Effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on reward and anxiety in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress.
S Fokos, G Panagis
Journal of Psychopharmacology May 2010 DOI: 10.1177/0269881109104904 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male rats |
| Interventions | Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) chronic unpredictable stress |
| Duration | 10 days of chronic unpredictable stress |
| Measures | intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) paradigm, elevated plus maze |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis |
| Key findings | Acute Delta(9)-THC did not show reinforcing effects in the intracranial self-stimulation paradigm in either stressed or nonstressed rats. THC produced anxiolytic-like effects in both groups, but in stressed animals only the high dose was anxiolytic while the low dose was anxiogenic. Chronic unpredictable stress did not alter baseline reward thresholds. |
Abstract
Although cannabis derivatives produce clear subjective motivational responses in humans leading to drug-seeking behaviour, the reinforcing attributes of these subjective effects are difficult to define in experimental animals. The aim of this study was to examine how exposure to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) will affect reward function and anxiety after acute administration of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) in rats. Male rats were exposed to either 10 days of CUS or no stressor. Alterations in brain reward function were assessed with the intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) paradigm, and anxiety responses were measured with the elevated plus maze. CUS did not affect baseline brain stimulation reward thresholds. Delta(9)-THC did not exhibit reinforcing actions in the ICSS paradigm neither in nonstressed nor in stressed animals. More importantly, in nonstressed animals, both the low and the high dose of Delta(9)-THC exerted anxiolytic-like effects. In stressed animals, however, only the high dose of THC induced an anxiolytic-like response, whereas the low dose induced anxiogenic effects. The present results provide clear evidence for an anxiolytic effect of Delta(9)-THC both in stressed and in nonstressed animals, and indicate that environmental conditions, such as stressful experiences, do not alter the behavioural effects of Delta( 9)-THC in the ICSS paradigm.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Cannabis, a cause for anxiety? A critical appraisal of the anxiogenic and anxiolytic properties Journal of Translational Medicine October 2, 2020
- Involvement of Adenosine A2A Receptors in Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Tetrahydrocannabinol-Treated Mice. Brain and Behavior February 1, 2026
- Effects of Δ9-THC and Type-1 Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists in the Elevated Plus Maze Test of Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research February 2023
- Vaporized Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol Inhalation in Female Sprague Dawley Rats: A Pharmacokinetic and Behavioral Assessment. Current Pharmaceutical Design 2023
- Cannabinoids, interoception, and anxiety. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior May 1, 2019
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Cites 8
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- Cellular mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic effect of low doses of peripheral Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology September 2007
- Differential anxiogenic, aversive, and locomotor effects of THC in adolescent and adult rats. Psychopharmacology May 2007
- 5-HT1A receptors are involved in the anxiolytic effect of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and AM 404, the anandamide transport inhibitor, in Sprague-Dawley rats. European Journal of Pharmacology January 26, 2007
and 3 more in the library