Involvement of the cannabimimetic compound, N-palmitoyl-ethanolamine, in inflammatory and neuropathic conditions: Review of the available pre-clinical data, and first human studies

• Published in: Neuropharmacology 2005-06, Vol.48 (8), p.1154-1163
• Main Authors: Darmani, Nissar A., Izzo, Angelo A., Degenhardt, Brian, Valenti, Marta, Scaglione, Giuseppe, Capasso, Raffaele, Sorrentini, Italo, Di Marzo, Vincenzo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cannabinoid; Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators - metabolism; Clinical Trials as Topic; Colitis, Ulcerative - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - metabolism; Diabetic Neuropathies - metabolism; Endocannabinoids; Entourage; Ethanolamines; FAAH; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - metabolism; Low Back Pain - metabolism; Mice; Pain; Palmitic Acids - metabolism; Receptor; Vanilloid
• ISSN: 0028-3908; 1873-7064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2005.01.001

The endogenous cannabimimetic compound, and anandamide analogue, N-palmitoyl-ethanolamine (PEA), was shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in experimental models of visceral, neuropathic and inflammatory pain by acting via several possible mechanisms. However, only scant data have been reported on the regulation of PEA levels during pathological conditions in animals or, particularly, humans. We review the current literature on PEA and report the results of three separate studies indicating that its concentrations are significantly increased during three different inflammatory and neuropathic conditions, two of which have been assessed in humans, and one in a mouse model. In patients affected with chronic low back pain, blood PEA levels were not significantly different from those of healthy volunteers, but were significantly and differentially increased (1.6-fold, P