National Institutes of Health
Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, NIAAA
Endogenous cannabinoids acting at CB 1 receptors stimulate appetite, and CB 1 antagonists show promise in the treatment of obesity. CB 1 -/mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity even though their caloric intake is similar to that of... more
The endocannabinoid system has recently emerged as an important regulator of energy homeostasis, involved in the control of both appetite and peripheral fat metabolism. We briefly review current understanding of the possible sites of... more
The enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) catalyzes the in vivo degradation of the endocannabinoid anandamide, thus controlling its action at receptors. A novel FAAH inhibitor, AM3506, normalizes the elevated blood pressure and cardiac... more
Objective-To determine the physiologic importance of endocannabinoids and mitochondrial function in the long-term outcome using a rat model of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.
The novel endocannabinoid-like lipid N-arachidonoyl L-serine (ARA-S) causes vasodilation through both endothelium-dependent and -independent mechanisms. We have analyzed the vasorelaxant effect of ARA-S in isolated vascular preparations... more
The endocannabinoid system has recently emerged as an important regulator of energy homeostasis, involved in the control of both appetite and peripheral fat metabolism. We briefly review current understanding of the possible sites of... more
Cannabinoids, including the bioactive constituents of the marijuana plant, their synthetic analogs, and endogenous lipids with cannabinoid-like activity, produce their biological effects by interacting with specific receptors. To date,... more
Diet-induced obesity is associated with fatty liver, insulin resistance, leptin resistance, and changes in plasma lipid profile. Endocannabinoids have been implicated in the development of these associated phenotypes, because mice... more
Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury continues to be a fatal complication that can follow liver surgery or transplantation. We have investigated the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in hepatic I/R injury using an in vivo... more
Obesity and its metabolic consequences are a major public health concern worldwide. Obesity is associated with overactivity of the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in the regulation of appetite, lipogenesis, and insulin... more
dala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the nucleus accumbens, and treatment of FAAH -/mice with rimonabant, 3 mg/kg/day for 7 days, increased CART levels toward those seen in FAAH +/+ wild-type controls. In contrast, no... more
Endogenous cannabinoids acting at CB 1 receptors stimulate appetite, and CB 1 antagonists show promise in the treatment of obesity. CB 1 -/mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity even though their caloric intake is similar to that of... more
Alcohol-induced fatty liver, a major cause of morbidity, has been attributed to enhanced hepatic lipogenesis and decreased fat clearance of unknown mechanism. Here we report that the steatosis induced in mice by a low-fat, liquid ethanol... more
profile, responsiveness to anandamide, and baroreflex sensitivity of mice lacking fatty acid amide hydrolase. The endocannabinoid anandamide exerts neurobehavioral, cardiovascular, and immune-regulatory effects through cannabinoid... more
In this study, we have investigated the role of the cannabinoid CB 2 (CB 2 ) receptor in an in vivo mouse model of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In addition, we have assessed the role of the CB 2 receptor in TNF-␣-induced... more
The endocannabinoid arachidonoyl ethanolamine (anandamide) is a lipid transmitter synthesized and released ''on demand'' by neurons in the brain. Anandamide is also generated by macrophages where its endotoxin (LPS)-induced synthesis has... more
Endocannabinoids, endogenous lipid ligands of cannabinoid receptors, mediate a variety of effects similar to those of marijuana. Cannabinoid CB 1 receptors are highly abundant in the brain and mediate psychotropic effects, which limits... more