Abstract: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of equine lameness. Cannabinoid (CB) receptors are now considered to be promising therapeutic targets in human rheumatology for pain and inflammation, however, little is known about the equine endocannabinoid system. Objective: The primary goal was to assess the presence and expression pattern of CB1 and CB2 in the synovium of healthy joints. A secondary goal was to explore the relationship between the CB expression, degree of synovitis and OA pathology. Methods: Ex vivo experimental study. Methods: Metacarpophalangeal joints (n = 25) from a tissue bank were studied. The joints were dissected, and the articular cartilage lesions were scored. Synovial membrane specimens (n = 45) were harvested, fixed and the degree of synovitis was graded on histological sections. Colocalised synovial sections were also immunostained with antibodies to CB1 and CB2. Five regions of interest were randomly selected from digital images of manually segmented synovial intima and scored blindly for positive cellular immunoreactive staining by two independent observers. Interobserver agreement was calculated with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Relationships between CB1 and CB2 immunoreactive scores and synovitis or joint OA grade were explored with mixed linear models. Results: CB1 was expressed in synovial intimal cells in all specimens studied whereas CB2 expression was identified in 94%. Both receptors were also expressed in the subintimal blood vessel walls. ICCs were 84.6% (CB1) and 92.9% (CB2) for the immunoreactivity scores. Both CB1 and CB2 expression were significantly upregulated (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively) with increasing degree of synovitis. Conversely, CB1 expression significantly decreased (p = 0.03) with increasing severity of OA. Conclusions: The type of synovial cell expressing CB1 or CB2 was not investigated. Conclusions: Equine synovial intimal cells constitutively express both CB1 and CB2 receptors that are upregulated with synovitis and may have a role in joint pain. They are potential targets for therapy with cannabinoid molecules or their derivatives. Unassigned: Osteoarthritis (OA) ist eine Hauptursache equiner Lahmheit. Cannabinoid-Rezeptoren (CB) werden inzwischen als vielversprechendes Behandlungsziel von Schmerz und Inflammation in humaner Rheumatologie angesehen, indessen ist wenig über das equine Endocannabinoidsystem bekannt. Unassigned: Das Hauptziel der Studie war die Feststellung der Anwesenheit und Expressionsmuster von CB1 und CB2 im Synovium gesunder Gelenke. Sekundärziel war die Untersuchung des Verhältnisses zwischen CB-Expression, Grad von Synovitis und OA Pathologie. Methods: Ex vivo Experimentalstudie. Methods: Zehengrundgelenke (n = 25) einer Gewebebank wurden untersucht. Die Gelenke wurden seziert und Gelenkknorpelschäden bewertet. Proben von Synovialmembran (n = 45) wurden gesammelt, fixiert und der Grad von Synovitis wurde mithilfe histologischer Sektionen beurteilt. Co-lokalisierte Synovialabschnitte wurden außerdem immunhistochemisch gefärbt mit Antikörpern gegen CB1 und CB2. Fünf Regionen von Interesse (ROIs) wurden zufällig von digitalen Bildern manuell segmentierter synovialer Intima ausgewählt und von 2 unabhängigen, geblindeten Beobachtern auf positive zelluläre immunreaktive Färbung bewertet. Die Interobserver Übereinstimmung wurde kalkuliert mithilfe eines Intraklassenkorrelationskoeffizienten (ICC). Zusammenhänge zwischen CB1 und CB2 immunreaktiven Scores und Synovitis oder Grad der Gelenk OA wurden mithilfe linearer gemischter Modelle untersucht. Unassigned: CB1 wurde in synovialen Intimazellen aller untersuchten Proben exprimiert, wohingegen CB2-Expression in 94% identifiziert wurde. Beide Rezeptoren wurden ebenfalls in subintimalen Blutgefäßwänden exprimiert. ICCs waren 84.6% (CB1) und 92.9% (CB2) für die immunreaktiven Scores. Sowohl CB1- als auch CB2-Expression waren signifikant hochreguliert (P = 0.038 beziehungsweise P = 0.027) bei erhöhtem Grad der Synovitis. Hingegen verringerte sich die CB1-Expression signifikant (P = 0.03) mit steigendem Ausmaß von OA. HAUPTEINSCHRÄNKUNGEN: Der Typus synovialer Zellen, welche CB1 oder CB2 exprimierten, wurde nicht untersucht. Unassigned: Equine synoviale Intimazellen exprimieren konstitutiv sowohl CB1- als auch CB2-Rezeptoren, welche bei Synovitis hochreguliert werden und eine Rolle bei Gelenkschmerz spielen könnten. Sie sind potenzielle Ziele für die Therapie mit cannabinoiden Molekülen oder deren Derivate.
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article talks about the expression of cannabinoid receptors in the synovial membrane of healthy horses, its up-regulation in synovitis, and its potential role as a therapeutic target for joint ailments in horses.
Objectives and Methods
The study’s primary aim was to identify the existence and expression patterns of cannabinoid (CB) receptors, namely CB1 and CB2, in the synovial membrane (inner layer of the joint capsule) of healthy equine joints.
The secondary objective was to correlate CB expression levels with the degree of synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane) and OA (osteoarthritis) pathology.
The research was an ex vivo experimental study that involved 25 metacarpophalangeal joint specimens obtained from a tissue bank.
The joints were dissected, and any lesions in the articular cartilage were scored.
From these joints, 45 synovial membrane specimens were gathered, fixed, and the severity of synovitis was evaluated based on their histological sections.
These histological sections were also stained with antibodies specific to CB1 and CB2 to assess their expression.
Data on CB expression were analyzed blindly by two independent observers, and interobserver agreement was assessed with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
The relationship between CB1 and CB2 expression levels and the severity of synovitis or joint OA was evaluated using mixed linear models.
Results and Conclusions
Cannabinoid receptor CB1 was found to be expressed in synovial intimal cells (innermost cell layer of the synovium) in all specimens, while CB2 expression was detected in 94% of the specimens.
Both CB1 and CB2 were also expressed in the walls of the subintimal blood vessels.
The ICCs for CB1 and CB2 were 84.6% and 92.9% respectively, suggesting a high degree of agreement between observers in CB expression scoring.
Both CB1 and CB2 expression levels were found to increase with the increasing degree of synovitis, suggesting their upregulation may be involved in the inflammatory response in joint disease.
Interestingly, CB1 expression levels decreased with the severity of OA, indicating a potential protective role against cartilage degradation.
The study did not investigate which specific synovial cell types were expressing CB1 or CB2.
The findings from this study suggest that equine synovial intimal cells may have a constitutive role in expressing both CB1 and CB2 receptors, which become upregulated in the event of joint inflammation and could play a role in mitigating joint pain.
Therefore, these receptors may provide potential therapeutic targets for treating joint disorders in horses with cannabinoids or their derivatives.
Cite This Article
APA
Miagkoff L, Girard CA, St-Jean G, Richard H, Beauchamp G, Laverty S.
(2022).
Cannabinoid receptors are expressed in equine synovium and upregulated with synovitis.
Equine Vet J, 55(4), 681-695.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13860
Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St. Hyacinthe, Q, Canada.
Girard, Christiane A
Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St. Hyacinthe, Q, Canada.
St-Jean, Guillaume
Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St. Hyacinthe, Q, Canada.
Richard, Hélène
Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St. Hyacinthe, Q, Canada.
Beauchamp, Guy
Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St. Hyacinthe, Q, Canada.
Laverty, Sheila
Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St. Hyacinthe, Q, Canada.
MeSH Terms
Animals
Horses
Humans
Receptors, Cannabinoid / metabolism
Synovial Membrane
Synovitis / veterinary
Synovitis / pathology
Osteoarthritis / veterinary
Cannabinoids / metabolism
Horse Diseases / pathology
Grant Funding
CF00142067 / Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
DF1_130184 / Quebec Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy Network - ThéCell (a thematic network supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé)
Santé Équine de la Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire de l'Université de Montréal et Zoetis
Oke S, McIlwraith C. Review of the economic impact of osteoarthritis and oral joint-health supplements in horses. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2010;56:12-6.
Hill CL, Hunter DJ, Niu J, Clancy M, Guermazi A, Genant H. Synovitis detected on magnetic resonance imaging and its relation to pain and cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2007;66(12):1599-603.
Baker K, Grainger A, Niu J, Clancy M, Guermazi A, Crema M. Relation of synovitis to knee pain using contrast-enhanced MRIs. Ann Rheum Dis 2010;69(10):1779-83.
Whittaker JL, Toomey CM, Woodhouse LJ, Jaremko JL, Nettel-Aguirre A, Emery CA. Association between MRI-defined osteoarthritis, pain, function and strength 3-10 years following knee joint injury in youth sport. Br J Sports Med 2018;52(14):934-9.
Perry TA, Yang X, van Santen J, Arden NK, Kluzek S. Quantitative and semi-quantitative assessment of synovitis on MRI and the relationship with symptoms in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Rheumatology 2021;60(4):1763-73.
Dimitroulas T, Duarte RV, Behura A, Kitas GD, Raphael JH. Neuropathic pain in osteoarthritis: a review of pathophysiological mechanisms and implications for treatment. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2014;44(2):145-54.
O'Brien M, McDougall JJ. Cannabis and joints: scientific evidence for the alleviation of osteoarthritis pain by cannabinoids. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2018;40:104-9.
Matsuda LA, Lolait SJ, Brownstein MJ, Young AC, Bonner TI. Structure of a cannabinoid receptor and functional expression of the cloned cDNA. Nature 1990;346(6284):561-4.
Pertwee RG, Howlett AC, Abood ME, Alexander SPH, Di Marzo V, Elphick MR. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. LXXIX cannabinoid receptors. Pharmacol Rev 2010;62(4):588-631.
Finn DP, Jhaveri MD, Beckett SRG, Roe CH, Kendall DA, Marsden CA. Effects of direct periaqueductal grey administration of a cannabinoid receptor agonist on nociceptive and aversive responses in rats. Neuropharmacology 2003;45(5):594-604.
Drew LJ, Harris J, Millns PJ, Kendall DA, Chapman V. Activation of spinal cannabinoid 1 receptors inhibits C-fibre driven hyperexcitable neuronal responses and increases [35S]GTPγS binding in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord of noninflamed and inflamed rats. Eur J Neurosci 2000;12(6):2079-86.
Yao BB, Hsieh GC, Frost JM, Fan Y, Garrison TR, Daza AV. In vitro and in vivo characterization of A-796260: a selective cannabinoid CB 2 receptor agonist exhibiting analgesic activity in rodent pain models. Br J Pharmacol 2008;153(2):390-401.
Doherty T, Valverde A. Manual of equine anesthesia and analgesia. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing; 2006.
Richardson D, Pearson RG, Kurian N, Latif ML, Garle MJ, Barrett DA. Characterisation of the cannabinoid receptor system in synovial tissue and fluid in patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 2008;10(2):R43.
Dunn SL, Wilkinson JM, Crawford A, Bunning RAD, Le Maitre CL. Expression of cannabinoid receptors in human osteoarthritic cartilage: implications for future therapies. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2016;1(1):3-15.
McIlwraith CW, Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE, Fuller CJ, Hurtig M, Cruz A. The OARSI histopathology initiative-recommendations for histological assessments of osteoarthritis in the horse. Osteoarthr Cartil 2010;18:S93-S105.
Smith MD, Barg E, Weedon H, Papengelis V, Smeets T, Tak PP. Microarchitecture and protective mechanisms in synovial tissue from clinically and arthroscopically normal knee joints. Ann Rheum Dis 2003;62(4):303-7.
Singh JA, Arayssi T, Duray P, Schumacher HR. Immunohistochemistry of normal human knee synovium: a quantitative study. Ann Rheum Dis 2004;63(7):785-90.
Gui H, Liu X, Wang ZW, He DY, Su DF, Dai SM. Expression of cannabinoid receptor 2 and its inhibitory effects on synovial fibroblasts in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology 2014;53(5):802-9.
Andersson J, Sophocleous A, Zhou Y, Rischitor G, Ralston S, Salter D. Expression of cannabinoid receptors by human articular chondrocytes. Bone 2011;48:S141.
Schley M, Ständer S, Kerner J, Vajkoczy P, Schüpfer G, Dusch M. Predominant CB2 receptor expression in endothelial cells of glioblastoma in humans. Brain Res Bull 2009;79(5):333-7.
Járai Z, Wagner JA, Varga K, Lake KD, Compton DR, Martin BR. Cannabinoid-induced mesenteric vasodilation through an endothelial site distinct from CB1 or CB2 receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1999;96(24):14136-41.
Rzeczycki P, Rasner C, Lammlin L, Junginger L, Goldman S, Bergman R. Cannabinoid receptor type 2 is upregulated in synovium following joint injury and mediates anti-inflammatory effects in synovial fibroblasts and macrophages. Osteoarthr Cartil 2021;29(12):1720-31.
Maccarrone M, Bab I, Bíró T, Cabral GA, Dey SK, Di Marzo V. Endocannabinoid signaling at the periphery: 50 years after THC. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2015;36(5):277-96.
Selvi E, Lorenzini S, Garcia-Gonzalez E, Maggio R, Lazzerini PE, Capecchi PL. Inhibitory effect of synthetic cannabinoids on cytokine production in rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocytes. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2008;26(4):574-81.
Lowin T, Pongratz G, Straub RH. The synthetic cannabinoid WIN55, 212-2 mesylate decreases the production of inflammatory mediators in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts by activating CB 2, TRPV1, TRPA1 and yet unidentified receptor targets. J Inflamm 2016;13:15.
Rifas L, Arackal S. T cells regulate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase in human osteoblasts via a dual mitogen-activated protein kinase mechanism. Arthritis Rheum 2003;48(4):993-1001.
Gui H, Liu X, Liu LR, Su DF, Dai SM. Activation of cannabinoid receptor 2 attenuates synovitis and joint distruction in collagen-induced arthritis. Immunobiology 2015;220(6):817-22.
Sophocleous A, Börjesson AE, Salter DM, Ralston SH. The type 2 cannabinoid receptor regulates susceptibility to osteoarthritis in mice. Osteoarthr Cartil 2015;23(9):1586-94.
Malfait AM, Gallily R, Sumariwalla PF, Malik AS, Andreakos E, Mechoulam R. The nonpsychoactive cannabis constituent cannabidiol is an oral anti-arthritic therapeutic in murine collagen-induced arthritis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2000;97(17):9561-6.
Philpott HT, O'Brien M, McDougall JJ. Attenuation of early phase inflammation by cannabidiol prevents pain and nerve damage in rat osteoarthritis. Pain 2017;158(12):2442-51.
La Porta C, Bura SA, Aracil-Fernández A, Manzanares J, Maldonado R. Role of CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in the development of joint pain induced by monosodium iodoacetate. Pain 2013;154(1):160-74.
Fetchner S, Singh AK, Ahmed S. Role of cannabinoid receptor 2 in mediating interleukin-1B-induced inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2019;37(6):1026-35.
Soethoudt M, Grether U, Perret C, Grim TW, Fezza F, de Petrocellis L. Cannabinoid CB2 receptor ligand profiling reveals biased signalling and off-target activity. Nat Commun 2017;8:13958.
O'Sullivan SE, Kendall DA. Cannabinoid activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors: potential for modulation of inflammatory disease. Immunobiology 2010;215(8):611-6.
Kelly S, Chapman RJ, Woodhams S, Sagar DR, Turner J, Burston JJ. Increased function of pronociceptive TRPV1 at the level of the joint in a rat model of osteoarthritis pain. Ann Rheum Dis 2015;74(1):252-9.
Console-Bram L, Brailoiu E, Brailoiu GC, Sharir H, Abood ME. Activation of GPR18 by cannabinoid compounds: a tale of biased agonism. Br J Pharmacol 2014;171(16):3908-17.
Lauckner JE, Jensen JB, Chen H-Y, Lu H-C, Hille B, Mackie K. GPR55 is a cannabinoid receptor that increases intracellular calcium and inhibits M current. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008;105(7):2699-704.
Poole R, Blake S, Buschmann M, Goldring S, Laverty S, Lockwood S. Recommendations for the use of preclinical models in the study and treatment of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthr Cartil 2010;18(Suppl. 3):S10-6.
Kalak P, Kupczyk P, Szumny A, Gębarowski T, Jasiak M, Niedźwiedź A, Niżański W, Dzięcioł M. Molecular Mechanisms of the Endocannabinoid System with a Focus on Reproductive Physiology and the Cannabinoid Impact on Fertility. Int J Mol Sci 2025 Jul 23;26(15).
Klawitter J, Clauw AD, Seifert JA, Klawitter J, Tompson B, Sempio C, Ingram SL, Christians U, Moreland LW. Endocannabinoid Tone and Oxylipins in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis-A Novel Target for the Treatment of Pain and Inflammation?. Int J Mol Sci 2025 Jun 14;26(12).
Zamith Cunha R, Salamanca G, Mille F, Delprete C, Franciosi C, Piva G, Gramenzi A, Chiocchetti R. Endocannabinoid System Receptors at the Hip and Stifle Joints of Middle-Aged Dogs: A Novel Target for the Therapeutic Use of Cannabis sativa Extract in Canine Arthropathies. Animals (Basel) 2023 Sep 6;13(18).