Department of Internal Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX, USA.
Dig Liver Dis. 2011 Mar;43(3):188-93. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2010.08.010. Epub 2010 Oct 8.
Endocannabinoids are ubiquitous signalling molecules that exert their effects through a number of specific cannabinoid receptors. Recent studies have indicated that this endocannabinoid system is involved in the pathophysiological processes associated with both acute and chronic liver diseases as well as in the complications that arise from these diseases such as hepatic encephalopathy and cardiac problems. Targeting this signalling system has been useful in ameliorating some of the symptoms and consequences in experimental models of these liver diseases. This review summarises the recent advances into our knowledge and understanding of endocannabinoids in liver diseases and highlights potential novel therapeutic strategies that may prove useful to treat these diseases.
内源性大麻素是普遍存在的信号分子，通过多种特定的大麻素受体发挥作用。最近的研究表明，该内源性大麻素系统参与了与急性和慢性肝病相关的病理生理过程，以及这些疾病引起的并发症，如肝性脑病和心脏问题。针对该信号系统在改善这些肝病的实验模型中的一些症状和后果方面是有用的。这篇综述总结了我们对内源性大麻素在肝脏疾病中的最新认识和理解，并强调了可能对治疗这些疾病有用的潜在新的治疗策略。
