Antinociceptive Effects of Cannabichromene (CBC) in Mice: Insights from von Frey, Tail-Flick, Formalin, and Acetone Tests.

Journal: Biomedicines
Published Date:

Abstract

contains minor cannabinoids that have potential therapeutic value in pain management. However, detailed experimental evidence for the antinociceptive effects of many of these minor cannabinoids remains lacking. Here, we employed artificial intelligence (AI) to perform compound-protein interaction estimates with cannabichromene (CBC) and receptors involved in nociceptive signaling. Based on our findings, we investigated the antinociceptive properties of CBC in naïve or neuropathic C57BL/6 male and female mice using von Frey (mechanical allodynia), tail-flick (noxious radiant heat), formalin (acute and persistent inflammatory pain), and acetone (cold thermal) tests. For von Frey assessments, CBC dose (0-20 mg/kg, i.p.) and time (0-6 h) responses were measured in male and female neuropathic mice. For tail-flick, formalin, and acetone assays, CBC (20 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to naïve male and female mice 1 h prior to testing. The results show that CBC (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced mechanical allodynia in neuropathic male and female mice 1-2 h after treatment. Additionally, CBC treatment caused significant reductions in nociceptive behaviors in the tail-flick assay and in both phase 1 and phase 2 of the formalin test. Finally, we found a significant interaction in neuropathic male mice in the acetone test. In conclusion, our results suggest that CBC targets receptors involved in nociceptive signaling and imparts antinociceptive properties that may benefit males and females afflicted with diverse forms of acute or chronic/persistent pain.

Authors

  • Wesley M Raup-Konsavage
    Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
  • Diana E Sepulveda
    Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
  • Jian Wang
    Veterinary Diagnostic Center, Shanghai Animal Disease Control Center, Shanghai, China.
  • Nikolay V Dokholyan
    Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
  • Kent E Vrana
    Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
  • Nicholas M Graziane
    Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.

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