Pharmacological specificity of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol discrimination in rats.
R L Barrett, J L Wiley, R L Balster, B R Martin
Psychopharmacology April 1995 DOI: 10.1007/bf02245942 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical drug discrimination study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats trained to discriminate THC from vehicle |
| Interventions | delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) l-phenylisopropyl adenosine dizocilpine dextromethorphan clozapine buspirone MDL 72222 muscimol midazolam chlordiazepoxide (+)-MDMA diazepam |
| Dose | THC 3.0 mg/kg; (+)-MDMA 2.5 mg/kg; diazepam 3.0 mg/kg |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key points | THC produced full dose-dependent substitution in rats trained to discriminate a 3.0 mg/kg THC dose from vehicle, while most non-cannabinoid compounds produced below-chance (under 50%) responding on the THC-appropriate lever. Only (+)-MDMA (2.5 mg/kg, 50%) and diazepam (3.0 mg/kg, 67%) reached or exceeded chance levels. The authors conclude that THC's discriminative stimulus effects show pharmacological specificity. |
Abstract
While many previous studies have shown that a variety of cannabinoids substitute and cross-substitute for delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in drug discrimination procedures, few have systematically examined potential THC-like effects of non-cannabinoid compounds. The purpose of the present study was to delineate further the pharmacological specificity of THC discrimination. Rats were trained to discriminate THC (3.0 mg/kg) from vehicle. Following determination of a dose-effect curve with THC, substitution tests with selected compounds from a variety of pharmacological classes, including l-phenylisopropyl adenosine, dizocilpine, dextromethorphan, clozapine, buspirone, MDL 72222, muscimol, midazolam and chlordiazepoxide, were performed. Whereas THC produced full dose-dependent substitution, substitution tests with non-cannabinoid drugs resulted in less than chance (50%) levels of responding on the THC-appropriate lever, with the exception of (+)-MDMA (2.5 mg/kg, 50%) and diazepam (3.0 mg/kg, 67%). These results are consistent with those of previous studies and suggest that the discriminative stimulus effects of THC exhibit pharmacological specificity.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
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and 21 more in the library
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