Anabolic Steroid Nandrolone Altered Cannabis Reward and Withdrawal Responses in Mice | Research

The takeaway

Mice pre-exposed to the anabolic steroid nandrolone showed blocked THC reward (place preference), increased THC withdrawal symptoms, and reduced THC anxiety-relief effects, without changes in CB1 receptor binding.

Read this if you are interested in how anabolic steroid use might interact with cannabis effects.

Nandrolone blocked THC reward and increased withdrawal symptoms without changing CB1 receptors

What the researchers found

Researchers examined whether the anabolic steroid nandrolone affects THC's pharmacological and behavioral effects in mice. Nandrolone was administered either as a 14-day pre-exposure or co-administered with each THC injection.

Neither nandrolone treatment affected THC's acute effects (pain relief, temperature drop, reduced movement) or tolerance development. However, nandrolone pre-exposure produced several notable behavioral changes: it blocked THC-induced conditioned place preference (a measure of reward), blocked food reward, and increased the physical withdrawal symptoms precipitated by the CB1 antagonist rimonabant.

Nandrolone pre-exposure also reduced THC's anxiety-relieving effects at low doses without affecting the anxiety-producing effects at high doses. Importantly, CB1 receptor binding and G-protein activation were not changed by nandrolone treatment, suggesting the interaction occurs downstream of the receptor.

Why it matters

The combination of anabolic steroid and cannabis use is not uncommon, particularly among young males. Finding that nandrolone blocks the rewarding effects of THC while worsening withdrawal suggests that steroid use could complicate cannabis cessation and alter the experience of cannabis use.

The numbers in context

Nandrolone pre-exposure: 14 days before THC. THC reward (place preference): blocked. Food reward: blocked. Withdrawal symptoms: increased. Anxiolytic effects of low-dose THC: reduced. CB1 receptor binding: unchanged. G-protein activation: unchanged.

How the study worked

Mouse behavioral pharmacology study using two nandrolone treatment protocols (14-day pre-exposure and co-administration). Assessed THC acute effects, tolerance, conditioned place preference, withdrawal (rimonabant-precipitated), anxiety (lit/dark box, open field, elevated plus-maze), and CB1 receptor binding and GTP-binding protein activation.

What this study cannot tell us

Mouse study results may not translate to humans. The doses and administration routes differ from typical human use patterns. Nandrolone also blocked food reward, suggesting a general reward-blunting effect rather than a cannabis-specific interaction. Only one anabolic steroid was tested.

How to read the evidence

Mouse behavioral pharmacology study. Provides interesting mechanistic data but translation to human polysubstance use patterns is uncertain.

When this study was published

Published in 2006. Research on steroid-cannabinoid interactions remains limited, making this an uncommon area of study.

The bigger picture

This study raises awareness that combining substances can alter each substance's effects in unexpected ways. The finding that nandrolone affects THC reward and withdrawal without changing CB1 receptors suggests the interaction involves downstream signaling cascades, possibly through shared effects on the dopamine system.

Questions still open

Do anabolic steroid users who also use cannabis experience different subjective effects or withdrawal? Is the reward-blocking effect specific to nandrolone or common to other anabolic steroids?

Common questions

Do steroids affect how cannabis works?

In this mouse study, the anabolic steroid nandrolone blocked the rewarding effects of THC and increased withdrawal symptoms. It did not affect the basic physical effects of THC (pain relief, sedation). How this translates to humans is unknown.

Why would someone use both steroids and cannabis?

The study does not address motivations for co-use. However, the combination is seen in some populations, particularly young males. The finding that steroids alter THC's motivational properties could be relevant for understanding co-use patterns.

Read the original research

Influence of the anabolic-androgenic steroid nandrolone on cannabinoid dependence.

Neuropharmacology, 50(7), 788-806

View on PubMed ↗

Citation

Célérier, Evelyne; Ahdepil, Therese; Wikander, Helena; Berrendero, Fernando; Nyberg, Fred; Maldonado, Rafael. (2006). Influence of the anabolic-androgenic steroid nandrolone on cannabinoid dependence.. Neuropharmacology, 50(7), 788-806.