Cannabinoid receptor 1 signalling modulates stress susceptibility and microglial responses to chronic social defeat stress

Psychosocial stress is one of the main environmental factors contributing to the development of psychiatric disorders. In humans and rodents, chronic stress is associated with elevated inflammatory responses, indicated by increased numbers of circulating myeloid cells and activation of microglia, the brain-resident immune cells. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates neuronal and endocrine stress responses via the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1). CB1-deficient mice (Cnr1(−/−)) are highly sensitive to stress, but if this involves altered inflammatory responses is not known. To test this, we exposed Cnr1(+/+) and Cnr1(−/−) mice to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Cnr1(−/−) mice were extremely sensitive to a standard protocol of CSDS, indicated by an increased mortality rate. Therefore, a mild CSDS protocol was established, which still induced a behavioural phenotype in susceptible Cnr1(−/−) mice. These mice also showed altered glucocorticoid levels after mild CSDS, suggesting dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Mild CSDS induced weak myelopoiesis in the periphery, but no recruitment of myeloid cells to the brain. In contrast, mild CSDS altered microglial activation marker expression and morphology in Cnr1(−/−) mice. These microglial changes correlated with the severity of the behavioural phenotype. Furthermore, microglia of Cnr1(−/−) mice showed increased expression of Fkbp5, an important regulator of glucocorticoid signalling. Overall, the results confirm that CB1 signalling protects the organism from the physical and emotional harm of social stress and implicate endocannabinoid-mediated modulation of microglia in the development of stress-related pathologies.