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Endocannabinoids and Reproductive Events in Health and Disease

  • Chapter
Endocannabinoids

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 231))

Abstract

The lasting research on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) has now provided solid and convincing evidence that proves the detrimental effects of recreational drug abuse (a growing habit among teenagers) on fertility. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) affect reproductive events from gametogenesis to fertilization, from embryo implantation to the final outcome of pregnancy and, thus, they have been proposed as suitable biomarkers to predict the reproductive potential of male and female gametes in clinical practice. Novel tools for reproductive medicine are highly sought after, and here we report the latest findings on the impact of the ECS on fertility, demonstrating how basic research can be translated into new medical strategies.

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Abbreviations

2-AG:

2-Arachidonoylglycerol

AEA:

N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide)

AR:

Acrosome reaction

BF:

Blastocoelic fluid

CB1 :

Type-1 cannabinoid receptor

CB2 :

Type-2 cannabinoid receptor

CBR:

Cannabinoid receptors

COX:

Cyclooxygenase

CRH:

Corticotrophic hormone

DAGL:

Diacylglycerol lipase

E:

Estrogen

eCB:

Endocannabinoid

eCBs:

Endocannabinoids

ECS:

Endocannabinoid system

EMT:

Endocannabinoid membrane transporter

ERE:

Estrogen-responsive element

FAAH:

Fatty acid amide hydrolase

FSH:

Follicle-stimulating hormone

ICM:

Inner cell mass

ICSI:

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection

IVF:

In vitro fertilization

LOX:

Lipoxygenase

MAGL:

Monoacylglycerol lipase

MAPK:

Mitogen-activated protein kinase

NAPE-PLD:

N-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase D

OEA:

N-oleoylethanolamine

P:

Progesterone

PEA:

N-palmitoylethanolamine

PG:

Prostaglandin

PPAR:

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor

TC:

Trophoblastic cells

THC:

Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol

TRPV1:

Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1

TS:

Trophoblast stem

ZP:

Zona pellucida

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Funding

This investigation was partly supported by Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (PRIN 2010–2011 grant) to M.M.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy

    Natalia Battista

  2. European Center for Brain Research/IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy

    Monica Bari & Mauro Maccarrone

  3. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Monica Bari

  4. School of Medicine and Center of Integrated Research, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy

    Mauro Maccarrone

Authors
  1. Natalia Battista
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  2. Monica Bari
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  3. Mauro Maccarrone
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mauro Maccarrone .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of Neuropharmacology, University of Aberdeen Institute of Medical Sciences, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

    Roger G. Pertwee

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Battista, N., Bari, M., Maccarrone, M. (2015). Endocannabinoids and Reproductive Events in Health and Disease. In: Pertwee, R. (eds) Endocannabinoids. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 231. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20825-1_12

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