Monoacylglycerol Lipase Regulates Fever Response

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 19;10(8):e0134437. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134437. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Cyclooxygenase inhibitors such as ibuprofen have been used for decades to control fever through reducing the levels of the pyrogenic lipid transmitter prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Historically, phospholipases have been considered to be the primary generator of the arachidonic acid (AA) precursor pool for generating PGE2 and other eicosanoids. However, recent studies have demonstrated that monoacyglycerol lipase (MAGL), through hydrolysis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, provides a major source of AA for PGE2 synthesis in the mammalian brain under basal and neuroinflammatory states. We show here that either genetic or pharmacological ablation of MAGL leads to significantly reduced fever responses in both centrally or peripherally-administered lipopolysaccharide or interleukin-1β-induced fever models in mice. We also show that a cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist does not attenuate these anti-pyrogenic effects of MAGL inhibitors. Thus, much like traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, MAGL inhibitors can control fever, but appear to do so through restricted control over prostaglandin production in the nervous system.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Temperature
  • Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / therapeutic use
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Fever / drug therapy*
  • Fever / enzymology*
  • Fever / genetics
  • Fever / metabolism
  • Gene Deletion
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Monoacylglycerol Lipases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Monoacylglycerol Lipases / genetics
  • Monoacylglycerol Lipases / metabolism*
  • Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1
  • Monoacylglycerol Lipases