Cardioprotective properties of the cannabinoid receptor agonists

Cannabinoids (CB) mimic the infarct-limiting effects of cardiac preconditioning and postconditioning. The nature of the receptors involved in the infarct-limiting effect of the cannabinoids remains a matter of discussion. Most data suggest that the preventive cardioprotective effect of the cannabinoids is related to the CB2-recetor activation. It has been shown that the cannabinoid-induced increase in cardiac resistance to ischemia and reperfusion depends on the protein kinase C activation. Moreover, cannabinoids are found to prevent reperfusion-induced damage of the coronary arteries via CB2-receptor stimulation.