N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are an important family of lipid-signaling molecules.
Arachidonylethanolamide (anandamide)(AEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and
oleoylethanolamide (OEA) are co-produced from similar phospholipid precursors when
neurons are stimulated. AEA is an endogenous agonist (endocannabinoid) for cannabinoid
receptors. It binds with higher affinity to type CB1 than to type CB2 cannabinoid receptors.
PEA does not bind to CB1, while the hypothesis that it reacts with putative CB2-like …