Wang Haibin, Dey Sudhansu K, Maccarrone Mauro
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
Endocr Rev. 2006 Aug;27(5):427-48. doi: 10.1210/er.2006-0006. Epub 2006 May 8.
Mammalian reproduction is a complicated process designed to diversify and strengthen the genetic complement of the offspring and to safeguard regulatory systems at various steps for propagating procreation. An emerging concept in mammalian reproduction is the role of endocannabinoids, a group of endogenously produced lipid mediators, that bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors. Although adverse effects of cannabinoids on fertility have been implicated for years, the mechanisms by which they exert these effects were not clearly understood. With the identification of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoid ligands, their key synthetic and hydrolytic pathways, and the generation of mouse models missing cannabinoid receptors, a wealth of information on the significance of cannabinoid/endocannabinoid signaling in spermatogenesis, fertilization, preimplantation embryo development, implantation, and postimplantation embryonic growth has been generated. This review focuses on various aspects of the endocannabinoid system in male and female fertility. It is hoped that a deeper insight would lead to potential clinical applications of the endocannabinoid signaling as a target for correcting infertility and improving reproductive health in humans.
哺乳动物的繁殖是一个复杂的过程，旨在使后代的基因互补多样化并增强其基因互补性，并在繁殖过程的各个步骤中保障调节系统。哺乳动物繁殖中的一个新兴概念是内源性大麻素的作用，内源性大麻素是一类内源性产生的脂质介质，可与大麻素受体结合并激活该受体。尽管大麻素对生育能力的不良影响已被提及多年，但其产生这些影响的机制尚不清楚。随着大麻素受体、内源性大麻素配体、其关键合成和水解途径的确定，以及缺失大麻素受体的小鼠模型的建立，已经产生了大量关于大麻素/内源性大麻素信号在精子发生、受精、植入前胚胎发育、着床以及植入后胚胎生长中的重要性的信息。本综述聚焦于内源性大麻素系统在男性和女性生育能力方面的各个层面。希望更深入的了解能够使内源性大麻素信号作为纠正人类不孕症和改善生殖健康的靶点具有潜在的临床应用价值。
