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.

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内源性大麻素对急性压力的反应：唾液和血浆水平之间关系的研究

内源性大麻素 (eCB) 系统已在动物模型中显示出调节中枢神经对压力反应的启动和终止。在人类研究中，外周测量的 eCBs 的作用不太清楚，唾液 eCBs 的影响尚未研究。在这项研究中，我们使用一种新方法来量化人类唾液以及血浆样品中的皮质醇和 eCBs 花生四烯酰乙醇酰胺 (AEA) 和 2-花生四烯酰甘油 (2-AG)。45 名女性和 32 名男性完成了一项混合生理/心理社会压力诱导研究，其中男性的唾液和血液样本在基线、紧随其后、30 分钟后和压力诱导后 45 分钟收集。压力后皮质醇显着增加，但皮质醇对压力的反应存在性别差异，与男性相比，女性在压力后具有更高的皮质醇。应激诱导后唾液水平立即显着增加，但 AEA 没有影响。男性的唾液 AEA 高于女性。令人惊讶的是，压力对男性队列中的血浆 AEA 或 2-AG 水平没有影响，尽管观察到 2-AG 的影响很小，这与大多数其他人类文献一致。这项研究首次表明 eCB 系统在人类唾液中活跃，并且对急性压力有反应，这可能是交感神经系统反应的一部分。压力对男性队列中的血浆 AEA 或 2-AG 水平没有影响，尽管观察到 2-AG 的影响很小，这与大多数其他人类文献一致。这项研究首次表明 eCB 系统在人类唾液中活跃，并且对急性压力有反应，这可能是交感神经系统反应的一部分。压力对男性队列中的血浆 AEA 或 2-AG 水平没有影响，尽管观察到 2-AG 的影响很小，这与大多数其他人类文献一致。这项研究首次表明 eCB 系统在人类唾液中活跃，并且对急性压力有反应，这可能是交感神经系统反应的一部分。