title: Deranged endocannabinoid responses to hedonic eating in underweight and recently weight-restored patients with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A dysregulation of reward mechanisms was suggested in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa (AN), but the role of the endogenous mediators of reward has been poorly investigated. Endocannabinoids, including anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and the endocannabinoid-related compounds oleoylethanolamide and palmitoylethanolamide modulate food-related and unrelated reward. Hedonic eating, which is the consumption of food just for pleasure and not homeostatic need, is a suitable paradigm to explore food-related reward.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated responses of endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related compounds to hedonic eating in AN.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral concentrations of anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, oleoylethanolamide, and palmitoylethanolamide were measured in 7 underweight and 7 weight-restored AN patients after eating favorite and nonfavorite foods in the condition of no homeostatic needs, and these measurements were compared with those of previously studied healthy control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1) In healthy controls, plasma 2-arachidonoylglycerol concentrations decreased after both types of meals but were significantly higher in hedonic eating; in underweight AN patients, 2-arachidonoylglycerol concentrations did not show specific time patterns after eating either favorite or nonfavorite foods, whereas in weight-restored patients, 2-arachidonoylglycerol concentrations showed similar increases with both types of meals. 2) Anandamide plasma concentrations exhibited no differences in their response patterns to hedonic eating in the groups. 3) Compared with 2-arachidonoylglycerol, palmitoylethanolamide concentrations exhibited an opposite response pattern to hedonic eating in healthy controls; this pattern was partially preserved in underweight AN patients but not in weight-restored ones. 4) Like palmitoylethanolamide, oleoylethanolamide plasma concentrations tended to be higher in nonhedonic eating than in hedonic eating in healthy controls; moreover, no difference between healthy subjects and AN patients was observed for food-intake-induced changes in oleoylethanolamide concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data confirm that endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related compounds are involved in food-related reward and suggest a dysregulation of their physiology in AN. This trial was registered at ISRCTN.org as ISRCTN64683774.
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Alessio Maria
authors: AM
authors: Monteleone
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Di Marzo
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Aveta
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Fabiana
authors: F
authors: Piscitelli
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Dalle Grave
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Pasquale
authors: P
authors: Scognamiglio
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Marwan
authors: M
authors: El Ghoch
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Simona
authors: S
authors: Calugi
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Palmiero
authors: P
authors: Monteleone
authors: From the Department of Psychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy (AMM, PS, PM, and MM); the Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy (VDM, TA, and FP); the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, Verona, Italy (RDG, MEG, and SC); and the Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy (PM).
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Maj
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000577:Amides; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000097:blood*; D002149:Energy Intake; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005989:Glycerides / Q000097:blood; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D009829:Oleic Acids / Q000097:blood; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000097:blood; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012201:Reward; D013851:Thinness / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004983:Ethanolamines; D005989:Glycerides; D009829:Oleic Acids; D010169:Palmitic Acids; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; C488250:oleoylethanolamide; C005958:palmidrol; C094503:glyceryl 2-arachidonate; C078814:anandamide
keywords: anhedonia; anorexia nervosa; endocannabinoids; hedonic eating; reward