title: The endocannabinoid system: role in energy regulation.
abstract: Cannabis sativa has been used since antiquity to treat many ailments, including eating disorders. The primary psychoactive constituent of this plant, Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is an FDA approved medication to treat nausea and emesis caused by cancer chemotherapeutic agents as well as to stimulate appetite in AIDS patients suffering from cachexia. The effects of THC are mediated through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which promotes a positive energy balance through stimulation of appetite as well as shifting homeostatic mechanisms toward energy storage. Here we discuss the physiological function of the ECS in energy balance and the therapeutic potential of targeting this system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Gamage
authors.forename: Aron H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lichtman
mesh_terms: D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids
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