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Arachidonate Remodeling and Inflammation pp 211–237Cite as

Birkhäuser

Metabolism and physiological significance of anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligands

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Part of the book series: Progress in Inflammation Research ((PIR))

Abstract

Arachidonic acid is known to be metabolized into a number of bioactive eicosanoids such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, lipoxins and mono-and dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids. It is well known that these bioactive eicosanoids are involved in diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes in mammalian tissues. In the last decade of the 20th century, two remarkable derivatives of arachidonic acid, i.e., N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) (Fig. 1) were reported to be new members of the bioactive lipids. Anandamide and 2-AG have unique structural characteristic in that they contain an intact arachidonoyl moiety in their molecules, thus differing from other eicosanoids. Both anandamide and 2-AG have been shown to act as endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligands. In this review, we focused on anandamide and 2-AG and described the metabolism and possible physiological significance of these molecules in mammalian tissues and cells including inflammatory cells and immune competent cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Sagamiko, Tsukui-gun, Kanagawa, 199-0195, Japan

    Takayuki Sugiura, Seishi Kishimoto, Saori Oka, Maiko Gokoh & Keizo Waku

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  1. Takayuki Sugiura
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  2. Seishi Kishimoto
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  3. Saori Oka
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  4. Maiko Gokoh
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  5. Keizo Waku
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  1. Molecular Neurology Program, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 99 North El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91101-1830, USA

    Alfred N. Fonteh

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1016, USA

    Robert L. Wykle

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Sugiura, T., Kishimoto, S., Oka, S., Gokoh, M., Waku, K. (2004). Metabolism and physiological significance of anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligands. In: Fonteh, A.N., Wykle, R.L. (eds) Arachidonate Remodeling and Inflammation. Progress in Inflammation Research. Birkhäuser, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7848-7_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7848-7_11

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser, Basel

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