Journal article
Evaluation of sex differences in cannabinoid withdrawal in rats
Drug and alcohol dependence, Vol.146, pp.e195-e195
01/01/2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/118596
Abstract
Aims: Although epidemiological studies indicate that cannabis using women attempting to quit report more withdrawal and relapse compared to men, only a handful of empirical studies have examined sex differences in cannabinoid dependence. The purpose of the study was to examine sex differences in withdrawal from Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a rat model.
Methods: Forty male and forty female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered THC or vehicle twice daily for 6.5 days. Locomotor activity, temperature, and warm water tail withdrawal were assessed on days 1 and 6. On the afternoon of day 7, rats were administered a vehicle or rimonabant challenge, counterbalanced across subchronic dosing groups, followed by assessments of locomotor activity, temperature, tail withdrawal, acoustic startle, and observation of withdrawal related behaviors.
Results: Male rats, but not females, showed THC-induced locomotor decreases on day 1, and developed tolerance to this effect across days. Female rats administered THC and challenged with rimonabant showed increased retropulsion compared to male and female rats in other treatment groups. Subchronic treatment with THC followed by rimonabant challenge increased paw tremors and head twitches, decreased prepulse inhibition, and led to a lack of locomotor habituation in rats of both sexes. Rats in all groups treated with THC exhibited increased startle amplitude and weight loss.
Conclusions: This study represents the first systematic examination of THC dependence in gonadally intact adult rats of both sexes, extends findings reported previously only in male rodents to females, and revealed some sex differences. The results suggest that the changes that occur during antagonist-precipitated withdrawal from THC extend beyond the typically reported somatic signs to more nuanced disruptions of cognitive and affective functioning. The breadth of withdrawal signs observed in rodents mirrors those that have been observed in humans.
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Details
- Title
- Evaluation of sex differences in cannabinoid withdrawal in rats
- Creators
- Julie A. Marusich - RTI InternationalTimothy Lefever - RTI InternationalRebecca Craft - Washington State UniversityJ.L. Wiley - RTI International
- Publication Details
- Drug and alcohol dependence, Vol.146, pp.e195-e195
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ireland Ltd
- Identifiers
- 99900907904501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article