Depolarization-induced rapid generation of 2-arachidonoylglycerol, an endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, in rat brain synaptosomes

2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is an endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptors with a variety of potent biological activities. In this study, we first examined the effects of potassium-induced depolarization on the level of 2-AG in rat brain synaptosomes. We found that a significant amount of 2-AG was generated in the synaptosomes following depolarization. Notably, depolarization did not affect the levels of other molecular species of monoacylglycerols. Furthermore, the level of anandamide was very low and did not change markedly following depolarization. It thus appeared that the depolarization-induced accelerated generation is a unique feature of 2-AG. We obtained evidence that phospholipase C is involved in the generation of 2-AG in depolarized synaptosomes: U73122, a phospholipase C inhibitor, markedly reduced the depolarization-induced generation of 2-AG, and the level of diacylglycerol was rapidly elevated following depolarization. A significant amount of 2-AG was released from synaptosomes upon depolarization. Interestingly, treatment of the synaptosomes with SR141716A, a CB1 receptor antagonist, augmented the release of glutamate from depolarized synaptosomes. These results strongly suggest that the endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptors, i.e. 2-AG, generated through increased phospholipid metabolism upon depolarization, plays an important role in attenuating glutamate release from the synaptic terminals by acting on the CB1 receptor.     

2-Arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoinositol: a possible natural ligand for GPR55

GPR55 is a G protein-coupled receptor. Recently, we obtained evidence that lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) is a possible endogenous ligand for GPR55. However, no information is currently available concerning the biological activities of the individual molecular species of LPI. Furthermore, little is known concerning the levels as well as the molecular species of LPI in mammalian tissues. In this study, we first examined whether LPI is present in rat brain. We found that rat brain contains 37.5 nmol/g tissue of LPI; the most predominant fatty acyl moiety is stearic acid (50.5%) followed by arachidonic acid (22.1%). We next compared the biological activities of various molecular species of LPI and related molecules using HEK293 cells expressing GPR55. We found that the level of biological activity of the 2-arachidonoyl species is markedly higher than those of others. These results strongly suggest that the 2-arachidonoyl species of LPI is the true natural ligand for GPR55.     

Ether-linked analogue of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (noladin ether) was not detected in the brains of various mammalian species

2-Eicosa-5',8',11',14'-tetraenylglycerol (2-AG ether, HU310, noladin ether) is a metabolically stable ether-linked analogue of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), an endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand. 2-AG ether has been used as a valuable experimental tool by a number of investigators. Recently, several groups reported that 2-AG ether is present in mammalian brains. We examined in detail whether 2-AG ether actually exists in the brains of various mammalian species. We found that 2-AG ether is not present, at least in an appreciable amount, in the rat brain by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and fluorometric high performance liquid chromatography analysis. The level of 2-AG ether in the rat brain was below 0.2 pmol/g brain, if at all present. Similar results were obtained for the mouse brain, hamster brain, guinea-pig brain and pig brain. The fact that 2-AG ether was not detected in the brains of various mammalian species is consistent with the fact that an ether bond is formed through enzymatic replacement of the fatty acyl moiety of 1-acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate by a fatty alcohol, the resultant 1-O-alkyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate being a common intermediate of the biosynthesis of ether-linked lipids in mammalian tissues. It is rather questionable whether 2-AG ether is present in appreciable amounts in the brain and acts as an 'endogenous' cannabinoid receptor ligand.     

An optimized GC-MS method detects nanomolar amounts of anandamide in mouse brain

The endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, as well as several anandamide-related N-acylethanolamines, belong to a family of lipid transmitter that regulate fundamental physiological processes, including neurotransmission and neuroinflammation. Their precise quantification in biological matrices can be achieved by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), but this method typically requires multiple time-consuming purification steps such as solid-phase extraction followed by HPLC. Here we report a novel solid-phase extraction procedure allowing for single-step, and thus higher throughput, purification of endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamines before GC-MS quantification. We determined the minimal amount of mouse brain tissue required to reliably detect endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamines when using this approach and provide direct evidence for quantification accuracy by using radioactive and deuterated standards spiked into mouse brain samples. Using this method, we found that mouse brain contains much higher levels of anandamide (>1 nmol/g tissue) than previously reported, whereas levels of 2-arachidonoylglycerol and other N-acylethanolamines are well within the range of previous reports. In addition, we show that mouse brain amounts of endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamines differ depending on animal gender as well as on whether the tissue was fixed or not. Our study shows that endocannabinoid and N-acylethanolamine levels quantified in mouse brain by GC-MS depend closely on tissue amount and preparation as well as on animal gender and that, depending on such parameters, anandamide levels could be underestimated.     

Cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands

Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, a major psychoactive component of marijuana, has been shown to interact with specific cannabinoid receptors, thereby eliciting a variety of pharmacological responses in experimental animals and human. In 1990, the gene encoding a cannabinoid receptor (CB1) was cloned. This prompted the search for endogenous ligands. In 1992, N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide) was isolated from pig brain as an endogenous ligand, and in 1995, 2-arachidonoylglycerol was isolated from rat brain and canine gut as another endogenous ligand. Both anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol exhibit various cannabimimetic activities. The results of structure-activity relationship experiments, however, revealed that 2-arachidonoylglycerol, but not anandamide, is the intrinsic natural ligand for the cannabinoid receptor. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol is a degradation product of inositol phospholipids that links the function of cannabinoid receptors with the enhanced inositol phospholipid turnover in stimulated tissues and cells. The possible physiological roles of cannabinoid receptors and 2-arachidonoylglycerol in various mammalian tissues such as those of the nervous system are discussed.     

2-arachidonoylglycerol induces the migration of HL-60 cells differentiated into macrophage-like cells and human peripheral blood monocytes through the cannabinoid CB2 receptor-dependent mechanism

2-Arachidonoylglycerol is an endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) and has been shown to exhibit a variety of cannabimimetic activities in vitro and in vivo. Recently, we proposed that 2-arachidonoylglycerol is the true endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptors, and both receptors (CB1 and CB2) are primarily 2-arachidonoylglycerol receptors. The CB1 receptor is assumed to be involved in the attenuation of neurotransmission. On the other hand, the physiological roles of the CB2 receptor, which is abundantly expressed in several types of leukocytes such as macrophages, still remain unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of 2-arachidonoylglycerol on the motility of HL-60 cells differentiated into macrophage-like cells. We found that 2-arachidonoylglycerol induces the migration of differentiated HL-60 cells. The migration induced by 2-arachidonoylglycerol was blocked by treatment of the cells with either SR144528, a CB2 receptor antagonist, or pertussis toxin, suggesting that the CB2 receptor and Gi/Go are involved in the 2-arachidonoylglycerol-induced migration. Several intracellular signaling molecules such as Rho kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinases were also suggested to be involved. In contrast to 2-arachidonoylglycerol, anandamide, another endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, failed to induce the migration. The 2-arachidonoylglycerol-induced migration was also observed for two other types of macrophage-like cells, the U937 cells and THP-1 cells, as well as human peripheral blood monocytes. These results strongly suggest that 2-arachidonoylglycerol induces the migration of several types of leukocytes such as macrophages/monocytes through a CB2 receptor-dependent mechanism thereby stimulating inflammatory reactions and immune responses.     

Developmental Changes in Distribution of Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor in Rat Brain Evaluated by a Sensitive Two-Site Enzyme Immunoassay

We developed a sensitive two-site enzyme immunoassay (EIA) system for acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), using a polyclonal antibody raised in rats. This assay is based on the sandwiching of the antigen between anti-aFGF antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) coated on plates and biotinylated anti-aFGF antibody IgG; the detection of biotinylated IgG was performed by enzyme reaction of streptavidin-conjugated beta-D-galactosidase (beta-D-galactoside hydrolase; EC 3.2.1.23). Our system was specific for aFGF, because basic fibroblast growth factor, which shares a 55% homology of amino acid sequence with aFGF, hardly cross-reacted at all. The sensitivity of this system (0.2 ng/ml) enabled us to quantify endogenous immunoreactive aFGF in the CNS. Using this two-site EIA system, we examined the levels of aFGF in various regions of rat brain and their developmental changes. At the early stage of neonatal development, i.e., 2 days after birth, all brain regions registered low aFGF levels (less than 10 ng/g tissue). However, at the young adult stage (21- to 49-day-old animals), an extremely high level of aFGF (75-90 ng/g tissue) was found in the ponsmedulla; relatively high levels (30-40 ng/g tissue) were found in the diencephalon and mesencephalon; and comparatively low aFGF levels (5-15 ng/g tissue) were found in various other brain regions such as the frontal cortex, piriform cortex, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, cerebellum, and striatum. This marked change in the regional distribution of aFGF in the rat brain during postnatal development from 2 to 21 days after birth suggests that this factor plays a significant role in the brain during this period.     

Evidence that 2-arachidonoylglycerol but not N-palmitoylethanolamine or anandamide is the physiological ligand for the cannabinoid CB2 receptor. Comparison of the agonistic activities of various cannabinoid receptor ligands in HL-60 cells

We examined the effect of 2-arachidonoylglycerol, an endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, on the intracellular free Ca(2+) concentrations in HL-60 cells that express the cannabinoid CB2 receptor. We found that 2-arachidonoylglycerol induces a rapid transient increase in intracellular free Ca(2+) concentrations in HL-60 cells. The response was affected by neither cyclooxygenase inhibitors nor lipoxygenase inhibitors, suggesting that arachidonic acid metabolites are not involved. Consistent with this notion, free arachidonic acid was devoid of any agonistic activity. Importantly, the Ca(2+) transient induced by 2-arachidonoylglycerol was blocked by pretreatment of the cells with SR144528, a CB2 receptor-specific antagonist, but not with SR141716A, a CB1 receptor-specific antagonist, indicating the involvement of the CB2 receptor but not the CB1 receptor in this cellular response. G(i) or G(o) is also assumed to be involved, because pertussis toxin treatment of the cells abolished the response. We further examined the structure-activity relationship. We found that 2-arachidonoylglycerol is the most potent compound among a number of naturally occurring cannabimimetic molecules. Interestingly, anandamide and N-palmitoylethanolamine, other putative endogenous ligands, were found to be a weak partial agonist and an inactive ligand, respectively. These results strongly suggest that the CB2 receptor is originally a 2-arachidonoylglycerol receptor, and 2-arachidonoylglycerol is the intrinsic natural ligand for the CB2 receptor that is abundant in the immune system.     

Influence of dietary fatty acids on endocannabinoid and N-acylethanolamine levels in rat brain, liver and small intestine

Endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamines are lipid mediators regulating a wide range of biological functions including food intake. We investigated short-term effects of feeding rats five different dietary fats (palm oil (PO), olive oil (OA), safflower oil (LA), fish oil (FO) and arachidonic acid (AA)) on tissue levels of 2-arachidonoylglycerol, anandamide, oleoylethanolamide, palmitoylethanolamide, stearoylethanolamide, linoleoylethanolamide, eicosapentaenoylethanolamide, docosahexaenoylethanolamide and tissue fatty acid composition. The LA-diet increased linoleoylethanolamide and linoleic acid in brain, jejunum and liver. The OA-diet increased brain levels of anandamide and oleoylethanolamide (not 2-arachidonoylglycerol) without changing tissue fatty acid composition. The same diet increased oleoylethanolamide in liver. All five dietary fats decreased oleoylethanolamide in jejunum without changing levels of anandamide, suggesting that dietary fat may have an orexigenic effect. The AA-diet increased anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol in jejunum without effect on liver. The FO-diet decreased liver levels of all N-acylethanolamines (except eicosapentaenoylethanolamide and docosahexaenoylethanolamide) with similar changes in precursor lipids. The AA-diet and FO-diet had no effect on N-acylethanolamines, endocannabinoids or precursor lipids in brain. All N-acylethanolamines activated PPAR-alpha. In conclusion, short-term feeding of diets resembling human diets (Mediterranean diet high in monounsaturated fat, diet high in saturated fat, or diet high in polyunsaturated fat) can affect tissue levels of endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamines.     

Depolarizing and calcium-mobilizing stimuli fail to enhance synthesis and release of endocannabinoids from rat brain cerebral cortex slices

The concentrations of the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and N-arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide) were examined in rat brain cerebral cortex slices and surrounding medium. Basal concentrations of endocannabinoids were similar to those identified previously in rat brain, with anandamide content being much lower (19 pmol/g) than that of 2-AG (7300 pmol/g). In contrast, basal concentrations in the surrounding medium were proportionally much lower for 2-arachidonoylglycerol (16 pmol/mL) compared to anandamide (0.6 pmol/mL). Incubation of slices with glutamate receptor agonists, depolarizing concentrations of KCl, or ionomycin failed to alter tissue concentrations of endocannabinoids, while endocannabinoids in the medium were unaltered by elevated KCl. Cyclohexyl carbamic acid 3'-carbamoyl-biphenyl-3-yl ester, an inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase, significantly enhanced tissue concentrations of anandamide (and related N-acylethanolamines), without altering 2-AG, while evoking proportional elevations of anandamide in the medium. Removal of extracellular calcium ions failed to alter tissue concentrations of anandamide, but significantly reduced 2-AG in the tissue by 90% and levels in the medium to below the detection limit. Supplementation of the medium with 50 μM N-oleoylethanolamine only raised tissue concentrations of N-oleoylethanolamine in the presence of cyclohexyl carbamic acid 3'-carbamoyl-biphenyl-3-yl ester and failed to alter either tissue or medium anandamide or 2-AG concentrations. These results highlight the ongoing turnover of endocannabinoids, and the importance of calcium ions in maintaining 2-AG concentrations in this tissue.     

Evidence for the involvement of the cannabinoid CB2 receptor and its endogenous ligand 2-arachidonoylglycerol in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced acute inflammation in mouse ear

2-Arachidonoylglycerol is an endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptors. Two types of cannabinoid receptors have been identified to date. The CB1 receptor is abundantly expressed in the brain, and assumed to be involved in the attenuation of neurotransmission. On the other hand, the physiological roles of the CB2 receptor, mainly expressed in several types of inflammatory cells and immunocompetent cells, have not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated possible pathophysiological roles of the CB2 receptor and 2-arachidonoylglycerol in acute inflammation in mouse ear induced by the topical application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. We found that the amount of 2-arachidonoylglycerol was markedly augmented in inflamed mouse ear. In contrast, the amount of anandamide, another endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, did not change markedly. Importantly, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced ear swelling was blocked by treatment with SR144528, a CB2 receptor antagonist, suggesting that the CB2 receptor is involved in the swelling. On the other hand, the application of AM251, a CB1 receptor antagonist, exerted only a weak suppressive effect. The application of SR144528 also reduced the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced production of leukotriene B(4) and the infiltration of neutrophils in the mouse ear. Interestingly, the application of 2-arachidonoylglycerol to the mouse ear evoked swelling, which was abolished by treatment with SR144528. Nitric oxide was suggested to be involved in the ear swelling induced by 2-arachidonoylglycerol. These results suggest that the CB2 receptor and 2-arachidonoylglycerol play crucial stimulative roles during the course of inflammatory reactions.     

Endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand induces the migration of human natural killer cells

2-Arachidonoylglycerol is an endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). Evidence is gradually accumulating which shows that 2-arachidonoylglycerol plays important physiological roles in several mammalian tissues and cells, yet the details remain ambiguous. In this study, we first examined the effects of 2-arachidonoylglycerol on the motility of human natural killer cells. We found that 2-arachidonoylglycerol induces the migration of KHYG-1 cells (a natural killer leukemia cell line) and human peripheral blood natural killer cells. The migration of natural killer cells induced by 2-arachidonoylglycerol was abolished by treating the cells with SR144528, a CB2 receptor antagonist, suggesting that the CB2 receptor is involved in the 2-arachidonoylglycerol-induced migration. In contrast to 2-arachidonoylglycerol, anandamide, another endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, did not induce the migration. Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a major psychoactive constituent of marijuana, also failed to induce the migration; instead, the addition of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol together with 2-arachidonoylglycerol abolished the migration induced by 2-arachidonoylglycerol. It is conceivable that the endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptor, that is, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, affects natural killer cell functions such as migration, thereby contributing to the host-defense mechanism against infectious viruses and tumor cells.     

Brain 12-HETE formation in different species,brain regions,and in brain microvessels

We used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to measure brain 12-HETE (12-Hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid) formation from endogenous arachidonic acid in different species and different brain regions and in isolated brain microvessels. When blood-free brain slices were incubated for 20 minutes we found that the rabbit and cat brain incubates contained little 12-HETE when compared to rat and mouse brain incubates. Further in vitro studies of various rat brain regions showed a generally even distribution of 12-HETE. When isolated rat or rabbit microvessels were incubated and analyzed, we found 1 and 0.25 g, respectively, of 12-HETE/mg of microvessel protein. Also, rabbit brain had limited or no capacity to actively metabolize tritiated 12-HETE. In summary, these studies show substantial species variation with respect to brain formation of 12-HETE and indicate that the vasculature is a potentially significant contributor to the 12-HETE found in whole brain tissue.     

Distribution of distinct arachidonoyl-specific and non-specific isoenzymes of diacylglycerol kinase in baboon (Papio cynocephalus) tissues.

We investigated the diacyglycerol kinase species present in several baboon tissues using the substrates sn-1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl diacylglycerol and sn-1,2-didecanoyl diacylglycerol. Chromatography of octyl glucoside extracts of the baboon (Papio cynocephalus papio) tissues on hydroxyapatite columns revealed the presence of three diacylglycerol kinase species with different substrate preferences. One species markedly 'preferred' the substrate sn-1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoylglycerol, the two other species preferred sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol. Measurement of the activity of the baboon brain diacylglycerol kinases toward diacylglycerols with a range of different fatty acid chains revealed a strict preference of the arachidonoyl diacylglycerol kinase for sn-1-acyl-2-arachidonoyl diacylglycerol, whereas the other enzymes showed no preference toward several long-chain-fatty-acid-containing diacylglycerols. The arachidonoyl diacylglycerol kinase was particularly abundant in brain and testis, whereas liver was practically devoid of this enzyme. The arachidonoyl diacylglycerol kinase from baboon brain was found to be predominantly associated with the particulate fraction and exhibited an apparent molecular mass of 130 kDa.     

2-Arachidonoylglycerol, an endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, induces accelerated production of chemokines in HL-60 cells

2-Arachidonoylglycerol is an endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). Previously, we provided evidence that 2-arachidonoylglycerol, but not anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine), is the true natural ligand for the cannabinoid receptors. In the present study, we examined in detail the effects of 2-arachidonoylglycerol on the production of chemokines in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. We found that 2-arachidonoylglycerol induced a marked acceleration in the production of interleukin 8. The effect of 2-arachidonoylglycerol was blocked by treatment of the cells with SR144528, a cannabinoid CB2 receptor antagonist, indicating that the effect of 2-arachidonoylglycerol is mediated through the CB2 receptor. Augmented production of interleukin 8 was also observed with CP55940, a synthetic cannabinoid, and an ether-linked analog of 2-arachidonoylglycerol. On the other hand, neither anandamide nor the free arachidonic acid induced the enhanced production of interleukin 8. A similar effect of 2-arachidonoylglycerol was observed in the case of the production of macrophage-chemotactic protein-1. The accelerated production of interleukin 8 by 2-arachidonoylglycerol was observed not only in undifferentiated HL-60 cells, but also in HL-60 cells differentiated into macrophage-like cells. Noticeably, 2-arachidonoylglycerol and lipopolysaccharide acted synergistically to induce the dramatically augmented production of interleukin 8. These results strongly suggest that the CB2 receptor and its physiological ligand, i.e., 2-arachidonoylglycerol, play important regulatory roles such as stimulation of the production of chemokines in inflammatory cells and immune-competent cells. Detailed studies on the cannabinoid receptor system are thus essential to gain a better understanding of the precise regulatory mechanisms of inflammatory reactions and immune responses.     

Visualization of 2-arachidonoylglycerol accumulation and cannabinoid CB1 receptor activity in rat brain cryosections by functional autoradiography

In neuronal signalling mediated by the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, both synthetic and inactivating enzymes operate within close proximity to the G(i/o)-coupled pre-synaptic CB(1) receptors, thus allowing for rapid onset and transient duration of this lipid modulator. In rat brain, 2-arachidonoylglycerol is inactivated mainly via hydrolysis by serine hydrolase inhibitor-sensitive monoacylglycerol lipase activity. We show in this study that comprehensive pharmacological elimination of this activity in brain cryosections by methyl arachidonylfluorophosphonate or hexadecylsulphonyl fluoride results in endocannabinoid-mediated CB(1) receptor activity, which can be visualized by functional autoradiography. URB597, a specific inhibitor of anandamide hydrolysis proved ineffective. TLC indicated that the bioactivity resided in 2-arachidonoylglycerol-containing fraction and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy detected elevated levels of monoacylglycerols, including 2-arachidonoylglycerol in this fraction. Although two diacylglycerol lipase inhibitors, tetrahydrolipstatin (THL) and RHC80267, blocked the bulk of 2-arachidonoylglycerol accumulation in methyl arachidonylfluorophosphonate-treated sections, only THL reversed the endocannabinoid-dependent CB(1) receptor activity. Further studies indicated that at the used concentrations, THL rather specifically antagonized the CB(1) receptor. These findings confirm that in brain sections there is preservation of enzymatic pathways regulating the production of endogenous receptor ligands. Furthermore, the presently described methodology may serve as an elegant and intuitive approach to identify novel membrane-derived lipid modulators operating in the CNS.     

Evidence That the Synaptic Phosphoprotein B-50 Is Localized Exclusively in Nerve Tissue

The localization of the phosphoprotein B-50 (molecular weight 48,000 isoelectric point 4.5) in the rat has been studied. Inspection of endogenous phosphorylation patterns of the particulate as well as the cytosolic subcellular fractions from a variety of peripheral organs failed to demonstrate phosphorylation of a molecular weight 48,000 protein. Only in the particulate fractions from brain tissue was there endogenous phosphorylation of the B-50 protein. Two-dimensional analysis (isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and in immunochemical detection method employing an anti B-50 antiserum revealed the presence of B-50 in particulate material from brain, but not in that of other tissues. Therefore the data were interpreted as pointing to the localization of B-50 in nervous tissue. In addition, the regional distribution of endogenous B-50 phosphorylation was studied using synaptosomal plasma membranes (SPM) obtained from individual rat brain regions. The highest value was found in SPM of septal origin, the lowest in SPM from the medulla spinalis. The relationship of the high value for B-50 phosphorylation in the septum to the sensitivity of that brain area to ACTH1-24 is discussed.     

Brain regional distribution of endocannabinoids: implications for their biosynthesis and biological function

The amounts, in nine different rat brain regions, of the two endocannabinoids, anandamide (arachidonoylethanolamide, AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and of the putative AEA precursor N-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (NArPE), were determined by isotope-dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and compared to the number of cannabinoid binding sites in each region. The distribution of NArPE, reported here for the first time, exhibited a good correlation with that of AEA, the former metabolite being 3-13 times more abundant than the endocannabinoid in all regions. The highest amounts of both metabolites (up to 358.5 and 87 pmol/g wet weight tissue, respectively) were found in the brainstem and striatum, and the lowest in the diencephalon, cortex, and cerebellum. These data support the hypothesis that, in the brain, AEA is a metabolic product of NArPE and may reach levels compatible with its proposed neuromodulatory function. The brain distribution of 2-AG, also described in this study for the first time, was found to correlate with that of AEA with levels ranging from 2.0 to 14.0 nmol/g (in the diencephalon and brainstem, respectively). The distribution of the endocannabinoids did not match exactly with that of cannabinoid binding sites, suggesting either that these compounds are not necessarily produced near their molecular targets, or that they play functional roles additional to the activation of cannabinoid receptors. Regional differences in the ligand/receptor ratios may also lead to predict corresponding differences in the efficiency of receptor activation, as shown by previous studies.     

n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) deficiency elevates and n-3 PUFA enrichment reduces brain 2-arachidonoylglycerol level in mice

2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is a putative endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors and was suggested to play an important role in both physiological and pathological events in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as in peripheral organs. The sequential hydrolysis of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6, AA)-containing phospholipids has been proposed as a major biosynthetic route of 2-AG. On the other hand, the manipulation of the dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status changes the AA level in tissue phospholipids. We, therefore, conducted two separate experiments to confirm whether the dietary n-3 PUFA status influences the 2-AG level in the mouse brain. In the first experiment, we fed mice with n-3 PUFA-deficient diet, which resulted in a marked decrease in the docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) levels without a change in the AA level in brain phospholipids as compared with the mice fed with an n-3 PUFA-sufficient diet. The brain 2-AG level in the n-3 PUFA-deficient group was significantly higher than in the n-3 PUFA sufficient group. In the second experiment, we found that short-term supplementation of DHA-rich fish oil reduced brain 2-AG level as compared with the supplementation with low n-3 PUFA. The decrease in the AA level and the increase in the DHA level in the major phospholipids occurred in the brains of the mice fed the fish oil diet compared with those fed the low n-3 PUFA diet. Our results indicate that the n-3 PUFA deficiency elevates and n-3 PUFA enrichment reduces the brain 2-AG level in mice, suggesting that physiological and pathological events mediated by 2-AG through cannabinoid receptor in the CNS could be modified by the manipulation of the dietary n-3 PUFA status.     

GC/MS analysis of anandamide and quantification of N-arachidonoylphosphatidylethanolamides in various brain regions, spinal cord, testis, and spleen of the rat

Anandamide [N-arachidonoylethanolamide (NAE)] was initially isolated from porcine brain and proposed as an endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors in 1992. Accumulating evidence has now suggested that, in the tissue, NAE is generated from N-arachidonoylphosphatidylethanolamides (N-ArPEs) by phosphodiesterase. In this study a sensitive and specific procedure was developed to quantify NAE and N-ArPE, including organic solvent extraction, reverse-phase C-18 cartridge separation, derivatization, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. NAE is converted by a two-step derivatization procedure to a pentafluorobenzoyl ester followed by pentafluoropropionyl acylation. Quantification was performed by isotope dilution GC/MS using deuterium-labeled NAE (NAE-2H8) as an internal standard. The same chemical derivatization was applicable to N-ArPE quantification. The separated N-ArPE fractions were converted by a two-step cleavage/derivatization procedure into the pentafluorobenzoyl ester of NAE and then to its pentafluoropropionyl amide. The derivative was quantified by GC/MS using deuterium-labeled 1,2-[2H8]dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho(arachidonoyl)ethanolamid e as an internal standard. Using these methods, we have found that endogenous NAE levels in rat brain, spleen, testis, liver, lung, and heart were below the level of quantification achievable (0.1 pmol/mg of protein) but that N-ArPE is readily quantifiable and is widely distributed in the rat CNS with the highest level in the spinal cord. The striatum, hippocampus, and accumbens contain intermediate concentrations of N-ArPE, whereas the value is lowest in the cerebellum.