Effects of Δ9-THC and cannabidiol vapor inhalation in male and female rats.
Mehrak Javadi-Paydar, Jacques D. Nguyen, Tony M Kerr, Yanabel Grant, Sophia A. Vandewater, Maury Cole, Michael A. Taffe
Psychopharmacology September 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4946-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male and female Wistar rats |
| Intervention | Cannabidiol (CBD) |
| Dose | THC 12.5-200 mg/mL in propylene glycol vehicle; CBD 100, 400 mg/mL with inhalation duration 10-40 min |
| Measures | Radiotelemetry for body temperature and locomotor activity, tail-withdrawal assay, plasma THC content |
| Topics | CBD Cannabis |
| Keywords | Hypothermia Locomotor activity Sex differences E-cigarette |
| Key findings | Inhaled THC and CBD, alone and in a 1:4 combination, produced approximately equivalent thermoregulatory, locomotor, and anti-nociceptive effects in male and female rats. THC reduced body temperature and increased tail-withdrawal latency in a concentration-dependent manner, while CBD alone caused modest hypothermia and suppressed activity. Plasma THC varied with vehicle concentration but did not differ by sex, supporting the e-cigarette-based delivery method in female rats. |
Abstract
Previous studies report sex differences in some, but not all, responses to cannabinoids in rats. The majority of studies use parenteral injection; however, most human use is via smoke inhalation and, increasingly, vapor inhalation. To compare thermoregulatory and locomotor responses to inhaled ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and their combination using an e-cigarette-based model in male and female rats METHODS: Male and female Wistar rats were implanted with radiotelemetry devices for the assessment of body temperature and locomotor activity. Animals were then exposed to THC or CBD vapor using a propylene glycol (PG) vehicle. THC dose was adjusted via the concentration in the vehicle (12.5-200 mg/mL) and the CBD (100, 400 mg/mL) dose was also adjusted by varying the inhalation duration (10-40 min). Anti-nociception was evaluated using a tail-withdrawal assay following vapor inhalation. Plasma samples obtained following inhalation in different groups of rats were compared for THC content. THC inhalation reduced body temperature and increased tail-withdrawal latency in both sexes equivalently and in a concentration-dependent manner. Female temperature, activity, and tail-withdrawal responses to THC did not differ between estrus and diestrus. CBD inhalation alone induced modest hypothermia and suppressed locomotor activity in both males and females. Co-administration of THC with CBD, in a 1:4 ratio, significantly decreased temperature and activity in an approximately additive manner and to similar extent in each sex. Plasma THC varied with the concentration in the PG vehicle but did not differ across rat sex. In summary, the inhalation of THC or CBD, alone and in combination, produces approximately equivalent effects in male and female rats. This confirms the efficacy of the e-cigarette-based method of THC delivery in female rats.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on CBD, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances. Brain Sciences September 3, 2020
- Lasting effects of repeated Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vapor inhalation during adolescence in male and female rats bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 25, 2018
- Influence of Carrier Oil, Sex, and Age on Pharmacokinetic and Acute Behavioral Effects of Vaporized Cannabis Extract in Mice. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research December 1, 2025
- Adolescent cannabinoid vapour exposure sex-dependently alters the relationship between vulnerability traits and ethanol self-administration and modifies naltrexone actions on ethanol intake in rats. Neuropharmacology May 1, 2026
- Acute and chronic cannabis vapor exposure produces immediate and delayed impacts on phases of fear learning in a sex specific manner. Psychopharmacology February 1, 2026
and 5 more in the library
Cites 7
- Clinical and Preclinical Evidence for Functional Interactions of Cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. Neuropsychopharmacology January 2018
- Impact of cannabidiol on the acute memory and psychotomimetic effects of smoked cannabis: naturalistic study: naturalistic study [corrected]. The British Journal of Psychiatry October 2010
- Chronic delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol during adolescence provokes sex-dependent changes in the emotional profile in adult rats: behavioral and biochemical correlates. Neuropsychopharmacology October 2008
- The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids: delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin. British Journal of Pharmacology January 2008
- Interactions between THC and cannabidiol in mouse models of cannabinoid activity. Psychopharmacology June 2006
and 2 more in the library