The effects of cannabinoids on general anesthesia
2Department of Anesthesiology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Israel
3Clinical Research Institute at Rambam, Rambam Health Care Campus, Israel
The therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids has been explored in treatment of multiple medical conditions. Cannabis use may impair driving skill, increasing the risk of trauma and emergency surgery under acute exposure to cannabis. Thus, it is increasingly common for physicians to care for patients chronically exposed to these compounds for either medical or recreational reasons. With the increased usage, it is becoming common for anesthesia providers to take care of patients with either acute or chronic exposure to cannabinoids. The cardiac and pulmonary manifestations of this exposure, and some of their impact on anesthetic management have been reported. However, relatively little is known about the effect of cannabinoids on the efficacy and potency of general anesthetic drugs, leaving the clinicians with little data to support their clinical decision making.
In this study we aim to quantify the effects of the cannabinoids (THC and CBD) on the anesthetic dose required to achieve loss of consciousness in male and female mice C57/Bl6 after acute and chronic cannabis administration. This was done by repeatedly measuring the Loss of Righting Reflex (LORR) under a constant anesthetic dose. Positive trials are trials that resulted in the mouse turning, whereas in negative trials the mouse remained lying on its back. The portion of negative trials reflects the mouse sensitivity to anesthetics. Our results identified a significant difference in the effect of exposure to high THC compound between male and female mice. Interestingly, THC and CBD administration differentially influence the response of mice to anesthesia.