Biomarkers of endocannabinoid system activation in severe obesity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, and severe obesity is a risk factor for many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Endocannabinoid system (ECS) signaling in the brain and peripheral tissues is activated in obesity and plays a role in the regulation of body weight. The main research question here was whether quantitative measurement of plasma endocannabinoids, anandamide, and related N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), combined with genotyping for mutations in fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) would identify circulating biomarkers of ECS activation in severe obesity.

Methodology/principal findings

Plasma samples were obtained from 96 severely obese subjects with body mass index (BMI) of > or = 40 kg/m(2), and 48 normal weight subjects with

SUBMITTER: Sipe JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2808340 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature