Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Sep 10;19(9):2690.
doi: 10.3390/ijms19092690.

Role of Cannabinoids in Obesity

Francesca Rossi  1 , Francesca Punzo  2 , Giuseppina Rosaria Umano  3 , Maura Argenziano  4 , Emanuele Miraglia Del Giudice  5
Affiliations
Review

Role of Cannabinoids in Obesity

Francesca Rossi et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Obesity is an increasing health problem worldwide. Its related comorbidities imply a high cost for the National Health System and diminish a patient's life quality. Adipose tissue is composed of three types of cells. White adipocytes are involved in fat storage and secretion of hormones. Brown adipocytes are involved in thermogenesis and caloric expenditure. Beige adipocytes are transitional adipocytes that in response to various stimuli can turn from white to brown and could be protective against the obesity, enhancing energy expenditure. The conversion of white in beige adipose tissue is a potential new therapeutic target for obesity. Cannabinoid receptors (CB) regulate thermogenesis, food intake and inflammation. CB1 ablation or inhibition helps reducing body weight and food intake. Stimulation of CB2 limits inflammation and promotes anti-obesity effects by reducing food intake and weight gain. Its genetic ablation results in adiposity development. CB receptors are also responsible for transforming white adipose tissue towards beige or brown adipocytes, therefore their modulation can be considered potential anti-obesity target. CB1 principal localization in central nervous system represents an important limit. Stimulation of CB2, principally localized on peripheral cells instead, should facilitate the anti-obesity effects without exerting remarkable psychotropic activity.

Keywords: BAT; CB1; CB2; WAT; adipocytes; beige adipocytes; browning; cannabinoids; obesity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Brown, white, and adipocytes lineages. (Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) give rise to myogenic factor 5 (Myf5) positive and negative precursors. Myf5 positive precursors generate brown adipocytes under the effect of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-α (PGC1α). Myf5 negative precursors, under the effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-γ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), generate white and beige adipocytes).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) in Browning. (Browning is the process by which the white adipose tissue’s physiology and morphology switch from white (WAT) towards brown phenotype (BAT), through the intermediate beige phenotype. CB2 receptor stimulation enhances this transformation, triggering the thermogenesis. Analogously, the blockade of CB1 receptor induces the same adipocyte’s phenotype change).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ng M., Fleming T., Robinson M., Thomson B., Graetz N., Margono C., Mullany E.C., Biryukov S., Abbafati C., Abera S.F., et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2013. Lancet. 2014;384:766–781. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60460-8. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ward Z.J., Long M.W., Resch S.C., Giles C.M., Cradock A.L., Gortmaker S.L. Simulation of growth trajectories of childhood obesity into adulthood. N. Engl. J. Med. 2017;377:2145–2153. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1703860. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Henness S., Perry C.M. Orlistat: A review of its use in the management of obesity. Drugs. 2006;66:1625–1656. doi: 10.2165/00003495-200666120-00012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Heymsfield S.B., Segal K.R., Hauptman J., Lucas C.P., Boldrin M.N., Rissanen A., Wilding J.P., Sjostrom L. Effects of weight loss with orlistat on glucose tolerance and progression to type 2 diabetes in obese adults. Arch. Intern. Med. 2000;160:1321–1326. doi: 10.1001/archinte.160.9.1321. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Muls E., Kolanowski J., Scheen A., Van Gaal L. The effects of orlistat on weight and on serum lipids in obese patients with hypercholesterolemia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 2001;25:1713–1721. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801814. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources