Negative chronotropic effect of cannabinoids is depended on the activation of cardiac CB1 receptors
It has been found that intravenous administration of cannabinoids (ACPA, anandamide, methanandamide) solubilized in the mixture (cremophore EL : ethanol : 0,9% NaCl, 1:1:18) and Tocris water soluble emulsion of the same cannabinoids induced a completely identical negative chronotropic effect in chloralose-anesthetized rats. The selective CB1 and CB2 receptor agonist HU-210 (0.1 mg/kg) also induced a negative chronotropic effect in rats. Pretreatment with the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A (1 mg/kg) completely abolished this effect of HU-210. The CB2 receptor antagonist SR144528 (1 mg/kg) had no effect on the HU-210-induced bradycardia. Pretreatment with the ganglion blocker hexamethonium (10 mg/kg) also did not eliminate a negative chronotropic effect of HU-210 and ACPA. A 10-min perfusion of isolated rat heart by Krebs-Heseleit solution containing HU-210 in a final concentration 100 nM/L induced a decrease in the heart rate. It has been concluded that negative chronotropic effect of cannabinoids is mediated via an activation of cardiac CB1 receptors.