Quantitative profiling of endocannabinoids in lipoproteins by LC–MS/MS

Endocannabinoids belong to a diverse family of endogenous lipid bioregulators acting as physiological ligands of cannabinoid receptor type 1 and cannabinoid receptor type 2 in the central and peripheral nervous system. They are also present in nmol/l concentrations in human blood plasma; however, their association with possible molecular carriers remains poorly characterized. Here we report on the quantification of 46 endogenous molecular species from five major classes of endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related compounds in three lipoprotein fractions of human blood plasma: (VLDL), LDL, HDL, and in the plasma lipoproteinfree fraction. Although sizable quantities of endocannabinoid related molecules are associated with lipoproteins, we identified the lipoprotein-free fraction as a major carrier of endocannabinoids in blood circulation with the exception of 2-acylglycerols, which are markedly abundant in VLDL.