A new face of endocannabinoids in pharmacotherapy. Part II: role of endocannabinoids in inflammation-derived cardiovaascular diseases

Abstract

Endocannabinoids play an important role in cardiovascular diseases caused by inflammatory disorders. Endocannabinoids are endogenous bioactive lipids that activate cannabinoid receptors and together with enzymes responsible for their synthesis and degradation constitute endocannabinoid system. The results obtained to date suggest the involvement of endocannabinoids in the pathology of many cardiovascular diseases associated with inflammation, such as atherosclerosis, restenosis, chemotherapy-induced myocardial injury, diabetic and hepatic cirrhosis cardiomyopathy. Our better understanding of cannabinoid system may result in the development of new strategies for the treatment of such disorders.