Differential anxiogenic, aversive, and locomotor effects of THC in adolescent and adult rats.
Nicole L Schramm-Sapyta, Young May Cha, Saba Chaudhry, Wilkie A Wilson, Harry Scott Swartzwelder, Cynthia M Kuhn
Psychopharmacology May 2007 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0676-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adolescent and adult rats |
| Intervention | delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) |
| Dose | 1.25 and 5 mg/kg |
| Measures | elevated plus maze (EPM), light-dark test, conditioned taste aversion, conditioned place aversion (CPA), serum stress hormone levels, locomotor activity |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | THC produced greater anxiety-like, aversive, and locomotor-reducing effects in adult rats than in adolescent rats. The authors suggest this age difference may help explain reduced marijuana use in adult humans compared to teenagers. |
Abstract
Unpleasant side effects of drugs of abuse often limit their repeated use; however, such effects may be attenuated in adolescents compared to adults. We investigated whether the anxiogenic, aversive, or locomotor effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) differ between adolescent and adult rats. We used the elevated plus maze (EPM) and light-dark tests of anxiety, the conditioned taste aversion and conditioned place aversion (CPA) tests of generalized aversion, and measures of stress hormone levels in serum to examine effects of THC in adolescent and adult rats. Locomotor activity was also recorded in the EPM, light-dark task, and CPA association sessions. In the EPM and light-dark tasks, THC was anxiogenic in both age groups, but the drug was more anxiogenic in adults than in adolescents. In the place and taste aversion tasks, THC was aversive in both ages, and at 1.25 and 5 mg/kg, was more aversive in adults than in adolescents. The locomotor response to THC, as measured in the anxiety tasks and CPA, affected adults more than adolescents. Multiple measures revealed a locomotor-decreasing effect in adults, whereas some measures suggested a small locomotor-increasing effect in adolescent rats. These results suggest that THC can have greater anxiogenic, aversive, and locomotor-reducing effects in adult rats than in adolescent rats. These findings suggest an explanation for reduced marijuana use in adult humans compared to teenagers.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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