title: Role of cannabinoid CB2 receptors in glucose homeostasis in rats.
abstract: Here we show that the activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors improved glucose tolerance after a glucose load. Blockade of cannabinoid CB2 receptors counteracted this effect, leading to glucose intolerance. Since blockade of cannabinoid CB1 receptors mimics the actions of cannabinoid CB2 receptor agonists, we propose that the endocannabinoid system modulates glucose homeostasis through the coordinated actions of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors. We also describe the presence of both cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptor immunoreactivity in rat pancreatic beta- and non-beta-cells, adding the endocrine pancreas to adipose tissue and the liver as potential sites for endocannabinoid regulation of glucose homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Fundación IMABIS, Hospital Carlos Haya, Málaga 29010, and Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Alicante, Spain. franciscoj.bermudez.exts@juntadeandalucia.es
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bermudez-Silva
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Vera
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Juan-Pico
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nadal
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodríguez de Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000502:physiology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000032:analysis; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; C469526:Cnr2 protein, rat; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; C103505:AM 251; D005947:Glucose