title: Follicle-stimulating hormone activates fatty acid amide hydrolase by protein kinase A and aromatase-dependent pathways in mouse primary Sertoli cells.
abstract: Among the biological activities of the endocannabinoid anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine) (AEA), growing interest has been attracted by the regulation of mammalian fertility. Recently we have shown that treatment of mouse primary Sertoli cells with FSH enhances the activity of the AEA hydrolase [fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)], though the molecular details were not elucidated. Here, we investigated whether FSH was also able to affect the enzymes that synthesize AEA (N-acyltransferase and N-acyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine-phospholipase D), the endogenous content of this endocannabinoid, and the level of the AEA-binding vanilloid receptor 1 (transient receptor potential channel vanilloid receptor subunit 1). We show that FSH enhanced FAAH activity (up to approximately 500% of the controls) and expression (up to approximately 300%), leading to a marked reduction (down to approximately 15%) of AEA content. However N-acyltransferase and N-acyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine-phospholipase D activity, and transient receptor potential channel vanilloid receptor subunit 1 binding were not affected. We also show that diacylglycerol lipase and monoacylglycerol lipase, which respectively synthesize and degrade 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol, were not regulated by FSH, neither was the membrane transport of this endocannabinoid. In addition, we show that FAAH stimulation by FSH was abrogated by inhibitors of protein kinase A (PKA) and cytochrome-P(450) aromatase, and was conversely mimicked by N,O'-dibutyryl cAMP and estrogen. Finally, we demonstrate that FSH protects Sertoli cells against the pro-apoptotic activity of AEA, through PKA and aromatase-dependent activation of FAAH. Altogether these data suggest that FAAH is the only target of FSH among the elements of the endocannabinoid system, and that its regulation by PKA and aromatase-dependent pathways impacts Sertoli cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Teramo, Piazza A. Moro 45, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gasperi
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paro
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barsacchi
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cecconi
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maccarrone
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D001141:Aromatase / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005989:Glycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008954:Models, Biological; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D011485:Protein Binding; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases
chemical_list: D000581:Amidohydrolases; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D001141:Aromatase; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D005989:Glycerides; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases; C493921:TRPV1 protein, mouse; C094503:glyceryl 2-arachidonate; C078814:anandamide