversed the changes in GS but had no effect on the activation of JNK.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> These findings suggest that the activation of JNK induced by LPS is not involved in the modulation of astrocytic GS by 2-AG.</p>