The hypothermic response of mice to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is enhanced by chlorpromazine, thioxanthenes, alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists and pentolinium but not by SCH 23390 or sulpiride.

Chlorpromazine, given either subcutaneously (0.375 mg/kg) or unilaterally into the preoptic/anterior hypothalamic area through a chronically implanted cannula (20 micrograms), was found to enhance the hypothermic response to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; 5 mg/kg i.p.) in unrestrained adult male MF1 mice, kept at 22 degrees C. In mg/kg terms, chlorpromazine was no more potent when injected into the preoptic/anterior hypothalamic area than when given subcutaneously. Phentolamine (54 micrograms) had no significant effect on hypothermia induced by THC when injected into the hypothalamus although it did enhance this response when given subcutaneously (15 mg/kg). Hypothermia induced by THC was also enhanced by flupentixol (0.375 mg/kg s.c.), piflutixol (23.4 micrograms/kg s.c.), pentolinium (5 mg/kg s.c.), prazosin (0.1875 mg/kg s.c.) and indoramin (6 mg/kg s.c.) but not by SCH 23390 (6 mg/kg s.c.) or sulpiride (40 mg/kg s.c.). When taken together with the results from a previous study, these data support the hypothesis that chlorpromazine enhances hypothermia induced in mice by THC by antagonizing alpha-adrenoceptors so as to decrease the capacity of the animals to minimise peripheral blood flow by vasoconstriction. The present data also support the hypothesis that flupentixol and piflutixol interacted with THC not by antagonizing dopamine at D1 or D2 receptors but rather by blocking alpha-adrenoceptors.