Journal
TRENDS IN PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 35, Issue 6, Pages 284-292Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE LONDON
DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2014.03.001
Keywords
anandamide; prostaglandin synthase; prostanoid; cannabinoid; MAGL; FAAH
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Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that plays a key role in inflammatory processes. Classically, this enzyme is upregulated in inflammatory situations and is responsible for the generation of prostaglandins (PGs) from arachidonic acid (AA). One lesser-known property of COX-2 is its ability to metabolize the endocannabinoids, donoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Endocannabinoid metabolism by COX-2 is not merely a means to terminate their actions. On the contrary, it generates PG analogs, namely PG-glycerol esters (PG-G) for 2-AG and PG-ethanolamides (PG-EA or prostamides) for AEA. Although the formation of these COX-2-derived metabolites of the endocannabinoids has been known for a while, their biological effects remain to be fully elucidated. Recently, several studies have focused on the role of these PG-G or PG-EA In vivo. In this review we take a closer look at the literature concerning these novel bioactive lipids and their role in inflammation.
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