Anandamide and decidual remodelling: COX-2 oxidative metabolism as a key regulator

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2015

Autores

Almada, M (Autor) Outra; Piscitelli, F (Autor) Outra; Fonseca, BM (Autor) Outra; Di Marzo, V (Autor) Outra; Georgina Correia da Silva (Autor) FFUP; Teixeira, N (Autor) FFUP

Revista

Título: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids

Vol. 1851

Páginas: 1473-1481

ISSN: 1388-1981

Editora: Elsevier

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 11 Citações

Scopus - 14 Citações

Classificação Científica

FOS: Ciências exactas e naturais > Ciências biológicas

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-00G-NBB

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2015.08.011

Abstract (EN): Recently, endocannabinoids have emerged as signalling mediators in reproduction. It is widely accepted that anandamide (AEA) levels must be tightly regulated, and that a disturbance in AEA levels may impact decidual stability and regression. We have previously characterized the endocannabinoid machinery in rat decidual tissue and reported the pro-apoptotic action of AEA on rat decidual cells. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme that plays a crucial role in early pregnancy, and is also a key modulator in the crosstalk between endocannabinoids and prostaglandins. On the other hand, AEA-oxidative metabolism by COX-2 is not merely a mean to inactivate its action, but it yields the formation of a new class of mediators, named prostaglandin-ethanolamides, or prostamides. In this study we found that AEA-induced apoptosis in decidual cells involves COX-2 metabolic pathway. AEA induced COX-2 expression through p38 MAPK, resulting in the formation of prostamide E2 (PME2). Our findings also suggest that AEA-induced effect is associated with NF-kappa B activation. Finally, we describe the involvement of PME2 in the induction of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in rat decidual cells. Altogether, our findings highlight the role of COX-2 as a gatekeeper in the uterine environment and clarify the impact of the deregulation of AEA levels on the decidual remodelling process.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 9