Summary
The influence of cannabinoids on hexobarbital sleeping time,-blood and-brain levels and on the metabolism of hexobarbital in vitro by rat liver microsomes was investigated. Cannabidiol (CBD) prolongs the hexobarbitone induced loss of righting reflexes stronger than Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The effect of CBD can be explained by an inhibition of the hexobarbital metabolism. It prolongs the half life of the barbiturate in the blood, does not affect the hexobarbital awakening levels in the brain and inhibits strongly the degradation by liver microsomes. The THC-effect, however, is predominantly produced by an interaction in the CNS. THC did not affect the hexobarbital blood levels and was much weaker in inhibiting its degradation in vitro. The awakening levels of the barbiturate in the brain, however, were significantly lowered.
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Fernandes, M., Kluwe, S. & Coper, H. Cannabinoids and hexobarbital induced loss of righting reflexes. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 283, 431–435 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00501116
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00501116