Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P21554 (cannabinoid receptor)
 3,582 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

N-acyl-ethanolamines (NAE) belong to the new class of naturally occurring biologically active regulators. Anandamide--a well known representative of NAEs--is an agonist of central (CB1) and peripheral (CB2) cannabinoid receptors. Adrenal cortex contains the CB2 receptor. The aim of present work is to investigate the influence of saturated and polyunsaturated NAEs on the corticosteroid synthesis in adrenal gland in vitro. It was shown that the rat adrenal gland is the main target of N-([1-14C]palmitoyl)ethanolamine incorporation. Saturated NAE enhanced the incorporation of [3H]-cholesterol into the aldosterone by 25% (p < 0.06) and corticosterone by 17% (p < 0.05) of rat adrenal slices in vitro. Mixture of polyunsaturated NAEs containing mainly 18:1w9, 18:2w6, 18:3w3, 20:1w9, 22:1w9 increased the labeling of aldosterone by 70% (p < 0.05) and corticosterone by 20% (p < 0.05). Thus, the saturated NAEs as well as polyunsaturated analogs, act by the similar manner on the corticosteroid synthesis. The fact that saturated NAEs possess poor affinity to CB receptors provides us opportunity to suggest the non-receptor mechanism of NAEs adrenotrophic action. Further we used the purified bovine serum albumin to test the binding kinetic of N-([I14C]palmitoyl)ethanolamine with its hydrophobic domains. It was found that NAEs have high affinity to hydrophobic domains of protein with K = 2.5 x 10(8) M-1. This finding could support the idea of the existence of putative allosteric modulation of regulatory protein function. It was concluded that NAEs exert a stimulatory effect on the corticosteroid synthesis in rat adrenal gland in vitro and this action do not mediated trough cannabinoid receptor.
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PMID:[N-acylethanolamine--a new class of natural adrenotropic modulators]. 1097 76

Obesity is fast becoming a bane for the present civilization, as a result of sedentary lifestyle, atherogenic diet, and a susceptible thrifty genotype. The concept of metabolic syndrome, which is a constellation of metabolic disturbances, has crystallized over the last 80 years with the aim of identifying those at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These patients have visceral obesity and insulin resistance characterized by hypertyriglyceridemia. Recently, it has been realized that they are also at an increased risk of chronic renal disease. Release of adipocytokines leads to endothelial dysfunction. There is also activation of systemic and local renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, oxidative stress, and impaired fibrinolysis. This leads to glomerular hyperfiltration, proteinuria, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and ultimately end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Treatment consists of lifestyle modifications along with optimal control of blood pressure, blood sugar and lipids. Metformin and thiazolidenidiones reduce insulin resistance; while angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers reduce proteinuria and have a renoprotective effect. Exciting new medical therapies on the horizon include rimonabant a cannabinoid receptor type 1 antagonist, soy proteins, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonist. Bariatric surgery for morbid obesity has also been shown to be effective in treating metabolic syndrome.
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PMID:Metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease. 2036 11