Cannabinoid receptor 1 promotes hepatic lipid accumulation and lipotoxicity through the induction of SREBP-1c expression in zebrafish.

The activated cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) is exclusively responsible for food intake and weight gain and regulates several pathological features associated with obesity in mammals. However, the precise role of CB1R in non-mammalian model systems is poorly understood. To investigate the functions of CB1R in zebrafish liver, we conditionally expressed CB1R proteins using a liver-specific Tet(off) transgenic system.