Jenny Wilkerson
University of Florida
Objective: Anecdotal reports suggest cannabis may be an effective analgesic. Cannabis contains a multitude of compounds (i.e., terpenes) that have not been well studied and may hold therapeutic promise as pain therapeutics. We examined the ability of a subset of terpenes found in cannabis: γ-terpinene, α-terpineol, β-caryophyllene to reverse mechanical allodynia (i.e., light touch sensitivity) in mice experiencing paclitaxel chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and in the chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) neuropathic pain model. To examine cannabinoid receptor involvement within both neuropathic pain models we also tested each terpene in mice lacking either functional cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1R (-/-)) or cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2R (-/-)).