Endocannabinoids at nanomolar physiological concentrations cross cellular membranes by facilitated diffusion, a process that can be studied by measuring transport kinetics and endocannabinoid trafficking employing radioligands and mass spectrometry. Here, we describe radiosubstrate-based assays using arachidonoyl[1-H]ethanolamine and 2-arachidonoyl[1,2,3-H]glycerol to measure cellular endocannabinoid uptake in a three-phase assay with human U937 cells. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS)-based lipidomics was used to interrogate the roles of serum and albumin for endocannabinoid trafficking in U937 cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFhas been shown to broadly inhibit coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. This review discusses the available clinical evidence from randomized, blinded and controlled human studies. Two RCTs capturing incidence of viral respiratory tract infections during preventative treatment were identified including coronavirus infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWOBE437 ((2E,4E)-N-(3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl)dodeca-2,4-dienamide, 1) is a natural product-derived, highly potent inhibitor of endocannabinoid reuptake. In this study, we synthesized almost 80 analogues of 1 with different types of modifications in the dodecadienoyl domain as well as the dimethoxyphenylethyl head group, and we investigated their effects on anandamide uptake into U937 cells. Intriguingly, none of these analogues was a more potent inhibitor of anandamide uptake than WOBE437 (1).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStress is an increasing problem that can result in various psychiatric and somatoform symptoms. Among others, benzodiazepines and valerian preparations are used to treat stress symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the prescription of a fixed herbal extract combination of valerian, lemon balm, passionflower, and butterbur (Ze 185) changes the prescription pattern of benzodiazepines in hospitalized psychiatric patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe first clinically relevant reports of preparations of St. John's wort (SJW), a herbal medicine with anti-depressant effects, interacting with other drugs, altering their bioavailability and efficacy, were published about 20 years ago. In 2000, a pharmacokinetic interaction between SJW and cyclosporine caused acute rejection in two heart transplant patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGuineensine ((2E,4E,12E)-13-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-N-isobutyltrideca-2,4,12-trienamide) is a plant-derived natural product that inhibits reuptake of the endocannabinoid anandamide with sub-micromolar potency. We have established a highly efficient total synthesis of guineensine, which provided the natural product in only five steps from commercially available 3-nonyn-1-ol in 17 % overall yield, relying on the attachment of the benzodioxolyl moiety to the unsaturated fatty acid chain by means of a Suzuki coupling as the key step. Subsequent SAR studies revealed that replacement of the N-isobutyl group in the natural product by various alkyl, arylalkyl, or aryl groups is generally well tolerated, and derivatives could be identified that are slightly more potent anandamide reuptake inhibitors than guineensine itself.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort) is used to treat mild-to-moderate depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe have previously shown that endocannabinoids (eCBs) (e.g., anandamide) are involved in the maintenance of homeostatic sebaceous lipid production in human sebaceous glands and that eCB treatment dramatically increases sebaceous lipid production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe extracellular effects of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol are terminated by enzymatic hydrolysis after crossing cellular membranes by facilitated diffusion. The lack of potent and selective inhibitors for endocannabinoid transport has prevented the molecular characterization of this process, thus hindering its biochemical investigation and pharmacological exploitation. Here, we report the design, chemical synthesis, and biological profiling of natural product-derived -substituted 2,4-dodecadienamides as a selective endocannabinoid uptake inhibitor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndocannabinoids at physiological concentrations are crossing cellular membranes by facilitated diffusion, a process that can be studied by measuring transport kinetics. Here, we describe a radiosubstrate-based assay using arachidonoyl[1-(3)H]ethanolamine or arachidonoyl[1,2,3-(3)H]glycerol to measure the cellular endocannabinoid uptake in a three-phase assay with human U937 cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndocannabinoids are arachidonic acid-derived endogenous lipids that activate the endocannabinoid system which plays a major role in health and disease. The primary endocannabinoids are anandamide (AEA, N-arachidonoylethanolamine) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol. While their biosynthesis and metabolism have been studied in detail, it remains unclear how endocannabinoids are transported across the cell membrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBesides the suggested role of a putative endocannabinoid membrane transporter mediating the cellular uptake of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA), this process is intrinsically coupled to AEA degradation by the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Differential blockage of each mechanism is possible using specific small-molecule inhibitors. Starting from the natural product-derived 2E,4E-dodecadiene scaffold previously shown to interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a series of diverse N-alkylcarbamates were prepared with the aim of generating novel ECS modulators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe discovery of the interaction of plant-derived N-alkylamides (NAAs) and the mammalian endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the existence of a plant endogenous N-acylethanolamine signaling system have led to the re-evaluation of this group of compounds. Herein, the isolation of seven NAAs and the assessment of their effects on major protein targets in the ECS network are reported. Four NAAs, octadeca-2E,4E,8E,10Z,14Z-pentaene-12-ynoic acid isobutylamide (1), octadeca-2E,4E,8E,10Z,14Z-pentaene-12-ynoic acid 2'-methylbutylamide (2), hexadeca-2E,4E,9Z-triene-12,14-diynoic acid isobutylamide (3), and hexadeca-2E,4E,9,12-tetraenoic acid 2'-methylbutylamide (4), were identified from Heliopsis helianthoides var.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh-content screening led to the identification of the N-isobutylamide guineensine from Piper nigrum as novel nanomolar inhibitor (EC50=290nM) of cellular uptake of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA). Noteworthy, guineensine did not inhibit endocannabinoid degrading enzymes fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) or monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) nor interact with cannabinoid receptors or fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5), a major cytoplasmic AEA carrier. Activity-based protein profiling showed no inhibition of serine hydrolases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite extensive research on the trafficking of anandamide (AEA) across cell membranes, little is known about the membrane transport of other endocannabinoids, such as 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Previous studies have provided data both in favor and against a cell membrane carrier-mediated transport of endocannabinoids, using different methodological approaches. Because AEA and 2-AG undergo rapid and almost complete intracellular hydrolysis, we employed a combination of radioligand assays and absolute quantification of cellular and extracellular endocannabinoid levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe cannabinoid G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) CB₁ and CB₂ are expressed in different peripheral cells. Localization of GPCRs in the cell membrane determines signaling via G protein pathways. Here we show that unlike in transfected cells, CB receptors in cell lines and primary human cells are not internalized upon agonist interaction, but move between cytoplasm and cell membranes by ligand-independent trafficking mechanisms.
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