Adipose tissue and the endocannabinoid system
Fat and energy balance.
Fat and energy balance. Where the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 sit in this region, what they do there, and what is actually known about CBD; at three levels for Everyone, Students and Experts, with sources.
Digestion and metabolismCB1 high · CB2 very low (Human Protein Atlas)Last updated:
What's on this page?
Interactive 3D · real anatomy and real data
Where in your body are the cannabinoid receptors?
About 1.4 MB to download.
Regions
How to read it Choose a region, or tap a glowing point on the map.
- Solid light is the CB1 receptor, a ring is CB2. Each region has its own color; the color only tells regions apart.
- The strength of the light is the receptor gene level measured in human tissue (Human Protein Atlas). That is why the liver’s point is dim: a healthy liver has few receptors.
- With the layer selector above you can also see other receptors, the enzymes that make and break down endocannabinoids, and the liver enzymes that break down CBD and THC.
- Every piece of information shows its source and the type of evidence (human, animal, cell). You can change the reading level above.
- Drag to rotate. Use the + and − buttons to zoom; on a computer, Ctrl or ⌘ with the scroll wheel, on a phone, two fingers.
Adipose tissue: RNA level of the receptor gene in human tissue (tissue consensus data). CB1 RNA is very close to the highest value, in the cerebral cortex (18.6); CB2 is very low. Human Protein AtlasHuman tissue
| Receptor | Gene | RNA (nTPM) | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| CB1 | CNR1 | 18.3 | high |
| CB2 | CNR2 | 0.1 | very low |
What does it do there?
In adipose (fat) tissue, RNA for the CB1 receptor is measured at a level very close to that of the cerebral cortex. Human fat cells carry both CB1 and CB2 and make their own endocannabinoids. Stimulating CB1 increased sugar uptake in human fat cells and fat production in mouse fat cells. Human Protein AtlasHuman tissueRoche 2006Human tissueCell / labGonthier 2007Cell / labPagano 2007Human tissueCell / labCota 2003AnimalCell / labPagano 2008Review
In women with obesity, blood endocannabinoid levels were higher than in lean women; researchers think this system is more active in obesity. A drug that blocks CB1 and had been approved for obesity (rimonabant) was suspended in Europe in 2008: the European Medicines Agency decided that its benefits no longer outweighed the risk of psychiatric side effects, chiefly depression. Engeli 2005Human tissueEMA 2008 (press release)Agency opinionEMA 2008 (soru-cevap)Agency opinionAcomplia EPAR (EMA)Agency opinion
Student level: terms and cell types
Mature fat cells (adipocytes) and their precursors in abdominal (omental) and subcutaneous fat carry functional CB1 and CB2 in their plasma membranes; cultured human subcutaneous adipocytes produce 2-AG and anandamide, as well as PEA and OEA. The CB1 agonist WIN 55,212 increased glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation to the membrane in human adipocytes (blocked by the CB1 antagonist SR141716); in mouse adipocyte cultures, CB1-specific stimulation increased fat production (lipogenesis). According to a review, fat cell formation, lipogenesis and glucose uptake are stimulated through CB1. Human Protein AtlasHuman tissueRoche 2006Human tissueCell / labGonthier 2007Cell / labPagano 2007Human tissueCell / labCota 2003AnimalCell / labPagano 2008Review
In a cross-sectional study, circulating anandamide and 2-AG were higher in women with obesity than in lean women; by contrast, mRNA for CB1 and for the degrading enzyme FAAH was lower in adipose tissue; the authors interpreted this as upregulation of the peripheral endocannabinoid system in human obesity. The CB1 antagonist rimonabant was approved in the EU for treating obesity; on October 23, 2008, EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended suspending the marketing authorization, stating that the risk of psychiatric disorders was about twice that of placebo. According to EMA, the drug blocked CB1, part of the system that controls food intake; these receptors are also found in fat cells. Engeli 2005Human tissueEMA 2008 (press release)Agency opinionEMA 2008 (soru-cevap)Agency opinionAcomplia EPAR (EMA)Agency opinion
Expert level: method notes and numbers
Adipose tissue: RNA level of the receptor gene in human tissue (tissue consensus data). CB1 RNA is very close to the highest value, in the cerebral cortex (18.6); CB2 is very low. Human Protein AtlasHuman tissue
Method note
Roche 2006: western blot, immunohistology and immunocytology; human omental and subcutaneous fat; CB1 stimulation increased intracellular cAMP, and CB2 stimulation reduced it. Gonthier 2007: cultured human adipocytes, HPLC-APCI-MS; the four compounds at 0.042–0.531 pM/mg lipid extract, PEA the most abundant. Pagano 2007: WIN 55,212 increased glucose uptake by 50%; no effect on adiponectin and leptin expression. Roche 2006Human tissueCell / labGonthier 2007Cell / labPagano 2007Human tissueCell / lab
Engeli 2005: lean (n = 20) and obese (n = 20) women; in obese women, circulating anandamide was 35% and 2-AG 52% higher; in adipose tissue, CB1 mRNA was 34% and FAAH mRNA 59% lower (P < 0.05); 5% weight loss (n = 17) did not change these. Blüher 2006: n = 60; circulating 2-AG was associated with visceral fat mass (r = 0.44; P = 0.003). EMA: risk of psychiatric side effects about twice that of placebo; market suspension November 13, 2008, EU marketing authorization withdrawn January 16, 2009. Engeli 2005Human tissueBlüher 2006Human tissueEMA 2008 (press release)Agency opinionAcomplia EPAR (EMA)Agency opinion
Adipose tissue is not a separate part in this model; the highlighted area shows where the fat layer under the skin of the abdomen lies.
What is known about CBD?
In the laboratory, CBD increased the expression of brown-fat-specific genes in a mouse fat cell line; in stem cells taken from human adipose tissue, it increased the conversion of these cells into fat cells in a dose-dependent way. These are cell experiment findings. Parray and Yun 2016Cell / labPetrocelli 2025Cell / lab
No effect found Insufficient evidence
In the guide: Diabetes and CBD
Research has not shown that CBD helps with this. If you are considering CBD, you can talk with your doctor or pharmacist, including about the medicines you take.
Which receptor and enzyme genes are read in this region?
Values in this region for the genes in the map's layer selector: besides CB1 and CB2, the other targets of cannabinoids, the enzymes that make and break down endocannabinoids, and the liver enzymes that break down CBD and THC.
| Gene | What does it do? | Here | Tissue where it is read the most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receptors | |||
| CB1 CNR1 | Cannabinoid receptor | 18.3 | cerebral cortex (18.6) |
| CB2 CNR2 | Cannabinoid receptor | 0.1 | spleen (8.4) |
| TRPV1 | Heat and chili pepper sensor · ion channel | 5.3 | liver (21.8) |
| GPR55 | Long an "orphan" receptor · in the cell membrane | 0.1 | testis (4.4) |
| PPARγ PPARG | Gene switch · in the cell nucleus | 153.2 | adipose tissue (153.2) |
| 5-HT1A HTR1A | Serotonin receptor · in the cell membrane | 0.0 | hippocampal formation (6.1) |
| TRPV2 | Relative of TRPV1 · ion channel | 16.4 | lung (29.5) |
| Endocannabinoid enzymes | |||
| NAPE-PLD NAPEPLD | Makes anandamide | 1.9 | kidney (13.9) |
| FAAH | Breaks down anandamide | 7.1 | testis (46.0) |
| DAGLα DAGLA | Makes 2-AG | 1.6 | cerebral cortex (12.3) |
| DAGLβ DAGLB | Makes 2-AG | 7.1 | adrenal gland (15.2) |
| MGL MGLL | Breaks down 2-AG | 161.3 | adipose tissue (161.3) |
| ABHD6 | Breaks down 2-AG | 11.4 | liver (60.7) |
| ABHD12 | Breaks down 2-AG | 30.9 | epididymis (125.2) |
| Enzymes that break down CBD and THC | |||
| CYP3A4 | Breaks down CBD and THC | 0.3 | liver (3,367.1) |
| CYP2C19 | Breaks down CBD | 0.0 | liver (178.0) |
| CYP2C9 | Breaks down THC | 0.1 | liver (1,607.6) |
RNA level shows how much the gene is read in this tissue; it does not directly show the amount of protein or how active an enzyme is. Human Protein Atlas (layers)Human tissue
Identifiers and citation
- Adipose tissue
- Adipose Tissue · MeSH D000273 · UBERON 0001013 · Wikidata Q193583
- Receptors
- CB1 (CNR1, UniProt P21554) · CB2 (CNR2, UniProt P34972)
How to cite: cbd.school editorial team. Adipose tissue and the endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoid system 3D map, cbd.school. Last updated October 24, 2026. https://cbd.school/learn/endocannabinoid-system-map/yag/
The body model is derived from BodyParts3D (DBCLS, CC BY 4.0) and Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0); receptor levels from Human Protein Atlas v25 (CC BY 4.0). The map, text and downloaded images are CC BY-SA 4.0. An independent expert review has not been done yet. All licenses
Other pages of the map
Overview: what the endocannabinoid system is, the feedback brake at the synapse, CBD's targets, lesson mode, data and licenses.
Sources
Show 14 references
- Human Protein Atlas v25: tissue RNA consensus data (rna_tissue_consensus.tsv, HPA and GTEx, nTPM) and brain region data (rna_brain_region_hpa.tsv, nTPM), CNR1 (ENSG00000118432) and CNR2 (ENSG00000188822); v25.proteinatlas.org, file date November 6, 2025, downloaded October 24, 2026. Uhlén M et al. Tissue-based map of the human proteome. Science. 2015;347(6220):1260419. License CC BY 4.0. PMID 25613900 · doi:10.1126/science.1260419 Human tissue
- Roche R, Hoareau L, Bes-Houtmann S et al. Presence of the cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, in human omental and subcutaneous adipocytes. Histochem Cell Biol. 2006;126(2):177-87. PMID 16395612 · doi:10.1007/s00418-005-0127-4 Human tissueCell / lab
- Gonthier MP, Hoareau L, Festy F et al. Identification of endocannabinoids and related compounds in human fat cells. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007;15(4):837-45. PMID 17426318 · doi:10.1038/oby.2007.581 Cell / lab
- Pagano C, Pilon C, Calcagno A et al. The endogenous cannabinoid system stimulates glucose uptake in human fat cells via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and calcium-dependent mechanisms. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(12):4810-9. PMID 17785353 · doi:10.1210/jc.2007-0768 Human tissueCell / lab
- Cota D, Marsicano G, Tschöp M et al. The endogenous cannabinoid system affects energy balance via central orexigenic drive and peripheral lipogenesis. J Clin Invest. 2003;112(3):423-31. PMID 12897210 · doi:10.1172/JCI17725 AnimalCell / lab
- Pagano C, Rossato M, Vettor R. Endocannabinoids, adipose tissue and lipid metabolism. J Neuroendocrinol. 2008;20 Suppl 1:124-9. PMID 18426511 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2826.2008.01690.x Review
- Engeli S, Böhnke J, Feldpausch M et al. Activation of the peripheral endocannabinoid system in human obesity. Diabetes. 2005;54(10):2838-43. PMID 16186383 · doi:10.2337/diabetes.54.10.2838 Human tissue
- European Medicines Agency. The European Medicines Agency recommends suspension of the marketing authorisation of Acomplia. Press release, London, October 23, 2008. Doc. Ref. EMEA/CHMP/537777/2008. Source Agency opinion
- European Medicines Agency. Questions and answers on the recommendation to suspend the marketing authorisation of Acomplia (rimonabant). Londra, 23 Ekim 2008. Doc. Ref. EMEA/537153/2008. Source Agency opinion
- European Medicines Agency. Acomplia (rimonabant): European public assessment report (EPAR), withdrawn medicine page; accessed October 24, 2026. Source Agency opinion
- Blüher M, Engeli S, Klöting N et al. Dysregulation of the peripheral and adipose tissue endocannabinoid system in human abdominal obesity. Diabetes. 2006;55(11):3053-60. PMID 17065342 · doi:10.2337/db06-0812 Human tissue
- Parray HA, Yun JW. Cannabidiol promotes browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Mol Cell Biochem. 2016;416(1-2):131-9. PMID 27067870 · doi:10.1007/s11010-016-2702-5 Cell / lab
- Petrocelli G, Pampanella L, Abruzzo PM et al. Cannabidiol as Modulator of Spontaneous Adipogenesis in Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells. Molecules. 2025;30(11):2367. PMID 40509260 · doi:10.3390/molecules30112367 Cell / lab
- Human Protein Atlas v25: tissue RNA consensus data (rna_tissue_consensus.tsv, HPA and GTEx, nTPM), the 17 genes in the map's layer selector: CNR1, CNR2, TRPV1, GPR55, PPARG, HTR1A, TRPV2, NAPEPLD, FAAH, DAGLA, DAGLB, MGLL, ABHD6, ABHD12, CYP3A4, CYP2C19, CYP2C9; v25.proteinatlas.org/download/tsv/rna_tissue_consensus.tsv.zip, downloaded October 24, 2026. Uhlén M et al. Tissue-based map of the human proteome. Science. 2015;347(6220):1260419. License CC BY 4.0. PMID 25613900 · doi:10.1126/science.1260419 Human tissue