Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology
. 1974 Apr;50(4):593–599. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1974.tb08594.x

Interaction of cannabis and general anaesthetic agents in mice

GB Chesher, DM Jackson, GA Starmer
PMCID: PMC1776719  PMID: 4280927

Abstract

1 A cannabis extract (I) (in a concentration equivalent to 10 mg Δ9-tetrahydro-cannabinol(THC)/kg) prolonged pentobarbitone anaesthesia in mice maximally 20 min to 2 h after medication. The effect was still significant after 8 h, but less than at 2 hours.

2 The cannabis extract (I) (equivalent to 10 mg Δ9-THC/kg) prolonged both pentobarbitone and ether anaesthesia in mice when administered 20 min before the anaesthetic. After eight consecutive daily doses of cannabis, the pentobarbitone anaesthesia was still significantly longer than a control group, while ether anaesthesia was not significantly prolonged.

3 A second cannabis extract (II) with a different ratio of cannabinoids (also administered in dosage equivalent to 10 mg Δ9-THC/kg) failed to affect pentobarbitone anaesthesia in mice. This extract presented about 4% the dose of cannabidiol as extract I.

4 Δ8-THC, Δ9-THC and cannabidiol prolonged pentobarbitone anaesthesia with cannabidiol being generally more active than Δ9-THC. Cannabinol (10 mg/kg) was inactive.

5 The effects of cannabidiol and Δ9-THC were found to be additive, and there was a consistent trend for cannabinol to reduce the effectiveness of Δ9-THC and cannabidiol when given in combination.

6 Premedication with phenoxybenzamine, phentolamine, propranolol, iproniazid, protriptyline, desipramine, reserpine, α-methyl tyrosine or parachlorophenylalanine did not affect the extract I-induced prolongation of pentobarbitone anaesthesia.

7 It is concluded that cannabis may affect pentobarbitone and ether anaesthesia in mice at least partially by a direct depressant effect, and that the cannabis-induced prolongation of anaesthesia is probably unrelated to any effect on central 5-hydroxytryptamine or catecholamine neurones.

Full text

PDF
593

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BOSE B. C., SAIFI A. Q., BHAGWAT A. W. Effect of cannabis indica on hexobarbital sleeping time and tissue respiration of rat brain. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1963 Feb 1;141:520–524. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BOSE B. C., SAIFI A. Q., BHAGWAT A. W. OBSERVATIONS ON THE PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIONS OF CANNABIS INDICA. II. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1964 Jan 1;147:285–290. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carlsson A., Fuxe K., Hamberger B., Lindqvist M. Biochemical and histochemical studies on the effects of imipramine-like drugs and (+)-amphetamine on central and peripheral catecholamine neurons. Acta Physiol Scand. 1966 Jul-Aug;67(3):481–497. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1966.tb03334.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Christensen H. D., Freudenthal R. I., Gidley J. T., Rosenfeld R., Boegli G., Testino L., Brine D. R., Pitt C. G., Wall M. E. Activity of delta8- and delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and related compounds in the mouse. Science. 1971 Apr 9;172(3979):165–167. doi: 10.1126/science.172.3979.165. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Corrodi H., Hanson L. C. Central effects of an inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylation. Psychopharmacologia. 1966;10(2):116–125. doi: 10.1007/BF00455973. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Garriott J. C., King L. J., Forney R. B., Hughes F. W. Effects of some tetrahydrocannabinols on hexobarbital sleeping time and amphetamine induced hyperactivity in mice. Life Sci. 1967 Oct 1;6(19):2119–2128. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(67)90232-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gill E. W., Paton W. D., Pertwee R. G. Preliminary experiments on the chemistry and pharmacology of cannabis. Nature. 1970 Oct 10;228(5267):134–136. doi: 10.1038/228134a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Holtzman D., Lovell R. A., Jaffe J. H., Freedman D. X. 1-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol: neurochemical and behavioral effects in the mouse. Science. 1969 Mar 28;163(3874):1464–1467. doi: 10.1126/science.163.3874.1464. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Koe B. K., Weissman A. p-Chlorophenylalanine: a specific depletor of brain serotonin. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1966 Dec;154(3):499–516. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Krantz J. C., Jr, Berger H. J., Welch B. L. Blockade of (-)-trans- 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol depressant effect by cannabinol in mice. Am J Pharm Sci Support Public Health. 1971 Sep-Oct;143(5):149–152. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kubena R. K., Barry H., 3rd Interactions of delta-tetrahydrocannabinol with barbiturates and methamphetamine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1970 May;173(1):94–100. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Paton W. D., Pertwee R. G. Effect of cannabis and certain of its constituents on pentobarbitone sleeping time and phenazone metabolism. Br J Pharmacol. 1972 Feb;44(2):250–261. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Phillips R. N., Brown D. J., Forney R. B. Enhancement of depressant properties of alcohol or barbiturate in combination with aqueous suspended delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in rats. J Forensic Sci. 1971 Apr;16(2):152–161. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ross S. B., Renyi A. L. Inhibition of the uptake of tritiated catecholamines by antidepressant and related agents. Eur J Pharmacol. 1967 Dec;2(3):181–186. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(67)90084-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SPECTOR S., SJOERDSMA A., UDENFRIEND S. BLOCKADE OF ENDOGENOUS NOREPINEPHRINE SYNTHESIS BY ALPHA-METHYL-TYROSINE, AN INHIBITOR OF TYROSINE HYDROXYLASE. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1965 Jan;147:86–95. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. WHITTLE B. A. THE USE OF CHANGES IN CAPILLARY PERMEABILITY IN MICE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN NARCOTIC AND NONNARCOTIC ALALGESICS. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1964 Apr;22:246–253. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1964.tb02030.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of The British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES