Cannabidiol Ameliorates Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Rats

  • Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Sep 25;21(19):7077. doi: 10.3390/ijms21197077.
Olga Sadowska  1 ,  Marta Baranowska-Kuczko  1  2 ,  Anna Gromotowicz-Popławska  3 ,  Michał Biernacki  4 ,  Aleksandra Kicman  1 ,  Barbara Malinowska  1 ,  Irena Kasacka  5 ,  Anna Krzyżewska  1 ,  Hanna Kozłowska  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Experimental Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland.
  • 2. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland.
  • 3. Department of Biopharmacy, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland.
  • 4. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Białystok, 15-222 Białystok, Poland.
  • 5. Department of Histology and Cytophysiology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland.
PMID: 32992900 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197077
Abstract

Cannabidiol (CBD) is known for its vasorelaxant (including in the human pulmonary artery), anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of our study was to examine the potential preventive effect of chronic CBD administration (10 mg/kg/day for three weeks) on monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) rats. PH was connected with elevation of right ventricular systolic pressure; right ventricle hypertrophy; lung edema; pulmonary artery remodeling; enhancement of the vasoconstrictor and decreasing vasodilatory responses; increases in plasma concentrations of tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 and leukocyte count; and a decrease in blood oxygen saturation. CBD improved all abovementioned changes induced by PH except right ventricle hypertrophy and lung edema. In addition, CBD increased lung levels of some endocannabinoids (anandamide, N-arachidonoyl glycine, linolenoyl ethanolamide, palmitoleoyl ethanolamide and eicosapentaenoyl ethanolamide but not 2-arachidonoylglycerol). CBD did not affect the cardiopulmonary system of control rats or Other parameters of blood morphology in PH. Our data suggest that CBD ameliorates MCT-induced PH in rats by improving endothelial efficiency and function, normalization of hemostatic alterations and reduction of enhanced leukocyte count determined in PH. In conclusion, CBD may be a safe, promising therapeutic or Adjuvant therapy agent for the treatment of human pulmonary artery hypertension.

Keywords
PAI-1; cannabidiol; endocannabinoids; isolated vessels; monocrotaline; pulmonary hypertension; t-PA.
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