Short-term fasting and prolonged semistarvation have opposite effects on 2-AG levels in mouse brain.
2-Arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) levels in whole mouse brain and two of its regions-hippocampus and hypothalamus-were determined after diet restriction (between 60 and 40%) lasting 12 days. The diet restriction lowered the level of 2-AG, which in the hypothalamus depended on the severity of the diet restriction, while the level in the hippocampus was not dependent on the diet regimen. As these observations differ from previously published data showing elevation of 2-AG levels in rat brain after 24 h of severe food restriction, we measured 2-AG levels in whole mouse brain after a comparable period of full starvation (fasting). We confirmed the elevation of 2-AG levels. It seems possible that these time-dependent variations of 2-AG levels may be of importance as a general coping strategy by animals during periods of starvation.
Hanus
Lumír
L
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Medical Faculty, Hebrew University, Ein Kerem Campus, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. lumir@cc.huji.ac.il
Avraham
Yosefa
Y
Ben-Shushan
Dikla
D
Zolotarev
Olga
O
Berry
Elliot M
EM
Mechoulam
Raphael
R
D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005215:Fasting / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005989:Glycerides / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology
D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005989:Glycerides; C094503:glyceryl 2-arachidonate