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Neuropharmacology

Pain relief without pairing up

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 16, pages 508–509 (2015)Cite this article

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Previous studies had shown that several behaviours that are modulated by THC can also be modulated by 5-HT2A. Here, the authors began by examining the effects of THC in mice lacking 5-HT2A (5ht2a−/− mice). THC-treated 5ht2a−/− mice performed better than THC-treated wild-type mice in an object recognition test, suggesting that THC-induced cognitive impairment requires 5-HT2A. The anxiolytic response to low-dose THC, as assessed using the elevated plus maze and social interaction tests, was also decreased in 5ht2a−/− mice. However, the analgesic effect of THC in the hot-plate test remained intact in 5ht2a−/− mice.

pretreatment of wild-type mice with a 5-HT2A antagonist prevented THC-induced cognitive impairment, but not THC-induced analgesia

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References

  1. Viñals, X. et al. Cognitive impairment induced by delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol occurs through heteromers between cannabinoid CB1 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. PLoS Biol. 13, e1002194 (2015)

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  1. Fiona Carr
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Carr, F. Pain relief without pairing up. Nat Rev Neurosci 16, 508–509 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn4007

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