Stress-Buffer-Hypothesis: blood endocannabinoids in healthy males under standardized psychosocial stress induction and resting condition

The present study investigates the concentrations of the endocannabinoids under standardized psychosocial stress induction (TSST) and a resting condition in healthy males. Hereby, all endocannabinoids were analyzed under a standardized laboratory procedure (arachidonic acid (AA), arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA), isomeres 2-AG arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and palitoylethanolamide (PEA)). A total of n = 32 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. The participants were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) for reliable laboratory stress induction and under rest. Blood samples were taken during the TSST by an intravenous catheter to examine the endocannabinoid (eCB) stress response. There were no significant differences in baseline levels of the parameters between the TSST and the resting condition (p´s > 0.28). ANOVA results indicated a significant effect of time over the six measurements points in all parameters. In the parameter 2-AG and AA a strongly, and in AEA a slightly, significant effect of condition*time could be unveiled. In conclusion, the present study showed that acute psychosocial stress increases plasma endocannabinoids. Further research is required to evaluate the endocannabinoid system in different anxiety disorders to elucidate which patients might benefit from eCB-based therapy.