The Nutraceutical N-Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) Reveals Widespread Molecular Effects Unmasking New Therapeutic Targets in Murine Varicocele

Antonuccio P, Marini HR, Micali A, Romeo C, Granese R, Retto A, Martino A, Benvenga S, Cuzzocrea S, Impellizzeri D, Di Paola R, Fusco R, Cervellione RM, Minutoli L. Nutrients. 2021 Feb 25;13(3):734.

Laboratory studyOther animals

Design

Laboratory study

Subjects

Wild-type, PPAR-alpha knockout and TLR4 knockout mice, with sham surgery or surgically induced varicocele

Dose used in the study

Ultra-micronised PEA (PEA-um), 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal

Duration

21 days

What was measured

Testicular histology and morphometry; PPAR-alpha, TLR4, occludin and claudin-11 immunohistochemistry; PPAR-alpha, TLR4, TGF-beta3, phospho-ERK1/2 and NLRP3 by western blot.

What the authors reported

PPAR-alpha and TLR4 both play a part in how varicocele affects the testis, based on changes in these receptors and downstream markers across wild-type and knockout mice given PEA-um. The authors describe this as identifying new nutraceutical targets for varicocele research.

Limits of this study

A mouse-model study using knockout animals; it cannot show effect in men. Salvatore Cuzzocrea is a co-inventor on PEA-related patents held with Epitech Group, described as unrelated to this study.

Source

PubMed 33668991 · doi:10.3390/nu13030734

Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.