Acute administration of cannabidiol in vivo suppresses ischaemia‐induced cardiac arrhythmias and reduces infarct size when given at reperfusion

Abstract

Background and purpose: Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid, with anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and has recently been shown to exert a tissue sparing effect during chronic myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion (I/R). However, it is not known whether CBD is cardioprotective in the acute phase of I/R injury and the present studies tested this hypothesis. Experimental approach: Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either vehicle or CBD (10 or 50 mg·kg -1 i.v.) 10 min before 30 min coronary artery occlusion or CBD (50 mg·kg -1 i.v.) 10 min before reperfusion (2 h). The appearance of ventricular arrhythmias during the ischaemic and immediate post-reperfusion periods were recorded and the hearts excised for infarct size determination and assessment of mast cell degranulation. Arterial blood was withdrawn at the end of the reperfusion period to assess platelet aggregation in response to collagen. Key results: CBD reduced both the total number of ischaemia-induced arrhythmias and infarct size when administered prior to ischaemia, an effect that was dose-dependent. Infarct size was also reduced when CBD was given prior to reperfusion. CBD (50 mg·kg -1 i.v.) given prior to ischaemia, but not at reperfusion, attenuated collagen-induced platelet aggregation compared with control, but had no effect on ischaemia-induced mast cell degranulation. Conclusions and implications:This study demonstrates that CBD is cardioprotective in the acute phase of I/R by both reducing ventricular arrhythmias and attenuating infarct size. The anti-arrhythmic effect, but not the tissue sparing effect, may be mediated through an inhibitory effect on platelet activation. British Journal of Pharmacology

A single dose of cannabidiol reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study

“…In vivo administration of CBD before cardiac ischemia and reperfusion also reduces ventricular arrhythmias and infarct size. CBD also causes both acute and time-dependent vasorelaxation in isolated arteries in rats and humans (10)(11)(12). There is also evidence from animal studies that CBD modulates the cardiovascular response to stress.…”

Effects of cannabidiol on contractions and calcium signaling in rat ventricular myocytes

“…Several earlier studies indicate that CBD has beneficial effects in various cardiovascular pathologies such as myocardial infarction, ischemia-induced arrhythmias, and diabetic cardiomyopathy [5][6][7][8]. Although anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory actions have been suggested to be involved in these beneficial effects [9], the exact mechanisms of CBD actions are currently unknown.…”

“…In pentobarbitone anaesthetized rats, CBD has been shown to cause a significant but transient fall in mean arterial blood pressure [6]. Similarly, in arterial segments taken from rat mesenteric vascular bed that have been pre-constricted with phenylephrine, CBD has been shown to cause a concentration-dependent vasorelaxation [11].…”

Mitigation of H2O2-induced autophagic cell death by propofol in H9c2 cardiomyocytes

“…Reperfusion damage is the chain of events related to free oxygen radicals produced during tissue ischemia and reperfusion. Many antioxidants have been known to protect I/R damage (Walsh et al 2010;Black 2000). For example, propofol and thiopental, which are anesthetic agents, showed their protective effect in some tissues, including the heart during I/R injury.…”