Endocannabinoid signaling in stress, medicine and wellness

Based on self-care and stress research, it is reasonable to propose that our bodies contain naturally occurring properties, that is, tools that serve to maintain our health and integrity for a passable period of time, even in times of stress: These processes, including endocannabinoid autoregulation, might in part determine our well-being and life span. Such properties would also manifest themselves during times of stress, i.e, stress reduction. Stress potentially triggers endocannabinoid and NO synthesis and release. In fact, endocannabinoids exert stress-reducing functions by their potential to modulate norepinephrine release, e.g., via constitutive NO activation, therefore suggesting a sympatho-inhibitory mechanism that effectively diminishes sympathetic tone. This stress-reducing and health-promoting potential can be detected not only in central but also peripheral pathways, again indicating general or systemic down-regulation. In this process, signaling molecules such as the endocannabinoids may play a role in connecting mind and body phenomena, and one could speculate that such evolutionarily old autoregulatory pathways, by using endocannabinoids as one type of their molecular messengers and constitutive NO as a possible converging point, are involved in natural or innate health promotion, including wellness, reward and pleasure. Consequently, endocannabinoid research has now become a focus not only of neurobiological but also medical science: With this interdisciplinary approach, we will gather new insight on these fascinating molecules and their healing properties in the coming years ahead.