Cannabinoids provoke alcoholic steatosis through a conspiracy of neighbors.
Cannabinoid signaling by CB1 receptors drives fibrogenesis and fat accumulation in liver. A report in this issue of Cell Metabolism (Jeong et al., 2008) now links hepatic stellate cells, a resident liver fibrogenic cell type, to the generation of steatosis through production of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) after ethanol feeding, leading to paracrine stimulation of hepatocyte CB1 receptors.
Friedman
Scott L
SL
Division of Liver Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. scott.friedman@mssm.edu
Nieto
Natalia
N
D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D000431:Ethanol; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005989:Glycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050155:Lipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077285:Rimonabant; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005989:Glycerides; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; C497388:Srebf1 protein, mouse; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1; D000431:Ethanol; C094503:glyceryl 2-arachidonate; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase; D000077285:Rimonabant