Arachidonic Acid and Eicosanoids in Hydra: Possible Endogenous Signals Involved in Chemoreception and Modulation of the Feeding Behaviour

Pierobon, Paola; Petrocellis, Luciano De; Minei, Rosario; Marzo, Vincenzo Di

doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-1810-9_78

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…It was hypothesized that endogenous cannabinoids may play a role in the modulation of Hydra feeding response, a simple behavior consisting of chemoreceptor‐induced writhing of tentacles followed by opening and subsequent closure of the mouth. This inhibitory effect may be due to the inhibition of 4‐aminobutyrate‐ergic signaling or to the modulation of NO release, both previously shown to participate in this elementary Hydra behavior [56]. It is worthwhile mentioning that endocannabinoids have been suggested to influence food intake and appetite in mammals [6].…”

Section: Chronology Of the Endogenous Cannabinoid System In Invertebrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative biology of the endocannabinoid system

Breton

Bisogno

Marzo

2000

European Journal of Biochemistry

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118

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In this review we discuss data showing that the endogenous cannabinoid system, represented by cannabinoid receptors, endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligands and enzymes for the biosynthesis and degradation of these ligands, is conserved throughout evolution from coelenterates to man. This signaling system has been suggested to play several roles in animals, including the regulation of cell development and growth, nervous functions, reproduction and feeding behavior. In this article, however, we shall describe with more detail the possible function of the endogenous cannabinoid system in the modulation of immune response in organisms from the lower to the higher levels of animal evolution.Keywords: cannabinoids; anandamide; 2-arachidonoylglycerol; immune response; nitric oxide; invertebrates.Over the past years, numerous studies have demonstrated that some signaling molecules and their corresponding receptors, such as the endorphins and the opiate receptors, have been conserved during evolution [1,2]. Moreover, comparative studies on other chemical signals, such as the eicosanoids, i.e. the derivatives of arachidonic acid, have provided new experimental models for the understanding of the physiological role played by these substances in mammals [3]. In this article, we review recent data on the possible occurrence and biological function in several animal phyla of the newly discovered endogenous cannabinoid system', and, in particular, we describe the possible role of this signaling system in animal immunity. A B R I E F D E S C R I P T I O N O F T H E S T R U C T U R E , B I O S Y N T H E S I S , A C T I O N A N D I N A C T I V A T I O N O F E N D O C A N N A B I N O I D S I N M A M M A L SIn the mammalian brain, the`central' receptor for psychotropic cannabinoids, named CB 1 , was cloned and sequenced in 1990 [4]. Evidence for a second subtype of cannabinoid receptor, named CB 2 was provided in 1993. This latter receptor was almost uniquely expressed in immune cells [5]. At almost the same time, endogenous ligands for these receptors, capable of mimicking to some extent the pharmacological actions of marijuana's psychoactive principle D 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Fig. 1), have been discovered. The most representative of these substances, named`endocannabinoids' by analogy with the endorphins, are anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) [6±10]. Although differences between the biological actions of THC or synthetic cannabinoids and their endogenous counterparts have been described, several studies suggest that anandamide and 2-AG act as endogenous agonists of CB 1 and/or CB 2 receptors, thereby mimicking several of the pharmacological and behavioral actions associated with cannabinoids [6±10].Thus, for example, both synthetic cannabinoids and anandamide have neuromodulatory effects [7] through which they influence motor behavior, memory and learning, and sensory, autonomic and neuroendocrine responses. Endocannabinoids also affect reproductive functions and embryo development...

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Section: Chronology Of the Endogenous Cannabinoid System In Invertebrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative biology of the endocannabinoid system

Breton

Bisogno

Marzo

2000

European Journal of Biochemistry

Self Cite

118

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“…Considerable progress has been made in identifying bioactive molecules, particularly peptides, but in most cases their receptors have not been identified and their precise physiological function is unknown. Other classes of signaling molecules such as fatty acids and eicosanoids may also act as cnidarian hormones (Coll et al, 1994;Coll et al, 1995;Pierobon et al, 1997b;Pierobon et al, 1997a), but more research is needed to identify the functions of these compounds and their mechanisms of action. Iodinated organic molecules, such as thyroxine, have been proposed to hormonally regulate strobilation and metamorphosis in the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita (Spangenberg, 1971).…”

Section: Hormonal Signaling In Cnidariansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hormonal signaling in cnidarians: do we understand the pathways well enough to know whether they are being disrupted?

Tarrant

2007

Ecotoxicology

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Alpha‐Linolenic Acid, but Not Palmitic Acid, Negatively Impacts Survival, Asexual Reproductive Rate, and Clonal Offspring Size in Hydra oligactis

Kaliszewicz

Jarząbek

Szymańska

et al. 2018

Lipids

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Hydra, as sit-and-wait predators with limited food selectivity, could serve as model organisms for the analysis of the effect of a particular dietary component on growth and reproduction. We investigated the effect of food quality and of diets enriched with palmitic (PAM) or α-linolenic acid (ALA) on the life history traits of two hydra species: Hydra oligactis and Hydra vulgaris. We tested the hypothesis that a diet enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can stimulate growth and reproduction in simple metazoans with a sit-and-wait type of predatory strategy. Our results revealed that a diet based on Artemia nauplii, which are not a natural food for freshwater hydra, stimulated growth, asexual reproduction, and survival in hydra. Artemia nauplii were characterized by the highest lipid content of all used food sources. The analysis of the fatty acid content of hydra indicated the domination the n-6 fatty acids over n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA], docosahexaenoic acid [DHA], and ALA). Arachidonic acid appeared to be the dominant PUFA in Hydra, irrespective of diet supplementation with palmitic acid or ALA. The dietary supplementation of ALA negatively affected the survival, asexual reproductive rate, and size of clonal offspring of H. oligactis and had no effect on the life history traits of H. vulgaris. Our results also suggest that the hydras are not able to efficiently convert ALA into other essential fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the adverse effects of n-3 fatty acid supplementation in primitive metazoans such as hydra.

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Arachidonic Acid and Eicosanoids in Hydra: Possible Endogenous Signals Involved in Chemoreception and Modulation of the Feeding Behaviour

Cited by 7 publications

References 11 publications

Comparative biology of the endocannabinoid system

Comparative biology of the endocannabinoid system

Hormonal signaling in cnidarians: do we understand the pathways well enough to know whether they are being disrupted?

Alpha‐Linolenic Acid, but Not Palmitic Acid, Negatively Impacts Survival, Asexual Reproductive Rate, and Clonal Offspring Size in Hydra oligactis

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