EFFECTS OF Δ‐TRANS‐TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL ON MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF ISOLATED HEART MUSCLE PREPARATIONS

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
1 The effects of four concentrations of Δ1-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ1-THC) (0.1, 1, 5 and 20 μg/ml) were compared to that of the vehicle (ethanol, 0.5 μl/ml) on the mechanical performance of isolated cardiac muscle of the cat and rat. 2 In rat isolated papillary muscles, Δ1-THC (20 μg/ml) caused a decline in mechanical performance (−8% in developed tension and −11% in Vmax) in contrast to the apparent lack of effect of ethanol. 3 All other parameters of mechanical performance studied in both rat and cat papillary muscles were unaffected by Δ1-THC when compared with ethanol. 4 It was concluded that Δ1-THC in concentrations up to 20 μg/ml had negligible effect on contractile performance, the time course of contraction or muscle elasticity in rat and cat isolated papillary muscle preparations under the conditions studied.