Effect of norbinaltorphimine on ∆⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced taste avoidance in adolescent and adult Sprague-Dawley rats.
Shaun M Flax, Alison Wakeford, Kejun Cheng, Kenner C Rice, Anthony L Riley
Psychopharmacology September 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-3970-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 167 |
| Population | Adolescent and adult Sprague-Dawley rats |
| Intervention | THC |
| Dose | norBNI 15 mg/kg; THC 0, 0.56, 1.0, 1.8, and 3.2 mg/kg |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | The KOR antagonist norBNI had no significant effect on THC-induced taste avoidance in adult rats and only weak, inconsistent effects in adolescents, leading the authors to conclude that the aversive effects of THC are not mediated by KOR activity as assessed by the conditioned taste avoidance design. |
Abstract
The aversive effects of ∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are mediated by activity at the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) as assessed in adult animals; however, no studies have assessed KOR involvement in the aversive effects of THC in adolescents. Given that adolescents have been reported to be insensitive to the aversive effects induced by KOR agonists, a different mechanism might mediate the aversive effects of THC in this age group. The present study was designed to assess the impact of KOR antagonism on the aversive effects of THC in adolescent and adult rats using the conditioned taste avoidance (CTA) procedure. Following a single pretreatment injection of norbinaltorphimine (norBNI; 15 mg/kg), CTAs induced by THC (0, 0.56, 1.0, 1.8, and 3.2 mg/kg) were assessed in adolescent (n = 84) and adult (n = 83) Sprague-Dawley rats. The KOR antagonist, norBNI, had weak and inconsistent effects on THC-induced taste avoidance in adolescent rats in that norBNI both attenuated and strengthened taste avoidance dependent on dose and trial. norBNI had limited impact on the final one-bottle avoidance and no effects on the two-bottle preference test. Interestingly, norBNI had no effect on THC-induced taste avoidance in adult rats as well. That norBNI had no significant effect on THC-induced avoidance in adults, and a minor and inconsistent effect in adolescents demonstrates that the aversive effects of THC are not mediated by KOR activity as assessed by the CTA design in Sprague-Dawley rats.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 3
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