Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P21554 (cannabinoid receptor)
 3,582 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist anandamide (AEA) exerts vascular effects such as vasodilatation and hypotension. In this study, we determined the effect of AEA on endothelin-1 production by cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Anandamide (>or=5 micromol/l) significantly decreased endothelin-1 production in a dose-dependent manner, a response not affected by the specific CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist SR-141716A. Adenosine, via activation of adenosine receptors (also targets for SR-141716A), was not involved in these effects. Conversely, AEA increased nitric oxide (NO) production, an effect inhibited by SR-141716A, indicating the involvement of CB1 receptors. Therefore, we hypothesize that AEA effects on endothelial cells may lead to vasodilatation through independent concerted mechanisms, involving a non-CB1 receptor-dependent inhibition of endothelin-1 production and a CB1-mediated increase of NO.
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PMID:Anandamide inhibits endothelin-1 production by human cultured endothelial cells: a new vascular action of this endocannabinoid. 1711 3

: Endocannabinoids are bioactive amides, esters, and ethers of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Evidence suggests that activation of the endocannabinoid pathway offers cardioprotection against myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, and endothelial dysfunction of coronary arteries. As cardiac hypertrophy is a convergence point of risk factors for heart failure, we determined a role for endocannabinoids in attenuating endothelin-1-induced hypertrophy and probed the signaling pathways involved. The cannabinoid receptor ligand anandamide and its metabolically stable analog, R-methanandamide, suppressed hypertrophic indicators including cardiomyocyte enlargement and fetal gene activation (ie, the brain natriuretic peptide gene) elicited by endothelin-1 in isolated neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. The ability of R-methanandamide to suppress myocyte enlargement and fetal gene activation was mediated by CB2 and CB1 receptors, respectively. Accordingly, a CB2-selective agonist, JWH-133, prevented only myocyte enlargement but not brain natriuretic peptide gene activation. A CB1/CB2 dual agonist with limited brain penetration, CB-13, inhibited both hypertrophic indicators. CB-13 activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and, in an AMPK-dependent manner, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Disruption of AMPK signaling, using compound C or short hairpinRNA knockdown, and eNOS inhibition using L-NIO abolished the antihypertrophic actions of CB-13. In conclusion, CB-13 inhibits cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through AMPK-eNOS signaling and may represent a novel therapeutic approach to cardioprotection.
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PMID:Ligand activation of cannabinoid receptors attenuates hypertrophy of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. 2497 12