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The antidepressant action of cannabis as well as the interaction between antidepressants and the endocannabinoid system has been reported. This study was conducted to assess the antidepressant-like activity of Delta(9)-THC and other cannabinoids. Cannabinoids were initially evaluated in the mouse tetrad assay to determine doses that do not induce hypothermia or catalepsy. The automated mouse forced swim (FST) and tail suspension (TST) tests were used to determine antidepressant action. At doses lacking hypothermic and cataleptic effects (1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg, i.p.), both Delta(9)-THC and Delta(8)-THC showed a U-shaped dose response with only Delta(9)-THC showing significant antidepressant-like effects at 2.5 mg/kg (p0.05) in the FST. The cannabinoids cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabinol (CBN) did not produce antidepressant-like actions up to 80 mg/kg in the mouse FST, while cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabidiol (CBD) exhibited significant effect at 20 and 200mg/kg, respectively (p0.01). The antidepressant-like action of Delta(9)-THC and CBC was further confirmed in the TST. Delta(9)-THC exhibited the same U-shaped dose response with significant antidepressant-like action at 2.5 mg/kg (p0.05) while CBC resulted in a significant dose-dependent decrease in immobility at 40 and 80 mg/kg doses (p0.01). Results of this study show that Delta(9)-THC and other cannabinoids exert antidepressant-like actions, and thus may contribute to the overall mood-elevating properties of cannabis.

A metalworking fluid (MWF) was obtained that produced an allergic reaction in the local lymph node assay (LLNA) with an EC3 = 4%, the EC3 being the estimated concentration needed to provoke a 3-fold allergy response. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to separate, identify, and isolate the suspected allergen. The biocide, 4-chloro-3-methylphenol, was detected in the MWF as a chromatographic peak matching the retention time of an external standard. The technique of standard addition was used to quantify and confirm the presence of 4-chloro-3-methylphenol at about 1% (w/w). Preparative HPLC was used to fractionate 1 gram of MWF separating the 4-chloro-3-methylphenol fraction from the remaining MWF. The two mobile-phase solutions were concentrated back into an MWF and a 4-chloro-3-methylphenol fraction. The original MWF and the reconstituted 4-chloro-3-methylphenol and MWF fractions were also analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to confirm the isolation of the biocide.