Obesity and the Gut Microbiota: Involvement of the Endocannabinoid System

Aalders, L. (2016) Obesity and the Gut Microbiota: Involvement of the Endocannabinoid System. Bachelor's Thesis, Biology.

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Abstract

Obesity is becoming one of the most prevalent health problems in today’s society and could be seen as a pandemic. This is concerning, as obesity is associated to be the cause of many diseases. Therefore, in order to design treatments for obesity, the need to unravel the mechanisms underlying the disease is urgent. Obesity is often the cause of imbalances in mechanisms controlling the energy balance. There are multiple systems in the human body that regulate the energy balance, of which the gut microbiota has been given a lot of attention recently. Additionally, the endocannabinoid system also seems an interesting regulator of the energy balance. Given that both systems are in close contact, it could be that there is an interaction. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate the interaction between the gut microbiota and the endocannabinoid system in causing obesity. It is shown how the Western diet influences the regulatory role of both systems. Furthermore, it is shown how both systems interact at the level of the gut barrier and how both influence each other’s functions. Although there seems to be a vicious cycle in this interaction, there are more studies needed to confirm this finding.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis)
Degree programme:	Biology
Thesis type:	Bachelor's Thesis
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	15 Feb 2018 08:14
Last Modified:	15 Feb 2018 08:14
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/14292

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