Higher Plasma Levels of Endocannabinoids and Analogues Correlate With a Worse Cardiometabolic Profile in Young Adults

Xinyu Di, Borja Martinez-Tellez, Elke H.J. Krekels, Lucas Jurado-Fasoli, Francisco J. Osuna-Prieto, Lourdes Ortiz-Alvarez, Thomas Hankemeier, Patrick C.N. Rensen, Jonatan R. Ruiz, Isabelle Kohler

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

CONTEXT: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a signaling system composed of endocannabinoids (eCBs), their receptors, and the enzymes involved in their synthesis and metabolism. Alterations in the ECS are linked to the development of cardiometabolic diseases. OBJECTIVE: Here, we investigated the relationship between plasma levels of eCBs and their analogues with body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors. METHODS: The study included 133 young adults (age 22.1 ± 2.2 years, 67% women). Fasting plasma levels of eCBs and their analogues were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Body composition, brown adipose tissue (BAT) volume, glucose uptake, and traditional cardiometabolic risk factors were measured. RESULTS: Plasma levels of eCBs and several eCB analogues were positively correlated with adiposity and traditional cardiometabolic risk factors (eg, serum insulin and triacylglyceride levels, all r ≥ 0.17 and P ≤ .045). Plasma levels of 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and N-pentadecenoylethanolamine were negatively correlated with BAT volume and glucose uptake (all r ≤ -0.17 and P ≤ .047). We observed that the plasma levels of eCBs and their analogues were higher in metabolically unhealthy overweight-obese participants than in metabolically healthy overweight-obese participants. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that the plasma levels of eCBs and their analogues are related to higher levels of adiposity and worse cardiometabolic profile.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1351-1360
Number of pages10
JournalThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
Volume109
Issue number5
Early online date15 Nov 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.

Funding

This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness via the Fondo de Investigaci\u00F3n Sanitaria del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI13/01393) and PTA-12264, Retos de la Sociedad (DEP2016-79512-R) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU16/02828, FPU17/01523 and FPU19/01609), the Fundaci\u00F3n Iberoamericana de Nutrici\u00F3n (FINUT), the Redes Tem\u00E1ticas de Investigaci\u00F3n Cooperativa RETIC (Red SAMID RD16/0022), the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, the University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigaci\u00F3n 2016 -Excellence actions: Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES), the Junta de Andaluc\u00EDa, Consejer\u00EDa de Conocimiento, Investigaci\u00F3n y Universidades (ERDF; ref. SOMM17/6107/UGR and DOC 01151), the Fundaci\u00F3n Alfonso Martin Escudero, the Netherlands CardioVascular Research Initiative: the Dutch Heart Foundation, Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (CVON2017-20 GENIUS-2) to P.C.N.R., and the China Scholarship Council (no. 201707060012) to X.D.

FundersFunder number
Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers
AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
Fundación Alfonso Martín Escudero
Hartstichting
ZonMw
University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigación
European Regional Development Fund
Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y DeporteFPU16/02828, FPU17/01523, FPU19/01609
China Scholarship Council201707060012
Fundación Iberoamericana de NutriciónRD16/0022
Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidad, Junta de AndalucíaSOMM17/6107/UGR, DOC 01151
Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van WetenschappenCVON2017-20 GENIUS-2
Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIPTA-12264, PI13/01393, DEP2016-79512-R

    Keywords

    • 2-arachidonoyl glycerol
    • anandamide
    • body composition
    • cardiometabolic risk factors
    • endocannabinoid system
    • visceral adipose tissue

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