Saliva and Plasma Endocannabinoids Concentrations According to Feeding Status and Body Mass Index
Condition: Obesity
MeSH terms: Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Up till now, the evaluation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in humans needs invasive
      procedures. The investigators managed in the lab to determine the levels of endocannabinoids
      in a small number of subjects. The aim of the study is to confirm that salivary is a useful
      tool to evaluate the activity of the ECS both in normal weight and obese subjects that are
      characterised by a hyperactivity of the system. Therefore, the first objective of the study
      is to compare the fasting level of salivary anandamide between 12 obese patients and 12
      normal weight subjects.
    

Detailed description: 
      The prevalence of obesity keeps increasing in industrialized countries. However, efficient
      treatments of this chronic disease are still lacking. A better understanding of the systems
      that regulate energy balance and eating behavior is mandatory to better understand the
      disease and find appropriate treatments. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) which comprises
      cannabinoid receptors, such as CB1 and CB2, endogenous ligands (named endocannabinoids) and
      specific biosynthetic and degradative pathways is a key system in the regulation of energy
      balance and obesity. Obesity is characterised by an hyperactivity of the system both in
      animal and humans. Moreover, the activity of the ECS is influenced by feeding status although
      only one study has only been performed in humans. The investigation of the ECS in humans
      needs invasive procedure (blood sampling or adipose or liver biopsy). The aim of our study is
      to evaluate a new tool for the ECS evaluation in humans i e the determinations of saliva
      concentration of endocannabinoids both in normal weight and obese subjects before and after
      food intake. Blood and saliva sampling will be performed after an overnight fast, one hour
      before, just before and one hour after a lunch in12 normal weight subjects and 12 obese
      characterised with anthropometric (Weight, height, BMI (Body Mass Index), waist
      circumference, blood pressure) and metabolic (glycaemia, insulin, lipid profile, liver
      profile) evaluations. The endocannabinoids concentrations will be measured with mass
      spectrometry in blood and saliva and gut hormones (PYY (peptide YY) and ghrelin) will be
      measured in plasma.
    

Intervention name(s): Biological data
Intervention type(s): Biological
Intervention description(s): Height, Weight, waist circumference and systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be measured in obese and normal subjects. Blood and saliva sampling will be performed after an overnight fast, one hour and just before the beginning of the lunch and one hour after the end of the lunch. This will allow a measurement of fasting glycaemia and insulin, fasting cholesterol and triglycerides, liver profile. Endocannabinoids will be measured both in plasma and saliva at each time point. Gut hormones (Ghrelin and PYY) will be measured before, just before and after lunch in plasma.
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: obesity; endocannabinoids