Comparison of the discriminative stimulus and response rate effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and synthetic cannabinoids in female and male rats.
Jenny L Wiley, Timothy W Lefever, Julie A. Marusich, Rebecca M Craft
Drug and Alcohol Dependence March 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.035 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical behavioral pharmacology study (rat drug discrimination) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats (male and female) |
| Interventions | Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) CP47 497 WIN55 212-2 JWH-018 A-834735 degradant rimonabant |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Drug discrimination Response rate Sex differences Synthetic cannabinoids |
| Key points | Females required a lower THC training dose for discrimination acquisition and were more sensitive to THC's discriminative stimulus and response-rate effects, which the authors suggest may relate partly to sex differences in THC metabolism. Synthetic cannabinoids were more potent than THC in both sexes, but the potency difference was considerably greater in males. |
Abstract
Women report greater sensitivity to the subjective effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Similarly, female rodents tend to be more sensitive to some pharmacological effects of THC and synthetic cannabinoids. This study examined sex differences in discriminative stimulus and response rate effects of THC and synthetic cannabinoids in rats. A cumulative dosing THC discrimination procedure was utilized to evaluate sex differences in the discriminative stimulus effects of THC and three synthetic cannabinoids: CP47,497, WIN55,212-2, and JWH-018. Sex differences in the effects of these four compounds and a degradant of A-834735 on response rates also were assessed in a food-reinforced discrete dosing procedure. Females required a lower training dose than males for acquisition of the discrimination. Further, THC was more potent at producing rimonabant-reversible discriminative stimulus and response rate effects in females. While synthetic cannabinoids were more potent in producing THC-like effects than was THC in female rats, greater discrepancies were observed in male rats. Similar sensitivity to the response rate-decreasing effects induced by most, but not all (A-834735 degradant), synthetic cannabinoids was seen in both sexes. This study represents one of the first direct comparisons of sex differences in THC discrimination. Females were more sensitive to THC's effects, which may be related, in part, to sex differences in THC metabolism. Synthetic cannabinoids were more potent than THC in both sexes, but were considerably more so in male than in female rats. Future research should emphasize further characterization of sex differences in cannabinoid pharmacology.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances. Brain Sciences September 3, 2020
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- Sex Differences in the Safety and Subjective Effects of Two Oral Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-Containing Cannabis Products over Multiple Doses Among Healthy Adults. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research August 2024
- Evaluation of cannabimimetic effects of selected minor cannabinoids and Terpenoids in mice. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry June 8, 2024
- Experimenter administered Δ9-THC decreases nicotine self-administration in a rat model. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior October 2023
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Cites 10
- Discriminative Stimulus Properties of Phytocannabinoids, Endocannabinoids, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2018
- Sex differences in the subjective effects of oral Δ9-THC in cannabis users. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior January 2017
- Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-like discriminative stimulus effects of compounds commonly found in K2/Spice. Behavioural Pharmacology December 2014
- Synthetic cannabinoids: epidemiology, pharmacodynamics, and clinical implications. Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 1, 2014
- Cross-substitution of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and JWH-018 in drug discrimination in rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior September 2014
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