Endocannabinoid system (ECS) gene expression modulation in amniotic epithelial cells (AEC) collected at different stages of gestation. Real-time qPCR gene expression analyses of enzymes involved in the anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). (A) Synthesis (N-acylphosphatidyl ethanolamine (NAPE)-specific phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD), diacylglycerol-lipases α and β (DAGLα/β), (B) degradation (fatty acid amide hydrolase, FAAH), monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL)), and (C) receptors (cannabinoid receptor (CB)1, CB2, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1)). Each analysis was performed using AEC isolated at different stages of fetal development. Relative quantification was performed using the ΔΔCt method. GAPDH was used as housekeeping gene quantification. Data are the mean ± SD obtained from at least n = 3 independent experiments performed using two different fetuses (a middle vs. early; b late vs. early; c middle vs. late).