title: Endocannabinoid receptors gene expression in morbidly obese women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent reports suggest a role for the endocannabinoid system in the pathology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between liver expression of cannabinoid (CB) receptor subtypes, CB1 and CB2, in morbidly obese (MO) women with different histological stages of NAFLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed hepatic CB1 and CB2 mRNA expression, and the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in 72 MO women, subclassified by liver histology into MO with normal liver (NL, n = 16), simple steatosis (SS, n = 28), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, n = 28) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that CB1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in NASH compared with SS and correlated negatively with PPARα. Regarding CB2, CB2 mRNA expression correlated positively with ACC1, PPARγ, IL6, TNFα, resistin, and adiponectin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased expression of CB1 in NASH and the negative correlation with PPARα suggest a deleterious role of CB1 in NAFLD. Regarding CB2, its positive correlation with the anti-inflammatory molecule adiponectin and, paradoxically, with inflammatory genes suggests that this receptor has a dual role. Taken together, our results suggest that endocannabinoid receptors might be involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, a finding which justifies further study.
authors.affiliation: Grup GEMMAIR (AGAUR) and Grup de Recerca en Medicina Aplicada, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, IISPV, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ; Servei Medicina Interna, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Auguet
authors.affiliation: Grup GEMMAIR (AGAUR) and Grup de Recerca en Medicina Aplicada, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, IISPV, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berlanga
authors.affiliation: Grup GEMMAIR (AGAUR) and Grup de Recerca en Medicina Aplicada, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, IISPV, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guiu-Jurado
authors.affiliation: Grup GEMMAIR (AGAUR) and Grup de Recerca en Medicina Aplicada, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, IISPV, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.affiliation: Servei Anatomia Patològica, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII Tarragona, Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Salomé
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Grup GEMMAIR (AGAUR) and Grup de Recerca en Medicina Aplicada, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, IISPV, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.affiliation: Servei Medicina Interna, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Filiu
authors.affiliation: Servei Medicina Interna, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ajla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alibalic
authors.affiliation: Servei de Cirurgia, Hospital Sant Joan de Reus, Avenida del Dr. Josep Laporte 2, Catalonia, Tarragona, 43204 Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Fàtima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sabench
authors.affiliation: Servei de Cirurgia, Hospital Sant Joan de Reus, Avenida del Dr. Josep Laporte 2, Catalonia, Tarragona, 43204 Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Mercé
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Servei de Cirurgia, Hospital Sant Joan de Reus, Avenida del Dr. Josep Laporte 2, Catalonia, Tarragona, 43204 Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Del Castillo
authors.affiliation: Grup GEMMAIR (AGAUR) and Grup de Recerca en Medicina Aplicada, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, IISPV, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ; Servei Medicina Interna, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Mallafré Guasch 4, Catalonia, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristóbal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richart
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000235:genetics; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; C588309:CNR2 protein, human; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2