“A number of investigations have shown that CB2 receptor activation has anti-inflammatory therapeutic potential in various CNS diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. Because inflammatory responses have been shown to be important contributors to secondary injury following cerebral ischemia; the CB2 receptor has been investigated as a potential therapeutic target in stroke…
The most striking changes were obtained by combing a CB1 antagonist with a CB2 agonist. This combination elevated the cerebral blood flow during ischemia and reduced infarction by 75%…during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, inhibition of CB1 receptor activation is protective while inhibition of CB2 receptor activation is detrimental.
The greatest degree of neuroprotection was obtained by combining an inhibitor of CB1 activation with an exogenous CB2 agonist.
In conclusion, the results of this investigation demonstrate dynamic changes in the expression of CB1 and CB2 receptors during cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury in mice. The effects of stimulation of these receptors on damage ischemia/reperfusion injury differed dramatically. Stimulation of the CB2 receptor was found to be neuroprotective, while inhibition of the CB1 receptor was also protective,too. The combination of a CB2 agonist and a CB1 antagonist provided the greatest degree of protection and indicated a synergistic effect derived from combining these agents. Therefore, changing the balance of stimulation of these receptors by endogenous cannabinoids may provide an important therapeutic strategy during stroke.”
Full text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577828/