[Cardiac and vascular effects of cannabinoids: toward a therapeutic use?]

Interest in cannabinoid pharmacology developed rapidly since the discovery of cannabinoids receptors and endocannabinoids. Modulation of this system is becoming a hot topic in cardiovascular pharmacology mainly at the light of recent findings. Among them, cardiac effects of cannabinoids were described with respect to their probable participation to the well-studied preconditioning phenomenon. Beneficial effects of post-infarction cannabinoids administration against ischemia-reperfusion injury were also reported. Concerning their vascular effects the situation is more complex some studies reporting pressor effects while others depressor ones. It was also proposed that the endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor released by various vasodilators may be an endocannabinoid an hypothesis still discussed. Finally, pathological situations concerning the cardiovascular system and including brain ischemia, hemorrhagic and endotoxic shocks were reported to be linked with endocannabinoids. However, the clinical use of cannabinoid receptors agonists or antagonists will depend on the development of non psychoactive compounds.