Hashish extract impairs retention of defeat-induced submissive behavior in mice.
The effects of hashish extract on adaptive behavior of male mice were studied in a paradigm which allows the investigation of learning mechanisms in a social context. Mice of the C3H strain, which were not submissive in a confrontation with a nonaggressive DBA mouse on day 1, were defeated on day 2 over 3 min by aggressive, isolated DBA mice, and showed conditioned submissive behavior upon mere contact with a nonaggressive DBA mouse on day 3. A hashish extract containing 38.6-39.4% delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC), 11.6-12.0% cannabinol and 47.7-48.5% cannabidiol was administered orally in all experiments. Hashish extract given 90 min before defeat on day 2, in dosages corresponding to 1, 5, and 10 mg delta 9-THC/kg, impaired retention of defensive upright, defensive sideways and immobility on day 3 (experiment 1). Experiment 2 showed that the drug (5, and 10 mg delta 9-THC/kg) had no antinociceptive potency in mice and did not modify defeat-induced analgesia. Experiment 3, with drug (5 mg delta 9-THC/kg) or solvent administration on day 2 and day 3, showed that the retention deficit was neither due to state-dependent learning, nor to impaired retrieval. It is suggested that hashish extract administered before learning may interfere with memory processing.
Frischknecht
H R
HR
Siegfried
B
B
Schiller
M
M
Waser
P G
PG
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D000700:Analgesics; D000818:Animals; D002188:Cannabis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*
D000700:Analgesics; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013759:Dronabinol