title: Cannabinol and cannabidiol exert opposing effects on rat feeding patterns.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased food consumption following ∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-induced cannabinoid type 1 receptor agonism is well documented. However, possible non-∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol phytocannabinoid-induced feeding effects have yet to be fully investigated. Therefore, we have assessed the effects of the individual phytocannabinoids, cannabigerol, cannabidiol and cannabinol, upon feeding behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male rats were treated (p.o.) with cannabigerol, cannabidiol, cannabinol or cannabinol plus the CB(1)R antagonist, SR141716A. Prior to treatment, rats were satiated and food intake recorded following drug administration. Data were analyzed for hourly intake and meal microstructure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cannabinol induced a CB(1)R-mediated increase in appetitive behaviors via significant reductions in the latency to feed and increases in consummatory behaviors via increases in meal 1 size and duration. Cannabinol also significantly increased the intake during hour 1 and total chow consumed during the test. Conversely, cannabidiol significantly reduced total chow consumption over the test period. Cannabigerol administration induced no changes to feeding behavior.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first time cannabinol has been shown to increase feeding. Therefore, cannabinol could, in the future, provide an alternative to the currently used and psychotropic ∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-based medicines since cannabinol is currently considered to be non-psychotropic. Furthermore, cannabidiol reduced food intake in line with some existing reports, supporting the need for further mechanistic and behavioral work examining possible anti-obesity effects of cannabidiol.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AJ, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Farrimond
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Whalley
authors.forename: Claire M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002185:Cannabidiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002187:Cannabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000077285:Rimonabant; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists; D002186:Cannabinoids; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D002185:Cannabidiol; D002187:Cannabinol; C037036:cannabigerol; D000077285:Rimonabant