Description
The endocannabinoids present a rich system of central cannabinoid (CB
1), peripheral cannabinoid (CB
2), and non-
CB receptor-
mediated pharmacology that has stimulated research in many fields including memory, weight loss and appetite, neurodegeneration, tumor surveillance, analgesia, and inflammation.
1,2 Arachidoyl ethanolamide is one of the saturated fatty acyl ethanolamides devoid of classical (CB
1/CB
2) activity. Arachidoyl ethanolamide does not bind to the murine CB
1 receptor
3 and does not compete with anandamide as a substrate for the endocannabinoid hydrolytic enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase.
4 Non-
CB receptor-
mediated pharmacology of the saturated ethanolamides is still being elucidated.
5
References
1. Martin, B.R., Mechoulam, R., and Razdan, R.K.
Discovery and characterization of endogenous cannabinoids Life Sci. 65,573-595(1999).
2. Pertwee, R.G.
Pharmacology of cannabinoid receptor ligands Curr. Med. Chem. 6(8),635-664(1999).
3. Sheskin, T., Hanus, L., Slager, J., et al.
Structural requirements for binding of anandamide-type compounds to the brain cannabinoid receptor J. Med. Chem. 40,659-667(1997).
4. Desarnaud, F., Cadas, H., and Piomelli, D.
Anandamide amidohydrolase activity in rat brain microsomes. Identification and partial characterization J. Biol. Chem. 270(11),6030-6035(1995).
5. Smart, D., Jonsson, K.O., Vandevoorde, S., et al.
“Entourage” effects of N-acyl ethanolamines at human vanilloid receptors. Comparison of effects upon anandamide-induced vanilloid receptor activation and upon anandamide metabolism Br. J. Pharmacol. 136,452-458(2002).
