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Endocannabinoid reactivity to acute stress: investigation of the relationship between salivary and plasma levels
Citation
Ney, L and Stone, C and Nichols, D and Felmingham, K and Bruno, R and Matthews, A, Endocannabinoid reactivity to acute stress: investigation of the relationship between salivary and plasma levels, Biological Psychology, 159 Article 108022. ISSN 0301-0511 (2021) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108022
Abstract
The endogenous cannabinoid (eCB) system has been shown in animal models to regulate the initiation and
termination of central nervous responses to stress. In human studies, the role of peripherally measured eCBs is
much less clear and the effect in salivary eCBs has not been studied. In this study, we use a novel method to
quantify cortisol and eCBs arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) in human
saliva, as well as in plasma samples. Forty-five females and 32 males completed a mixed physiological/psychosocial
stress-induction study where saliva, and blood samples in males, were collected at baseline, immediately
following, 30-minutes following, and 45-minutes following stress induction. Cortisol significantly increased
after stress, but there were sex differences in the cortisol response to stress, with females having higher cortisol
after stress compared to males. There was a significant increase in salivary levels of 2-AG immediately following
stress induction, but no effect of AEA. Salivary AEA was higher in males compared to females. Surprisingly, there
was no effect of stress on plasma AEA or 2-AG levels in the male cohort, though small effect sizes for 2-AG were
observed, which is consistent with most other human literature. This study is the first to show that the eCB
system is active in human saliva and is responsive to acute stress, possibly as part of the sympathetic nervous
system response.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | sex differences, endocannabinoid, stress, saliva, cortisol, anxiety, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, arachidonoyl ethanolamide |
| Research Division: | Psychology |
| Research Group: | Biological psychology |
| Research Field: | Behavioural neuroscience |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
| Objective Field: | Mental health |
| UTAS Author: | Ney, L (Mr Luke Ney) |
| UTAS Author: | Stone, C (Mr Caleb Stone) |
| UTAS Author: | Nichols, D (Dr David Nichols) |
| UTAS Author: | Bruno, R (Associate Professor Raimondo Bruno) |
| UTAS Author: | Matthews, A (Dr Allison Matthews) |
| ID Code: | 142359 |
| Year Published: | 2021 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 8 |
| Deposited By: | Psychology |
| Deposited On: | 2021-01-12 |
| Last Modified: | 2021-12-20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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