Cannabinoid Signaling in Kidney Disease

Liana Arceri; Thanh Khoa Nguyen; Shannon Gibson; Sophia Baker; Rebecca A Wingert

doi:10.3390/cells12101419

Cannabinoid Signaling in Kidney Disease

Cells. 2023 May 18;12(10):1419. doi: 10.3390/cells12101419.

Authors

Liana Arceri¹, Thanh Khoa Nguyen¹, Shannon Gibson¹, Sophia Baker¹, Rebecca A Wingert¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.

Abstract

Endocannabinoid signaling plays crucial roles in human physiology in the function of multiple systems. The two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, are cell membrane proteins that interact with both exogenous and endogenous bioactive lipid ligands, or endocannabinoids. Recent evidence has established that endocannabinoid signaling operates within the human kidney, as well as suggests the important role it plays in multiple renal pathologies. CB1, specifically, has been identified as the more prominent ECS receptor within the kidney, allowing us to place emphasis on this receptor. The activity of CB1 has been repeatedly shown to contribute to both diabetic and non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Interestingly, recent reports of acute kidney injury (AKI) have been attributed to synthetic cannabinoid use. Therefore, the exploration of the ECS, its receptors, and its ligands can help provide better insight into new methods of treatment for a range of renal diseases. This review explores the endocannabinoid system, with a focus on its impacts within the healthy and diseased kidney.

Keywords: acute kidney injury; cannabinoid receptor 1; cannabinoid receptor 2; chronic kidney disease; fibrosis; kidney; nephron; podocyte.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cannabinoids* / metabolism
Cannabinoids* / pharmacology
Endocannabinoids / metabolism
Humans
Kidney / pathology
Ligands
Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* / pathology

Substances

Endocannabinoids
Ligands
Cannabinoids

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by funds from the University of Notre Dame College of Science (to R.A.W.), teaching assistant funding from the University of Notre Dame Graduate School (to L.A., T.K.N.), and 2022 College of Science Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (to S.B., S.G.). We are grateful to Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher and their family for a generous gift to the University of Notre Dame for the support of stem cell research. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation.