Naturally Occurring Cannabinoids and their Role in Modulation of Cardiovascular Health

Abstract

In recent years, the role of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in various cardiovascular conditions has been a subject of great interest. The ECS is composed of cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands, also known as endocannabinoids, and enzymes responsible for the synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids. Several lines of evidence suggest that the ECS plays a complex role in cardiac and vascular systems; however, under normal physiological conditions the functions of the ECS are limited. Overactivation of components of the ECS has been associated with various cardiovascular conditions. Intriguingly, activation of the ECS may also reflect a cardioprotective compensatory mechanism. With this knowledge, a range of naturally occurring and synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists, as well as inhibitors of endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes have emerged as promising approaches for the treatment or management of cardiovascular health. This review will first focus on the known role of the ECS in regulating the cardiovascular system. Secondly, we discuss emerging data highlighting the therapeutic potential of naturally occurring non-psychoactive ECS modulators within the cardiovascular system, including phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and the endocannabinoid-like molecule palmitoylethanolamide.

Keywords:

• cannabidiol (CBD); cannabinoid receptors; cannabis; cardiovascular disease; endocannabinoids; endocannabinoid system; palmitoylethanolamide; phytocannabinoids

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr. Jyh-Lurn Chang for editing the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elnaz Karimian Azari

Elnaz Karimian Azari, PhD holds her PhD from physiology and behavior group, institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH-Zurich), with a focus on metabolism and the control of eating. During her postdoctoral work at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, she conducted her research on the intestinal nutrient absorption, gut endocrine signaling, and glucose metabolism with a focus on taste receptors. She is currently therapeutic platform lead within R&D department at Metagenics.

Aileen Kerrigan

Aileen Kerrigan is a human nutrition student in University College Dublin and working as a nutrition science intern at Metagenics.

Annalouise O’Connor

Annalouise O’Connor, PhD completed her PhD in the Nutrigenomics Research Group at University College Dublin (Ireland), with a focus on the metabolic consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). She completed postdoctoral work at the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute focusing on the impact of diet on energy expenditure, as well as the interaction between host genetics and diet on the intestinal microbiome and cardiometabolic health. Dr O’Connor is currently Director of Nutrition Science at Metagenics.