Abstract
The hypothermic action of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), 11-hydroxy-Δ8- tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-Δ8-THC) and the synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol, 1-hydroxy 3-(1,2-dimethylheptyl) - 6,6,9-rimethyl - 7,8,9,10 - tetrahydro - 6 -dibenzopyran (DMHP), have been studied in the mouse and squirrel monkey. In the mouse the magnitude of the hypothermic response to Δ9-THC has been shown to decrease as ambient temperature is increased from 20 to 35°C. Acute toxicity increases as ambient temperature is raised or lowered from 20°C. In studies carried out at 20°C, where toxicity is minimal and hypothermia to Δ9-THC is nearly maximal, a dose-response relationship has been shown for the hypothermic response to intravenous Δ9-THC, 11-OH-Δ8- THC and DMHP in the mouse. Maximal hypothermia recorded was 12.77 ± 0.60°C (Δ9-THC, 32 mg/kg), > 12.45°C (DMHP, 2 mg/kg) and 6.20 ± 0.35°C (11-OH-Δ8- THC, 32 mg/kg). Hypothermic responses of comparable magnitude but slower onset were recorded in the monkey after intravenous administration of Δ9-THC or DMHP at an ambient temperature of 24°C. The importance of ambient temperature control during studies of the action of tetrahydrocannabinols on other systems is discussed.
Footnotes
- Received March 21, 1973.
- Accepted July 25, 1973.
- © 1973 by The Williams & Wilkins Co.
JPET articles become freely available 12 months after publication, and remain freely available for 5 years.Non-open access articles that fall outside this five year window are available only to institutional subscribers and current ASPET members, or through the article purchase feature at the bottom of the page.
|