PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF WATER-SOLUBLE CANNABINOIDS AND RELATED ANALOGS

The two water-soluble cannabinoids 1-[ (4-morpholino) butyryloxy]-Δ8-tetrahydro-cannabinol (MB-Δ8-THC) and 5′-trimethylammonium (TMA)-Δ8-THC, as well as structurally similar compounds, were evaluated for cannabimimetic activity in the mouse (locomotor activity, tail-flick antinociception, rectal temperature, and ring-immobility) and dog (staticataxia) procedures. MB-Δ8-THC possesses full cannabimimetic activity and is approximately equipotent to Δ8-THC. 5′-TMA- Δ8-THC only possesses partial cannabimimetic activity in that it is inactive in the ringimmobility and static-ataxia procedures. However, this analog is potent in other respects. All alterations at the 5′ position do not necessarily produce this spectrum of effects, as evidenced by the pharmacological activity of 5′-bromo-Δ8-THC, 5′-OH-Δ8-THC acetate, and 5′-N-dimethyl-Δ8-THC. © 1990.