ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The endocannabinoid system is involved in the regulation of appetite, food intake and energy balance. METHODS: To study possible differences in CB(1) and CB(2) mRNA expression in eating disorders, 20 patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), 23 with bulimia nervosa (BN) and 26 healthy women were enrolled into the trial (Homocysteine and Eating Disorders, HEaD). RESULTS: We found significantly higher levels of CB(1) receptor mRNA in the blood of patients with AN (DeltaCT: -3.9 (1.0); KW: 11.31; P=0.003) and BN (DeltaCT: -3.7 (1.7)) when compared to controls (DeltaCT: -4.6 (0.6); Dunn's test AN vs. CONTROLS: P<0.05; BN vs. CONTROLS: P<0.001) measured by quantitative real-time PCR. No differences were found regarding the expression of CB(2) receptor mRNA. Higher CB(1) receptor expression was associated with lower scores in several eating disorder inventory-2 (EDI-2) subscales including perfectionism, impulse regulation and drive for thinness. CONCLUSION: Our finding of elevated CB(1)-receptor expression in AN and BN adds further evidence to the hypothesis of impaired endocannabinoid signaling in eating disorders.
Subject(s)
Anorexia Nervosa/metabolism , Bulimia Nervosa/metabolism , Feeding Behavior/physiology , Promoter Regions, Genetic/physiology , Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism , Adolescent , Adult , Anorexia Nervosa/genetics , Anorexia Nervosa/psychology , Appetite Regulation/genetics , Appetite Regulation/physiology , Bulimia Nervosa/genetics , Bulimia Nervosa/psychology , Case-Control Studies , DNA Methylation/physiology , Epigenesis, Genetic , Feeding Behavior/psychology , Female , Humans , Linear Models , Neuropsychological Tests , RNA, Messenger/analysis , Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics , Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/genetics , Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/metabolism , Reference Values , Up-Regulation , Young AdultABSTRACT
Alpha-synuclein (alpha-Syn) is a neuronal protein involved in the regulation of brain serotonin and dopamine levels. We analyzed the peripheral expression of alpha-Syn mRNA and Beck Depression Inventory scores in female patients suffering from anorexia nervosa (n = 18) or bulimia nervosa (n = 24). We found a significant positive association between alpha-Syn mRNA expression and the total scores of the Beck Depression Inventory (linear regression; R(2) = 0.20; p = 0.003). alpha-Syn may play a pathophysiological role in depressive symptoms associated with eating disorders. Further investigations in patients with depression as a sole diagnosis are needed to support its role in the pathogenesis of major depression.
