Neural correlates of interactions between cannabidiol and Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol in mice: implications for medical cannabis.
S M Todd, Jonathon C Arnold
British Journal of Pharmacology January 2016 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13333 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male C57BL/6 mice |
| Interventions | CBD THC |
| Dose | 10 mg/kg i.p. for both cannabinoids |
| Measures | locomotor activity, anxiety-related behaviour, body temperature, c-Fos expression |
| Topics | Cannabis CBD |
| Key findings | CBD at a 1:1 dose ratio with THC increased THC-induced locomotor suppression but reduced THC-induced hypothermia and anxiety-like behavior in mice. THC increased c-Fos expression in 11 of 35 brain regions, and CBD co-administration suppressed this in six regions, most strongly in the medial preoptic nucleus and lateral periaqueductal gray. The authors state these data confirm that CBD modulates THC's pharmacological actions. |
Abstract
It has been proposed that medicinal strains of cannabis and therapeutic preparations would be safer with a more balanced concentration ratio of Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD), as CBD reduces the adverse psychotropic effects of THC. However, our understanding of CBD and THC interactions is limited and the brain circuitry mediating interactions between CBD and THC are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CBD modulated the functional effects and c-Fos expression induced by THC, using a 1:1 dose ratio that approximates therapeutic strains of cannabis and nabiximols. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with vehicle, CBD, THC or a combination of CBD and THC (10 mg·kg(-1) i.p. for both cannabinoids) to examine effects on locomotor activity, anxiety-related behaviour, body temperature and brain c-Fos expression (a marker of neuronal activation). CBD potentiated THC-induced locomotor suppression but reduced the hypothermic and anxiogenic effects of THC. CBD alone had no effect on these measures. THC increased brain activation as measured by c-Fos expression in 11 of the 35 brain regions studied. CBD co-administration suppressed THC-induced c-Fos expression in six of these brain regions. This effect was most pronounced in the medial preoptic nucleus and lateral periaqueductal gray. Treatment with CBD alone diminished c-Fos expression only in the central nucleus of the amygdala compared with vehicle. These data confirm that CBD modulated the pharmacological actions of THC and provide new information regarding brain regions involved in the interaction between CBD and THC.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on CBD, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Cannabis containing equivalent concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) induces less state anxiety than THC-dominant cannabis Psychopharmacology October 13, 2022
- 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
- Cannabinoids, interoception, and anxiety. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior May 1, 2019
- Reduced type III neuregulin 1 expression does not modulate the behavioural sensitivity of mice to acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (D9-THC). Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior July 2018
- Clinical and Preclinical Evidence for Functional Interactions of Cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. Neuropsychopharmacology January 2018
and 3 more in the library
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