THC induced similar physiological effects on HIV transgenic rats and their controls without affecting HIV-induced deficits in effortful motivation.
Sunitha Vemuri, Samantha M. Ayoub, Arpi Minassian, Jared W Young
Journal of Cannabis Research January 2, 2026 DOI: 10.1186/s42238-025-00383-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 275 |
| Population | Adult female and male HIV-1 transgenic rats and wildtype littermate and Fischer344 control rats |
| Intervention | delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) |
| Dose | 0, 0.3, 3 mg/kg |
| Duration | 16 days of chronic THC treatment |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Apathy Exploration Hand Pain Phytocannabinoid |
| Key findings | THC (3 mg/kg) reduced nociception, body temperature, locomotor and exploratory activity, and acute motivation across genotypes, with some sex-dependent effects, but chronic treatment did not affect motivation. |
Abstract
Cannabinoids have proven to useful for attenuating adverse effects of HIV. People living with HIV use cannabis at higher rates, with evidence suggesting it alleviates physiological symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, etc.. Cannabis can alter physiology as well as essential behavioral functions such as motivation. This study investigated the effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, on physiological responses and motivation in HIV-1 transgenic (tg) rats and their controls. In Experiment 1, adult female and male HIV-1tg (n = 46) rats and their controls (wildtype littermates [WT] and Fischer344 [F344] rats; n = 87) were tested for acute THC-induced (0, 0.3, 3 mg/kg) physiological effects using the cannabinoid tetrad assay: 1) nociception, 2) body temperature, and 3) locomotor and exploratory behavior. In Experiment 2, adult female and male HIV-1tg (n = 58) rats and controls (n = 84) were tested in the Progressive Ratio Breakpoint Task (PRBT) to assess effortful motivation at baseline, after acute THC, then chronic (16 days) THC treatment (0, 0.3, 3 mg/kg). Data collected was analyzed using separate univariate ANOVA test with group (HIV-1tg, WT, F344), drug (0, 0.3, 3 mg/kg THC) and sex (female and male) as fixed factors. Bonferroni adjustments were used to correct for multiple comparisons. THC (3 mg/kg) reduced nociception, temperature, and locomotor and exploratory activity across genotypes with some sex-dependent effects. Further, HIV-1tg and WT rats showed reduced motivation compared to F344 controls across PRBT testing timepoints. Acute 3 mg/kg THC reduced breakpoints but with no effects after chronic treatment. Hence, THC produces consistent physiological and motivational across HIV-1tg rats and their controls. Additionally, the HIV-1tg rat exhibited motivational deficits only when compared to the F344 but not WT controls, suggesting careful selections of control groups in future studies.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Beneficial and adverse effects of THC on cognition in the HIV-1 transgenic rat model: Importance of exploring task- and sex-dependent outcomes. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity April 1, 2025
- A longitudinal study of cannabis use and risk for cognitive and functional decline among older adults with HIV AIDS and behavior May 8, 2023
- HIV Transgenic Rats Demonstrate Impaired Sensorimotor Gating But Are Insensitive to Cannabinoid (Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol)-Induced Deficits. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology November 12, 2021
- Phencyclidine increased while isolation rearing did not affect progressive ratio responding in rats: Investigating potential models of amotivation in schizophrenia. Behavioural Brain Research May 17, 2019
- Pharmacokinetic and behavioural profile of THC, CBD, and THC+CBD combination after pulmonary, oral, and subcutaneous administration in rats and confirmation of conversion in vivo of CBD to THC. European Neuropsychopharmacology December 2017
and 3 more in the library