The human body possesses specific binding sites on the surface of many cell types for cannabinoids, and our body produces several endocannabinoids, fatty acid derivatives that bind to these cannabinoid receptors (CB) and activate them. CB receptors and endocannabinoids together constitute the endocannabinoid system. Some phytocannabinoids, cannabinoids of the cannabis plant, and a multitude of ...

The recently discovered endocannabinoid system (ECS), which includes endocannabinoids and the proteins that metabolize and bind them, has been implicated in multiple regulatory functions both in health and disease. Several studies have suggested that ECS is centrally and peripherally involved in the processing of pain signals. This finding is corroborated by the evidence that endocannabinoids i...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a spectrum of disorders characterized by abdominal discomfort and pain, associated with altered bowel habits. Though gut motility, secretion and sensation may be altered in patients with IBS, the pathophysiology of this condition remains to be fully understood. The endocannabinoid system is involved in the regulation of numerous gastrointestinal functions inclu...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Endocannabinoids may modify cancer development, progression and associated pain. We determined whether cancer-evoked dysregulations in this system become manifest in altered tissue and plasma endocannabinoids. METHODS Endocannabinoid changes due to cancer were explored in a local and metastatic syngeneic mouse melanoma model. Endocannabinoid stratification in human cancer ...

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an essential regulator of bodily function in its many facets. There is hardly any physiological process that is not affected by it to some degree. It is surprising then to realize that the ECS was totally unknown prior to one generation ago. The name derives from the fact that the bodies of all higher animals harbor natural chemicals within that resemble in m...

Spermatogenesis is a complex process in which male germ cells undergo a mitotic phase followed by meiosis and by a morphogenetic process to form mature spermatozoa. Spermatogenesis is under the control of gonadotropins, steroid hormones and it is modulated by a complex network of autocrine and paracrine factors. These modulators ensure the correct progression of germ cell differentiation to for...

Addiction is a chronic, recurring and complex disorder. It is characterized by anomalous behaviors that are linked to permanent or long-lasting neurobiological alterations. Furthermore, the endocannabinoid system has a crucial role in mediating neurotransmitter release as one of the main neuromodulators of the mammalian central nervous system. The purpose of the present review is to instruct re...