A research paper co-authored by Nicholas DiPatrizio, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine, has been selected by the American Physiological Society, or APS, as an “APSselect” for distinction in scholarship. Donovan Argueta, a bioengineering graduate student who works in DiPatrizio’s lab, is also a co-author, along with researchers from UC Davis.

The paper, “Plasma fatty acid ethanolamides are associated with postprandial triglerides, ApoCIII and APOE in humans consuming high fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverage,” appeared in the April 2018 issue of the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism, an APS journal.

“Our study is the first in humans to demonstrate an association between the endocannabinoid system and increased cardiovascular disease risk factors in response to high-fructose corn syrup consumption,” said DiPatrizio, an expert on cannabis, the digestive system, food addiction, and obesity, as well as compulsive behaviors in general.

The endocannabinoid system is a biological system comprised of neurotransmitters, receptors, and proteins that acts on the body’s immune system, nervous system, and organs to help maintain homeostasis.

High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is a leading contributing factor to the obesity epidemic, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Consumption of fructose-containing beverages is associated with increases in body weight and cardiovascular disease lipid markers, and decreases in insulin sensitivity.