title: Enhancement of anxiety-like responsiveness to the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor agonist HU-210 following chronic stress.
abstract: The effect that chronic unpredictable stress had on the anxiety-like response elicited by the cannabinoid receptor agonist HU-210 [3-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-(-)-11-hydroxy-delta 8-tetrahydrocannabinol] in the elevated plus maze was investigated here. Male Long-Evans rats were either unstressed or were subjected to a 21-day regimen of chronic unpredictable stress, and subsequently were subdivided into three testing groups (vehicle, 10 and 50 microg/kg of HU-210) and tested on the elevated plus maze. Results demonstrated that in unstressed animals, a low dose of HU-210 induced an anxiolytic response, whereas a high dose induced an anxiogenic response. Further, in stressed animals both the low and the high doses of HU-210 induced anxiogenic responses. These findings suggest that chronic stress enhances either cannabinoid receptor responsivity or one of the interacting systems implicated in emotional states.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
authors.forename: Matthew N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Boris B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Gorzalka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000819:agonists*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D013759:Dronabinol; C062018:HU 211