Activity of anandamide (AEA) metabolic enzymes in rat placental bed

•Activities of AEA-metabolic enzymes in rat placental bed change in a temporal manner.•Activities of AEA-metabolic enzymes are not dependent on the presence of the blastocyst.•The NAPE-PLD:FAAH ratio is higher during the period of maximum decidua development.•FAAH activity prevails during the placen...

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Published in:Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2014-11, Vol.49, p.74-77
Main Authors: Fonseca, B.M., Battista, N., Correia-da-Silva, G., Rapino, C., Maccarrone, M., Teixeira, N.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amidohydrolases - metabolism
Anandamide
Animals
Arachidonic Acids - metabolism
Blotting, Western
Decidua
Endocannabinoids - metabolism
Fatty acid amide hydrolase
Female
Phospholipase D - metabolism
Placenta - enzymology
Placenta - metabolism
Placentation
Polyunsaturated Alkamides - metabolism
Pregnancy - metabolism
Rats
Rats, Wistar
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Summary:•Activities of AEA-metabolic enzymes in rat placental bed change in a temporal manner.•Activities of AEA-metabolic enzymes are not dependent on the presence of the blastocyst.•The NAPE-PLD:FAAH ratio is higher during the period of maximum decidua development.•FAAH activity prevails during the placentation period ensuing lower AEA levels. Endocannabinoids are endogenous lipid mediators, with anandamide (AEA) being the first member identified. It is now widely accepted that AEA influences early pregnancy events and its levels, which primarily depend on its synthesis by an N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) and degradation by a fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), must be tightly regulated. Previous studies demonstrated that AEA levels require in situ regulation of these respective metabolic enzymes, and thus, any disturbance in AEA levels may impact maternal remodeling processes occurring during placental development. In this study, the activities of the AEA-metabolic enzymes that result in the establishment of proper local AEA levels during rat gestation were examined. Here, we demonstrate that during placentation NAPE-PLD and FAAH activities change in a temporal manner. Our findings suggest that NAPE-PLD and FAAH create the appropriate AEA levels required for tissue remodeling in the placental bed, a process essential to pregnancy maintenance.
ISSN:0890-6238
1873-1708
DOI:10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.07.078