title: Taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil is associated with endocannabinoid plasma levels in normal-weight individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A decreased sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) has been shown to be associated with increased energy intake and therefore an increased body mass index, although other studies have not confirmed this association, suggesting the involvement of other factors. We investigated whether the endocannabinoid system, which also modulates hunger/satiety and energy balance, plays a role in modulating eating behavior influenced by a sensitivity to PROP.
  
  
  METHODS
  The plasma profile of the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), anandamide (AEA), and congeners of AEA, palmitoylethanolamide and oleylethanolamide (OEA), was determined in normal-weight PROP supertasters (STs) and PROP non-tasters (NTs). A cognitive eating behavior disorder was assessed by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, which estimates dietary restraint, disinhibition, and perceived hunger.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The disinhibition score of NTs was higher than those of STs (P = 0.02). Moreover, in NTs, OEA was inversely correlated to the perceived hunger score (r = -0.7, P = 0.002), and AEA was positively correlated to the restraint score (r = 0.5, P = 0.04) and negatively to the perceived hunger score, although the latter correlation was at the limit of statistical significance (r = -0.47, P = 0.05). In addition, we found lower concentrations of AEA and 2-AG in the plasma of NT compared with ST subjects (AEA, P = 0.034; 2-AG, P = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that a higher disinhibition behavior in NTs may be compensated in part, in normal-weight subjects, by the decrease of peripheral endocannabinoids to downregulate the hunger-energy intake circuitry.
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy.
authors: Iole
authors: I
authors: Tomassini Barbarossa
authors: Gianfranca
authors: G
authors: Carta
authors: Elisabetta
authors: E
authors: Murru
authors: Melania
authors: M
authors: Melis
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Zonza
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Vacca
authors: Patrizia
authors: P
authors: Muroni
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Di Marzo
authors: Sebastiano
authors: S
authors: Banni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003071:Cognition; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000097:blood*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012527:Satiation / Q000502:physiology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D014498:Uracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D063388:Endocannabinoids; C056698:6-n-propyluracil; D014498:Uracil