title: Cannabinoid-2 receptor mediates protection against hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury.
abstract: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury continues to be a fatal complication that can follow liver surgery or transplantation. We have investigated the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in hepatic I/R injury using an in vivo mouse model. Here we report that I/R triggers several-fold increases in the hepatic levels of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, which originate from hepatocytes, Kupffer, and endothelial cells. The I/R-induced increased tissue endocannabinoid levels positively correlate with the degree of hepatic damage and serum TNF-alpha, MIP-1alpha, and MIP-2 levels. Furthermore, a brief exposure of hepatocytes to various oxidants (H2O2 and peroxynitrite) or inflammatory stimuli (endotoxin and TNF-alpha) also increases endocannabinoid levels. Activation of CB2 cannabinoid receptors by JWH133 protects against I/R damage by decreasing inflammatory cell infiltration, tissue and serum TNF-alpha, MIP-1alpha and MIP-2 levels, tissue lipid peroxidation, and expression of adhesion molecule ICAM-1 in vivo. JWH133 also attenuates the TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in human liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (HLSECs) and the adhesion of human neutrophils to HLSECs in vitro. Consistent with the protective role of CB2 receptor activation, CB2-/- mice develop increased I/R-induced tissue damage and proinflammatory phenotype. These findings suggest that oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory stimuli may trigger endocannabinoid production, and indicate that targeting CB2 cannabinoid receptors may represent a novel protective strategy against I/R injury. We also demonstrate that CB2-/- mice have a normal hemodynamic profile.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiological Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9413, USA.
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bátkai
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Osei-Hyiaman
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: El-Assal
authors.forename: Mohanraj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajesh
authors.forename: Partha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harvey-White
authors.forename: Anjum
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jafri
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haskó
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Huffman
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kunos
authors.forename: Pál
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pacher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005989:Glycerides / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides / Q000032:analysis; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000502:physiology*; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005989:Glycerides; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; C094503:glyceryl 2-arachidonate; C078814:anandamide