Cannabinoid Receptors in the Horse Lateral Nucleus of the Amygdala: A Potential Target for Ameliorating Pain Perception, Stress and Anxiety in Horses

The amygdala is composed of several nuclei, including the lateral nucleus which is the main receiving area for the input from cortical and subcortical brain regions. It mediates fear, anxiety, stress, and pain across species. Evidence suggests that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may be a promising target for modulating these processes. Cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related receptors have been identified in the amygdala of rodents, carnivores, and humans, but not in horses. This study aimed at investigating the gene expression of cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1R) and 2 (CB2R), transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARɣ) within the lateral nucleus of six equine amygdalae collected post mortem from an abattoir using quantitative Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR), cellular distribution, and immunofluorescence. mRNA expression of CB1R and CB2R, but not TRPV1 or PPARɣ, was detected. The percentage of immunoreactivity (IR) was calculated using ImageJ software. Cannabinoid receptor 1 immunoreactivity was absent in the somata but was strongly detected in the surrounding neuropil and varicosities and CB2R-IR was observed in the varicosities; TRPV1-IR showed moderate expression in the cytoplasm of somata and processes, while PPARγ-IR was weak-to-moderate in the neuronal nuclei. These findings demonstrate ECS components in the equine amygdala and may support future studies on Cannabis spp. molecules acting on these receptors