Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026

Synthesis of a Deuterated Standard for the Quantification of 2-Arachidonoylglycerol in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: September 21, 2019
Updates in reproduction coming from the endocannabinoid system
Rosaria Meccariello1, Natalia Battista2, Heather B Bradshaw3
1Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Università di Napoli Parthenope, via Medina 40, 80133 Napoli, Italy.
Abstract:
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an evolutionarily conserved master system deeply involved in the central and local control of reproductive functions in both sexes. The tone of these lipid mediators-deeply modulated by the activity of biosynthetic and hydrolyzing machineries-regulates reproductive functions from gonadotropin discharge and steroid biosynthesis to the formation of high quality gametes and successful pregnancy. This review provides an overview on ECS and reproduction and focuses on the insights in the regulation of endocannabinoid production by steroids, in the regulation of male reproductive activity, and in placentation and parturition. Taken all together, evidences emerge that the activity of the ECS is crucial for procreation and may represent a target for the therapeutic exploitation of infertility.
Related Concept Videos
Neurotransmitters
Opioid Receptors: Overview
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Cannabinoids
Two synthetic agonists of THC,...
Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action
Chemical Signaling in the Endocrine System
Lipid-soluble hormones, such as steroid hormones, demonstrate an intracellular action. These hormones traverse cell membranes due to their lipid nature. Once inside the target cell, they...

