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The cannabinoid system: a role in both the homeostatic and hedonic control of eating?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Joanne A. Harrold  and
Gareth Williams
Joanne A. Harrold*
Affiliation:
Neuroendocrine and Obesity Biology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Liverpool, University Clinical Departments, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK
Gareth Williams
Affiliation:
Neuroendocrine and Obesity Biology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Liverpool, University Clinical Departments, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Joanne A. Harrold, fax +44 151 706 5797, email harrold@liverpool.ac.uk
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Abstract

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Knowledge of the cannabinoid system and its components has expanded greatly over the past decade. There is increasing evidence for its role in the regulation of food intake and appetite. Cannabinoid system activity in the hypothalamus is thought to contribute to the homeostatic regulation of energy balance, under the control of the hormone leptin. A second component of cannabinoid-mediated food intake appears to involve reward pathways and the hedonic aspect of eating. With the cannabinoid system contributing to both regulatory pathways, it presents an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of both obesity and eating disorders.

Keywords

AnandamideEndocannabinoids2-Arachidonoyl glycerolSR 141716Food intakeObesityReward
Type
Horizons in Nutritional Science
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 90 , Issue 4 , October 2003 , pp. 729 - 734
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2003

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