title: Endocannabinoids, adipose tissue and lipid metabolism.
abstract: Endocannabinoids regulate energy balance by modulating hypothalamic circuits controlling food intake and energy expenditure. However, convincing evidence has accumulated indicating that the endocannabinoid system is present also in peripheral tissues, in particular in adipose tissue. Fat cells produce (and are targets of) endocannabinoids. Adipogenesis, lipogenesis and glucose uptake are stimulated by endocannabinoids through CB(1) receptors and these effects are blocked by the CB(1) receptor antagonist rimonabant, suggesting that the weight-lowering effect of CB(1) receptor blockade is partly due to peripheral mechanisms. This review will focus on the role of endocannabinoids in adipose tissue metabolism, adipokine production and interactions between endocannabinoids and peroxisome proliferator activated receptors during adipogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine-Metabolic Laboratory, Clinica Medica 3, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. claudio.pagano@unipd.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vettor
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D054392:Adipokines / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D047492:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors / Q000502:physiology; D020239:Receptor Cross-Talk / Q000502:physiology; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D047492:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D005947:Glucose