THC induced similar physiological effects on HIV transgenic rats and their controls without affecting HIV-induced deficits in effortful motivation.
Journal of cannabis research January 2, 2026 Sunitha Vemuri, Samantha M Ayoub, Arpi Minassian et al.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, reduced pain sensitivity, body temperature, and movement in HIV-1 transgenic rats and their controls, with some differences between males and females. A higher dose (3 mg/kg) also temporarily lowered motivation to work for a reward, but this effect disappeared after 16 days of daily treatment. HIV-1 transgenic rats showed lower motivation than one control strain (Fischer344) but not another (wildtype littermates), highlighting the importance of choosing appropriate control groups in research.