CANNABINOID RECEPTOR CB1 MESSENGER-RNA IS HIGHLY EXPRESSED IN THE RATCILIARY BODY - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ANTIGLAUCOMA PROPERTIES OF MARIJUANA

We used RT-PCR to measure relative differences in cannabinoid receptor (CB) mRNAs in the rat eye, comparing CB1 or CB2 transcripts to that o f the normalizing reference gene beta(2) microglobulin (beta(2)m) sign ificantly higher levels of CB1 mRNA levels were found in the ciliary b ody (0.84 +/- 0.05% of beta(2)m) than in the iris, (0.34 +/- 0.04% of beta(2)m), retina (0.07 +/- 0.005% of beta(2)m) and choroid (0.06 +/- 0.005% of beta(2)m) CB2 mRNA was undetectable. This expression pattern supports a specific role for the CB1 receptor in controlling intraocu lar pressure, helping to explain the antiglaucoma property of cannabin oids. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.