Endocannabinoids

Rodríguez-Manzo, Gabriela; Canseco-Alba, Ana

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-59531-3_53-1

Endocannabinoids

Gabriela Rodríguez-Manzo² &
Ana Canseco-Alba³

Living reference work entry
First Online: 19 May 2020

103 Accesses

Synonyms

Cannabis; Neuromodulators; Sexual activity

Definition

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are lipid messengers, synthesized from membrane phospholipids, that act as retrograde messengers in the nervous system. The endocannabinoid system is composed by two Gi/o-coupled cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), their endogenous ligands, and the enzymes involved in their synthesis and degradation. CB receptors are expressed throughout the body; however, CB1 receptors are predominantly expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems, while the CB2 receptor is mainly found in peripheral and brain immune cells, although recent evidence suggests its expression also in neuronal and glial cells (Xi et al., 2011). In the brain, CB1 receptors are located mainly on presynaptic GABAergic and glutamatergic terminals, where its activation decreases neurotransmitter release, while CB2 receptors are expressed at pre- and postsynaptic sites. Anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are the...

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Authors and Affiliations

Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav-Sede Sur, Mexico City, Mexico
Gabriela Rodríguez-Manzo
Dirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
Ana Canseco-Alba

Authors

Gabriela Rodríguez-Manzo
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Ana Canseco-Alba
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Correspondence to Gabriela Rodríguez-Manzo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Department of Psychology, University of New England Department of Psychology, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Amy D. Lykins

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Rodríguez-Manzo, G., Canseco-Alba, A. (2020). Endocannabinoids. In: Lykins, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sexuality and Gender. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59531-3_53-1

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59531-3_53-1
Received: 28 February 2020
Accepted: 20 April 2020
Published: 19 May 2020
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-59531-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-59531-3
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine & Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences