Anandamide stimulates phospholipase D activity in PC12 cells but not in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts

The endogenous cannabinoid arachidonoylethanolamide was previously reported to have no effects on the phospholipase D activity in Chinese hamster ovar y cells expressing the human brain-specific cannabinoid receptor, while in mouse peritoneal cells, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol stimulated this enzym e. In this work, arachidonoylethanolamide (0.1-1 mu M) was found to stimula te the phospholipase D-mediated phospholipid hydrolysis in rat adrenal pheo chromocytoma PC12 cells, but not in mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. The phosphol ipase D-activating effects of arachidonoylethanolamide were comparable to t hose elicited by phorbol ester and nerve growth factor, while arachidonic a cid (1 mu M) had no effects. The results show that, depending on the cell t ype, arachidonoylethanolamide can be an activator of the phospholipase D sy stem. (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.