Novel effect of cannabis sativa oil on the myocardium of hypertensive rats

GONZALEZ ARBELAEZ LF; ARANDA O; VELEZ RUEDA O; ENNIS IL; PEREYRA E; FANTINELLI JC; COLMAN LERNER E; PINILLA O; GODOY COTO J; CAVALLI F; CIOCCI A; MOSCA SM

Congreso; Reunión anual organizado por la Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología, la Sociedad Argentina de Investigaciones Clínicas y la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología.; 2020

Cannabis sativa oil has been used for differentmedical purposes like pain relief or refractory epilepsy treatment. Its mainpharmacological components are Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol(CBD). CBD, through the endocannabinoid-system receptors (CB1 and CB2) hascardioprotective effects against inflammatory and oxidative damage. However, theeffect of THC and CBD on hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy (CH) remains unclear.In CH dysfunctional mitochondria may produce deleterious effects on heartfunction. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that activation of the endocannabinoidsystem attenuates CH and improves myocardial mitochondria function inspontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). To this aim, 3-monthold male SHR were randomized into treated (TR) (N=4) and control (CR) (N=4). Cannabissativa oil was orally administered to TR for 1 month. Data are presented asmean±SEM and Welch?s t-test was used for statistical differences (p<0.05).CH, determined by left ventricular weight/tibia length ratio, was reduced bytreatment (mg/mm, TR: 28.28±0.58; CR: 32.31±1.1, p<0,05). Analysis ofcardiac ultrasounds at the beginning and end of treatment showed in TR: 24.7%reduction in LV mass (p<0,05) and a significant decrease in LV wallthickness (from 1,85 ± 0,01 to 1,58 ± 0,02) without changes in LV diastolicdimension and arterial pressure. Mitochondria membrane potential was improvedby treatment (in mV, TR: -165.9±3.05; CR: -150.6±4.47, p<0,05). Based onthese results we propose that a 1-month treatment with Cannabis sativa oil inSHR is effective to reduce CH and improve the mitochondrial membrane potential,possibly traducing into better mitochondrial function.