title: The endocannabinoid anandamide affects the synthesis of human syncytiotrophoblast-related proteins.
abstract: The human syncytiotrophoblast (hST) has a major role in the production of important placental hormones. Several molecules regulate hST endocrine function but the role of endocannabinoids in this process is still unknown. Here, we report that the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) decreased cAMP levels, impaired human chorionic gonadotropin secretion, placental alkaline phosphatase activity and decreased aromatase mRNA levels and protein expression, through cannabinoid (CB) receptor activation. AEA also downregulated leptin and placental protein 13 transcription, though via a CB receptor-independent mechanism. All this evidence suggests AEA is a novel modulator of hormone synthesis by the syncytiotrophoblast, supporting the importance of the endocannabinoid signalling in placental function.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Departamento da Mulher e da Criança, Serviço de Obstetrícia, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte- Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Departamento da Mulher e da Criança, Serviço de Obstetrícia, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte- Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal. george@ff.up.pt.
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Correia da Silva
mesh_terms: D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D037161:Galectins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D037161:Galectins; C038195:LGALS13 protein, human; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; C078814:anandamide
keywords: Anandamide; Endocannabinoid signalling; Human syncytiotrophoblast; Placenta; Placental proteins