Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol enhances cortical and hippocampal acetylcholine release in vivo: a microdialysis study

The intravenous administration of synthetic cannabinoid agonists was recently shown to dose dependently increase acetylcholine release from the rat prefrontal cortex and hippocampus (Eur. J. Pharmacol. 401 (2000) 179]. We report here that the active ingredient of cannabis preparations, Delta (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, administered at 10, 37.5, 75 and 150 mug/kg, dose dependently stimulated acetylcholine release from rat prefrontal cortex and hippocampus estimated by means of in vivo brain microdialysis with vertical concentric probes. At these doses, Delta (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol induced behavioural stimulation. The administration of the CB1 receptor antagonist, ((N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamidie)HCl) SR 141716A (200 mug/kg i.p.) significantly reduced the effect of Delta (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (75 mug/kg i.v.) on acetylcholine release from rat prefrontal cortex and hippocampu