Biphasic effects of anandamide on behavioural responses: emphasis on copulatory behaviourRodríguez-Manzo, Gabriela; Canseco-Alba, AnaBehavioural Pharmacology: September 2015 - Volume 26 - Issue 6 - p 607–615 doi: 10.1097/FBP.0000000000000154 REVIEW ARTICLES Abstract Author InformationAuthors Article MetricsMetrics Endocannabinoids have emerged as important modulators of different neurotransmitter systems in the brain by acting as retrograde messengers. They are released from postsynaptic cell bodies, travel backwards across the synapsis and bind to their receptors located at the presynaptic terminal to inhibit neurotransmitter release. The fatty acid amide, arachidonoylethanolamide (anandamide), is an important endogenous ligand of the G-protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. The aim of this mini-review is to outline the recent literature on the biphasic nature of the behavioural actions of anandamide, with particular focus on male rat sexual behaviour, and to examine whether dose-related activation of distinct receptors plays a role in the biphasic effects of this prototypical endocannabinoid. Pharmacobiology Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav), South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico Correspondence to Gabriela Rodríguez-Manzo, PhD, Pharmacobiology Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav), Calz. de los Tenorios 235, Col. Granjas Coapa, Mexico City 14330, Mexico E-mail: grodrigu@cinvestav.mx Received February 27, 2015 Accepted May 27, 2015 Copyright © 2015 YEAR Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.