title: Role of cannabinoid receptors and RAGE in inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: The endocannabinoid system is involved in many inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The distribution and expression of cannabinoid receptors 1 (CNR1) and 2 (CNR2) in combination with inflammatory cytokines and RAGE (receptor of advanced glycation end products), which is also overactive in these diseases, in dependency of the extent of inflammation and alteration of the colon barrier is still unclear and needs to be elucidated.
  
  
  
  10 specimens of CD patients who underwent colectomy and 14 colectomy specimens of patients suffering from UC were investigated histologically for inflammatory infiltrate, extent of fibrosis and for disturbance of the intestinal barrier. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to examine the distribution and localization of CNR1, CNR2 and RAGE. Additionally, qRT-PCR was performed to study the expression of CNR1, CNR2, RAGE and inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, TGFβ, CTGF, IL12, IFNγ). 35 morphological and histological normal specimens of colectomy cases served as controls.
  
  
  
  The expression level of CNR2 did not differ between the control group and the group of patients with IBD, while CNR1 displayed a significant up regulation, especially in cases of CD. A differential association between the expression of CNR1/CNR2 and RAGE with morphological changes and expression of molecular markers of inflammation could be established.
  
  
  
  We showed that cannabinoid receptors are expressed differentially in inflammatory bowel disease and that the expression seems to be influenced by the underlying disease and by localized inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Grosshadern, Marchioninistrasse 15, Munich, Germany. sebastian.stintzing@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stintzing
authors.forename: Till Th
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Wissniowski
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lohwasser
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alinger
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neureiter
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ocker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic