title: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) fails to stimulate consumption of a highly palatable food in the rat.
abstract: THC is the active chemical component in marijuana. In humans, it is known to cause acute sedation, alterations of cognition, and to stimulate appetite. The goal of this study was to determine if THC would produce acute stimulation of the consumption of a highly-palatable food item in the rat. Separate groups of rats were administered THC (1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg) either 30, 60, or 120 min or saline 30 min prior to being placed in the presence of a highly palatable food (Nilla Wafers soaked in water). Spontaneous exploration decreased at the 2.0 mg/kg dose of THC at the 60 min time point. The amount of food eaten was not significantly changed at either dose. These results do not support the hypothesis that THC causes acute appetite stimulation in the rat. However, some other non-specific effect of THC that indirectly reduced food consumption without directly acting upon appetite is a possible explanation that cannot be presently excluded, and that will need to be assessed in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-2500, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Graceffo
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects*; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D013759:Dronabinol