Biosynthesis and turnover of anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines in peritoneal macrophages

Addition of exogenous Polyunsaturated N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), including anandamide (20:4n-6 NAE), elicit a variety of biological effects through c annabinoid receptors, whereas saturated and monounsaturated NAEs are inacti ve. Arachidonic acid mobilization induced by treatment of intact mouse peri toneal macrophages with Ca2+ ionophore A23187 had no effect on the producti on of NAE or its precursor N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine (N-acyl PE), etha nolamine resulted in enhanced NAE synthesis by its N-acylation with endogen ous fatty acids, but this pathway was not selective for arachidonic acid, I ncorporation of O-18 from H-2 O-18-containing media into the amide carbonyl s of both NAE and N-acyl PE demonstrated a rapid, constitutive turnover of both lipids: (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.