Cannabinoids and ceramide: Two lipids acting hand-by-hand

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Guillermo Velasco ; Ismael Galve-Roperh ; Cristina Sá ; nchez ; Cristina Blá ; zquez ; Amador Haro and Manuel Guzmá ; n
• 关键词：Cannabinoid ; Ceramide ; Apoptosis ; Extracellular signal-regulated kinase ; Glia
• 刊名：Life Sciences
• 出版年：2005
• 出版时间：2005
• 年：2005
• 卷：77
• 期：14
• 页码：1723-1731
• 全文大小：170 K

文摘

Cannabinoids, the active components of Cannabis sativa (marijuana) and their endogenous counterparts, exert their effects by binding to specific G-protein-coupled receptors that modulate adenylyl cyclase and ion channels. Recent research has shown that the CB₁ cannabinoid receptor is also coupled to the generation of the lipid second messenger ceramide via two different pathways: sphingomyelin hydrolysis and ceramide synthesis de novo. Sustained ceramide accumulation in tumor cells mediates cannabinoid-induced apoptosis, as evidenced by in vitro and in vivo studies. This effect seems to be due to the impact of ceramide on key cell signalling systems such as the extracellular signal-regulated kinase cascade and the Akt pathway. These findings provide a new conceptual view on how cannabinoids act, and raise interesting physiological and therapeutic questions.