Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol interferes with the establishment and the expression of conditioned rejection reactions produced by cyclophosphamide: a rat model of nausea.

Reliable animal models of nausea are necessary to better understand the neurobiology of nausea and to assess treatment effectiveness. We present such a model based on conditioned rejection reactions in rats. Our results demonstrate that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a treatment reported to reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea in humans, also reduces conditioned rejection reactions in rats. Rats were administered THC or vehicle prior to a pairing of saccharin solution with cyclophosphamide or saline during conditioning and/or prior to test. THC interfered with the establishment of cyclophosphamide-induced conditioned rejection during conditioning and with the expression of conditioned rejection during testing. Our results confirm that the conditioned rejection reaction in the rat is a useful animal model of nausea.