To understand the functional significance and mechanisms of action in the CNS of endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids, it is crucial to identify the neural elements that serve as the structural substrate of these actions. We used a recently developed antibody against the CB1 cannabinoid receptor to study this question in hippocampal networks. Interneurons with features typical of basket cells showed a selective, intense staining for CB1 in all hippocampal subfields and layers. Most of them (85.6%) contained cholecystokinin (CCK), which corresponded to 96.9% of all CCK-positive interneurons, whereas only 4.6% of the parvalbumin (PV)-containing basket cells expressed CB1. Accordingly, electron microscopy revealed that CB1-immunoreactive...
