• Na Cui, Xiaoye Feng, Zhiming Zhao, Jie Zhang, Yueming Xu, Luning Wang, and Guimin Hao.
• Department of Reproduction, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. Electronic address: guimhao@sina.com.
• Clin Ther. 2017 Apr 1; 39 (4): 751-758.

PurposePolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic and endocrinal disorder affecting a number of women of reproductive age. We aimed to reveal the correlation between the endocannabinoid system and PCOS, which may provide a new therapeutic target for PCOS treatment.MethodsSerum levels of anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol andexpression of cannabinoid receptors and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in the endometrium were compared between women with PCOS and infertile women without PCOS, as well as women with PCOS before and after treatment with Diane-35 and metformin. Cannabinoid receptors and FAAH in the endometrium were stained using the immunohistochemical method. Results were analyzed by calculating integrated optical density.FindingsPlasma anandamide was increased significantly in women with PCOS compared with infertile women without PCOS. Treatment with Diane-35 and metformin reversed this increase in women with PCOS. No significant difference in 2-arachidonoylglycerol was observed between the infertile women with or without PCOS. The women with PCOS had lower endometrial expression of FAAH compared with infertile women without PCOS, whereas no significant difference in endometrial expression of cannabinoid receptors was observed between the women with PCOS and infertile women without PCOS. We found that after treatment with Diane-35 and metformin, FAAH expression tended toward a significant increase compared with women before the treatment.ImplicationsEndocannabinoid system may be involved in the progression of PCOS, and serum anandamide could serve as a potential biomarker of clinical diagnosis of PCOS.Copyright © 2017 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

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