Carrier-mediated uptake of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide in RBL-2H3 cells. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 292:960–967

Anandamide (N-arachidonylethanolamide) is an endogenous cannabinoid that mimics the pharmacologic effects of D9-tet-rahydrocannabinol, the major bioactive substance in marijuana. Anandamide appears to be synthesized, released, and inacti-vated by mechanisms similar to those for other neurotransmit-ters. Of interest to the present studies are reports that anand-amide undergoes carrier-mediated uptake into neuronal or glial cells after release, followed by rapid intracellular degradation by the intracellular fatty acid amidohydrolase. In addition to effects in the brain, anandamide has multiple effects in the periphery, particularly on cells of the immune system that ex-press both a peripheral cannabinoid receptor and amidohydro-lase enzyme. We have performed a detailed characterization of anandamide uptake in the cognate mast cell line RBL-2H3 t