Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive component of cannabis and its synthetic dimethylheptyl homolog suppress nausea in an experimental model with rats

Neuroreport. 2002 Apr 16;13(5):567-70. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200204160-00006.

Abstract

Rats display conditioned rejection reactions during an oral infusion of a flavor previously paired with an emetic drug; considerable evidence indicates that these rejection reactions reflect nausea. Here we report that cannabidiol, a major non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in marijuana and its synthetic dimethylheptyl homolog interfere with nausea elicited by lithium chloride and with conditioned nausea elicited by a flavor paired with lithium chloride. These results suggest that cannabinoids without psychoactive side-effects may have therapeutic value in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cannabidiol / therapeutic use*
  • Cannabinoids / therapeutic use*
  • Cannabis*
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Dronabinol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Dronabinol / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Nausea / chemically induced
  • Nausea / drug therapy*
  • Phytotherapy / methods*
  • Plant Preparations / therapeutic use
  • Psychotropic Drugs / therapeutic use
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

  • Cannabinoids
  • Plant Preparations
  • Psychotropic Drugs
  • Cannabidiol
  • 3-(1,2-dimethylheptyl)-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo(b,d)pyran-1-ol
  • Dronabinol