How does cannabinoid receptor signaling influence dietary habits?

A new study has shown that overactive signaling of cannabinoid receptors in the gut causes overeating in diet-induced obesity in a mouse model.

Endocannabinoids are cannabis molecules naturally produced in the body that regulate immune, behavioral and neuronal processes. Endocannabinoids improve eating behavior. The study showed that too active signaling of the endocannabinoid system blocks the signaling of intestinal satiety, causing overeating in mice.

Explain the process of overeating

The study revealed that:

• Cannabinoid receptors in the intestine of mice fed for sixty days from a Western diet high in fats and sugars had high activity of endocannabinoids;
• This prevented the secretion of food-induced cholecystokinin, a satiation peptide that inhibits diet; and
• This led these mice to overeat..

Nicholas V DiPatrizio, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences at UCR Faculty of Medicine, ledResearch Team. DiPatrizio explained that previous have shown that oral exposure to dietary fat stimulates the production of endocannbinoids from the intestine in the body, resulting in additional consumption of high-fat foods in the rat.

Other researchers have found that an increase in endocannabinoid levels in humans occurred in the blood just before and after eating tasty and highly energetic foods.

Drug development to target cannabinoid receptors

DiPatrizio said, "If drugs could be developed to target these cannabinoid receptors so as not to inhibit the release of satiety peptides during excessive dietary intake, we would approach the problem of the prevalence of Obesity that affects millions of the world. "

Donovan A. Argueta, a Ph.D. student at DiPatrizio's lab and first author of the article, added: "Research in humans has shown that food associated with a palatable diet causes a increase of endocannabinoids – whether or not they control the release of peptides remains to be determined. "