In vivo effects of tetrahydrocannabinols and their eight monooxygenated metabolites of the hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzyme systems of mice.

In vivo effects of tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs) and their eight monooxygenated metabolites on the hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes in mice were studied. delta 8-THC and its metabolites (7 alpha-hydroxy-, 7 beta-hydroxy- and 7-oxo-delta 8-THC, and 8 alpha, 9 alpha- and 8 beta, 9 beta-epoxyhexahydrocannabinol) tended to increase the enzyme contents or activities except for 7 beta-hydroxy-delta 8-THC which affected the microsomal enzymes in a different manner between the single and subchronic treatments. Single administration (5 mg/kg, i.v.) of 7-oxo-delta 8-THC, 8 alpha, 9 alpha- and 8 beta, 9 beta-epoxyhexahydrocannabinol led to the significant increase in hepatic microsomal p-nitroanisole O-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase activities accompanying a significant increase in cytochrome P-450 content in hepatic microsomes. The same results were obtained with subchronic treatment of mice with these metabolites (5 mg/kg/d, i.v. for 7 d), although the effect of 8 beta, 9 beta-epoxyhexahydrocannabinol on cytochrome P-450 was not statistically significant. 7 beta-Hydroxy-delta 8-THC significantly increased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-cytochrome c reductase and aniline hydroxylase activities by single administration, while the metabolite significantly decreased the contents of cytochrome b5 and P-450 and p-nitrophenol uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase activity by the subchronic treatment. In contrast, delta 9-THC and its metabolites (8 alpha-hydroxy-, 8 beta-hydroxy- and 8-oxo-delta 9-THC) did not significantly affect the microsomal enzymes by both treatments except that the single administration of 8 alpha-hydroxy-delta 9-THC and the subchronic treatment of delta 9-THC significantly decreased NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)