title: The endocannabinoid system in the brain of Carassius auratus and its possible role in the control of food intake.
abstract: Cannabinoid receptors and the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol have been suggested to regulate food intake in several animal phyla. Orthologs of the mammalian cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) receptors have been identified in fish. We investigated the presence of this endocannabinoid system in the brain of the goldfish Carassius auratus and its role in food consumption. CB(1)-like immunoreactivity was distributed throughout the goldfish brain. The prosencephalon showed strong CB(1)-like immunoreactivity in the telencephalon and the inferior lobes of the posterior hypothalamus. Endocannabinoids were detected in all brain regions of C. auratus and an anandamide-hydrolysing enzymatic activity with features similar to those of mammalian fatty acid amide hydrolase was found. Food deprivation for 24 h was accompanied by a significant increase of anandamide, but not 2-arachidonoylglycerol, levels only in the telencephalon. Anandamide caused a dose-dependent effect on food intake within 2 h of intraperitoneal administration to satiated fish and significantly enhanced or reduced food intake at low (1 pg/g body weight) or intermediate (10 pg/g) doses, respectively, the highest dose tested (100 pg/g) being inactive. We suggest that endocannabinoids might variously contribute to adaptive responses to food shortage in fish.
authors.affiliation: Endocannabinoid Research Group, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, C.N.R., Pozzuoli (NA), Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valenti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cottone
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Pedro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Viveros
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Franzoni
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Marzo
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005260:Female; D006054:Goldfish / Q000502:physiology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000502:physiology*; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases
chemical_list: D000581:Amidohydrolases; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases; C078814:anandamide