0000000000441735
AUTHOR
Renato Pasquali
showing 5 related works from this author
CB(1) signaling in forebrain and sympathetic neurons is a key determinant of endocannabinoid actions on energy balance
2010
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a critical role in obesity development. The pharmacological blockade of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB(1)) has been shown to reduce body weight and to alleviate obesity-related metabolic disorders. An unsolved question is at which anatomical level CB(1) modulates energy balance and the mechanisms involved in its action. Here, we demonstrate that CB(1) receptors expressed in forebrain and sympathetic neurons play a key role in the pathophysiological development of diet-induced obesity. Conditional mutant mice lacking CB(1) expression in neurons known to control energy balance, but not in nonneuronal peripheral organs, displayed a lean phenotype and res…
How many sites of action for endocannabinoids to control energy metabolism?
2006
The promising results obtained by clinical trials using Rimonabant to tackle visceral obesity and related disorders recently promoted a remarkable impulse to carry out detailed investigations into the mechanisms of action of endocannabinoids in regulating food intake and energy metabolism. The endocannabinoid system has been known for many years to play an important role in the modulation of the neuronal pathways mediating the rewarding properties of food. However, in the last few years, with the advanced understanding of the crucial role of the hypothalamic neuronal network in the regulation of appetite, several studies have also directed attention to the orexigenic role of the endocannabi…
The Emerging Role of the Endocannabinoid System in Endocrine Regulation and Energy Balance
2005
During the last few years, the endocannabinoid system has emerged as a highly relevant topic in the scientific community. Many different regulatory actions have been attributed to endocannabinoids, and their involvement in several pathophysiological conditions is under intense scrutiny. Cannabinoid receptors, named CB1 receptor and CB2 receptor, first discovered as the molecular targets of the psychotropic component of the plant Cannabis sativa, participate in the physiological modulation of many central and peripheral functions. CB2 receptor is mainly expressed in immune cells, whereas CB1 receptor is the most abundant G protein-coupled receptor expressed in the brain. CB1 receptor is expr…
Centenarians' offspring as a model of healthy aging: a reappraisal of the data on Italian subjects and a comprehensive overview.
2016
Within the scenario of an increasing life expectancy worldwide it is mandatory to identify determinants of healthy aging. Centenarian offspring (CO) is one of the most informative model to identify trajectories of healthy aging and their determinants (genetic and environmental), being representative of elderly in their 70th whose lifestyle can be still modified to attain a better health. This study is the first comprehensive investigation of the health status of 267 CO (mean age: 70.2 years) and adopts the innovative approach of comparing CO with 107 age‐matched offspring of non‐long‐lived parents (hereafter indicated as NCO controls), recruited according to strict inclusion demographic cri…
Cannabinoid type 1 receptor blockade promotes mitochondrial biogenesis through endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in white adipocytes
2008
OBJECTIVE—Cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor blockade decreases body weight and adiposity in obese subjects; however, the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) induces mitochondrial biogenesis and function in adipocytes. This study was undertaken to test whether CB1 receptor blockade increases the espression of eNOS and mitochondrial biogenesis in white adipocytes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We examined the effects on eNOS and mitochondrial biogenesis of selective pharmacological blockade of CB1 receptors by SR141716 (rimonabant) in mouse primary white adipocytes. We also examined eNOS expression and mitochondrial biog…