Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor and cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are a complex group of molecules that comprise phytocannabinoids, endocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids. Cannabinoids were initially identified by its ability to bind and activate the classical cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. However, cannabinoids are pleiotropic in nature and also activate other type of receptors such as transient receptor potential cation channels, ligand-gated ion channels, deorphanized G protein-coupled receptors and peroxisome proliferator activated receptors such as PPAR. Thus, cannabinoids may exert their biological activities through CB1/CB2-dependent and –independent mechanisms, or a combination of both, which is especially relevant in the case of botanical drugs containing mixtures of phytocannabinoids. PPAR exert a wide variety of physiological functions and its pharmacological manipulation has been exploited for the treatment of diabetes. In addition, PPAR is recognized as a major target for the development of novel therapies aimed to manage chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Herein we review the published literature on cannabinoids and PPAR and discuss their potential therapeutic implications.