Prakash Nidadavolu

Dr. Prakash Nidadavolu


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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PNPrakash Nidadavolu
Prakash Nidadavolu
András Bilkei-GorzóAndrás Bilkei-Gorzó
András Bilkei-Gorzó
Felix EffahFelix Effah
Felix Effah
ELEste Leidmaa
Este Leidmaa
BSBritta Schürmann
Britta Schürmann
ABAlexis Bailey
Alexis Bailey
Endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling is markedly decreased in the hippocampus (Hip) of aged mice, and the genetic deletion of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) leads to an early onset of cognitive decline and age-related histological changes in the brain. Thus, it is hypothesized that cognitive aging is modulated by eCB signaling through CB1. In the present study, we detailed the changes in the eCB system during the aging process using different complementary techniques in mouse brains of five different age groups, ranging from adolescence to old age. Our findings indicate that the eCB system is most strongly affected in middle-aged mice (between 9 and 12 months of age) in a brain region-specific manner. We show that 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) was prominently decreased in the Hip and moderately in caudate putamen (CPu), whereas anandamide (AEA) was decreased in both CPu and medial prefrontal cortex along with cingulate cortex (mPFC+Cg), starting from 6 months until 12 months. Consistent with the changes in 2-AG, the 2-AG synthesizing enzyme diacylglycerol lipase α (DAGLα) was also prominently decreased across the sub-regions of the Hip. Interestingly, we found a transient increase in CB1 immunoreactivity across the sub-regions of the Hip at 9 months, a plausible compensation for reduced 2-AG, which ultimately decreased strongly at 12 months. Furthermore, quantitative autoradiography of CB1 revealed that [3H]CP55940 binding markedly increased in the Hip at 9 months. However, unlike the protein levels, CB1 binding density did not drop strongly at 12 months and at old age. Furthermore, [3H]CP55940 binding was significantly increased in the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEnt), starting from the middle age until the old age. Altogether, our findings clearly indicate a middle-age crisis in the eCB system, which could be a potential time window for therapeutic interventions to abrogate the course of cognitive aging.