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Endocannabinoid metabolism in human glioblastomas and meningiomas compared to human non‐tumour brain tissue
Author(s) -
Petersen Gitte,
Moesgaard Birthe,
Schmid Patricia C.,
Schmid Harald H. O.,
Broholm Helle,
Kosteljanetz Michael,
Hansen Harald S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2005.03013.x
Subject(s) - anandamide , endocannabinoid system , fatty acid amide hydrolase , cannabinoid receptor , chemistry , phospholipid , cannabinoid , phosphocholine , biochemistry , metabolism , monoacylglycerol lipase , diacylglycerol lipase , endocrinology , medicine , phosphatidylcholine , receptor , biology , membrane , agonist
The endogenous levels of the two cannabinoid receptor ligands 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol and anandamide, and their respective congeners, monoacyl glycerols and N ‐acylethanolamines, as well as the phospholipid precursors of N ‐acylethanolamines, were measured by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry in glioblastoma (WHO grade IV) tissue and meningioma (WHO grade I) tissue and compared with human non‐tumour brain tissue. Furthermore, the metabolic turnover of N ‐acylethanolamines was compared by measurements of the enzymatic activity of N ‐acyltransferase, N ‐acylphosphatidylethanolamine‐hydrolysing phospholipase D and fatty acid amide hydrolase in the same three types of tissue. Glioblastomas were characterized by enhanced levels of N ‐acylethanolamines (eightfold, 128 ± 59 pmol/μmol lipid phosphorus) including anandamide (17‐fold, 4.6 ± 3.1pmol/μmol lipid phosphorus) and several species of N ‐acylphosphatidylethanolamines (three to eightfold). This was accompanied by a more than 60% reduction in the enzyme activities of N ‐acylphosphatidylethanolamine‐hydrolysing phospholipase D and fatty acid amide hydrolase. By contrast, meningiomas were characterized by a massively enhanced level of 2‐monoacyl glycerols (20‐fold, 2293 ± 361 pmol/μmol lipid phosphorus) including 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol (20‐fold, 1524 ± 361 pmol/μmol lipid phosphorus). This was accompanied by an enhanced in vitro conversion of phosphatidylcholine to monoacyl glycerol (fivefold). The enhanced level of the 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol, anandamide and other N ‐acylethanolamines detected in the two types of tumour tissue may possibly act as endogenous anti‐tumour mediators by stimulation of both cannabinoid and non‐cannabinoid receptor‐mediated mechanisms.