Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38155287›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2023

Sex-dimorphism in human serum endocannabinoid and n-acyl ethanolamine concentrations across the lifespan.

Khalisa Amir Hamzah, Leisa-Maree Toms, Nathaniel Kucharski, Julia Orr, Natalie P Turner, Peter Hobson, David S Nichols, Luke J Ney

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
8.2field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Circulating endocannabinoids in children and adolescents: associations with anxiety and the impact of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025
    Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Understanding the Role of Endocannabinoids in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Khalisa Amir HamzahSchool of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 149 Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, 4059, Australia. khalisa.amirhamzah@gmail.com.
Leisa-Maree TomsSchool of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia.
Nathaniel KucharskiSchool of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia.
Julia OrrThe University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.
Natalie P TurnerThe Centre for Children's Health Research (CCHR), Queensland University of Technology, 62 Graham Street, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia.
Peter HobsonThe University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.
David S NicholsCentral Science Laboratory, University of Tasmania, Sydney, Australia.
Luke J NeySchool of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 149 Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, 4059, Australia.
Queensland University of Technology · AUUniversity of Queensland · AUUniversity of Tasmania · AU

Funding

Queensland University of Technology Early Career Research Grant
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The endocannabinoid (ECB) system has recently been considered a potential treatment target for various clinical disorders. However, research around age- and sex-related changes within the ECB system is relatively limited. To improve our understanding of these changes, the current study measured arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), oleoylethanolamine (OEA), palmitoylethanolamine (PEA), arachidonic acid (AA), cortisol, and progesterone in pooled serum samples stratified by sex (male and female) and age groups (5-15; 15-30; 30-45; 45-60; 60-75; 85+), using liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Serum progesterone levels significantly increased in females of the 15-30 and 30-45 age groups, before declining. Significantly higher cortisol, AEA, 2-AG, OEA, and PEA were found in males and in older age, while significantly higher AA was found in females. Our results indicate that ECBs and related hormones exhibit sexual dimorphism in the age ranges that correspond with female pregnancy, menopause, and post menopause. Male testosterone levels most likely influences male ECB changes throughout the lifespan. Future research could capitalise on these findings by performing repeated measurements in individuals in a longitudinal style, to further refine the temporal profile of age-specific changes to the ECB system identified here.

Indexed as

EndocannabinoidsSex CharacteristicsArachidonic AcidsEthanolaminesFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneLongevityMalePolyunsaturated AlkamidesPregnancyProgesteroneanandamideArachidonic AcidsEndocannabinoidsEthanolaminesHydrocortisonePolyunsaturated AlkamidesProgesterone

Identifiers

PMID38155287
PMCPMC10754838
OpenAlexW4390347122

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.