title: Effects of the endocannabinoid noladin ether on body weight, food consumption, locomotor activity, and cognitive index in mice.
abstract: We have investigated the effect of 2-arachidonylglyceryl-ether (Noladin) on food consumption, weight, activity, and cognitive function in mice during diet restriction for 17 days and subsequent ad libitum feeding for 32 days. Female Sabra mice were given food for 2.5 h/day (equal to 60% diet restriction), received Noladin (0.001, 0.01, 0.1 mg/(kg day) intraperitonially (i.p.)) with or without the CB1 antagonist SR141716A (1 mg/kg i.p.) during days 3-17. Noladin (0.001 mg/kg) significantly increased food consumption without a change in body weight, probably due to increased activity and there was no change in cognitive function. A higher dose (0.1 mg/kg) did not affect food consumption, but increased activity and slightly decreased weight 32 days after termination of Noladin administration; however, cognitive deterioration was observed. At all doses tested, Noladin did not affect weight during the diet-restriction period, whereas the CB1 antagonist (with or without Noladin) caused a very significant decline in weight in this phase. Weight catch-up was observed 1 month after administration of Noladin was discontinued. Weight at day 32 after the termination of Noladin (0.1 mg/(kg day)) treatment was 5% less than control. Female C57BL/6 mice (same protocol, with 0.001 mg/(kg day) Noladin) gave similar results to 0.1 mg/kg in Sabra mice as regards weight. CB1 antagonist treatment caused very significant decline in both weight and food consumption; cognition and activity were unchanged. These results indicate that Noladin has a significant dose-dependent effect on food consumption, cognition and weight maintenance after weight loss. Low doses of Noladin may possibly allow an increase in food intake without a gain in weight after dieting. Thus, Noladin could be of potential clinical benefit in treating disorders of body weight. Noladin seems to signal food consumption and weight through CB1 receptors based on effects observed with the CB1 antagonist, while the cognition and activity are probably mediated by non-cannabinoid receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition and Metabolism and Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Ein Kerem Campus, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. yosefa@md2.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: Yosefa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Avraham
authors.forename: Avshalom Ben
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Menachem
authors.forename: Avital
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okun
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zlotarav
authors.forename: Nadav
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mechoulam
authors.forename: Elliot M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Berry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D005989:Glycerides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000077285:Rimonabant; D013045:Species Specificity; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005989:Glycerides; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; C424442:noladin ether; D000077285:Rimonabant