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Hubbard E, Galinato VM, Derdeyn P, Bartas K, Mahler SV, Beier KT. Neural circuit basis of adolescent THC-induced potentiation of opioid responses in adult mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.23.590773. [PMID: 38712160 PMCID: PMC11071376 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.23.590773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Use of one drug of abuse typically influences the behavioral response to other drugs, either administered at the same time or a subsequent time point. The nature of the drugs being used, as well as the timing and dosing, also influence how these drugs interact. Here, we tested the effects of adolescent THC exposure on the development of morphine-induced behavioral adaptations following repeated morphine exposure during adulthood. We found that adolescent THC administration impacted morphine-induced behaviors across several dimensions, including potentiating reward and paradoxically impairing the development of morphine reward. We then mapped the whole-brain response to a reinstatement dose of morphine, finding that adolescent THC administration led to increased activity in the basal ganglia and increased functional connectivity between frontal cortical regions and the ventral tegmental area. Last, we show using rabies virus-based circuit mapping that adolescent THC exposure triggers a long-lasting elevation in connectivity from the frontal cortex regions onto ventral tegmental dopamine cells that has the potential to influence dopaminergic response to morphine administration during adulthood. Our study adds to the rich literature on the interaction between drugs of abuse and provides potential circuit substates by which adolescent THC exposure influences responses to morphine later in life.
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Martínez-Rivera A, Fetcho RN, Birmingham L, Jiu JX, Yang R, Foord C, Scala-Chávez D, Mekawy N, Pleil K, Pickel VM, Liston C, Castorena CM, Levitz J, Pan YX, Briand LA, Rajadhyaksha AM, Lee FS. Elevating levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol blunts opioid reward but not analgesia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.02.585967. [PMID: 38766079 PMCID: PMC11101127 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.02.585967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Converging findings have established that the endocannabinoid (eCB) system serves as a possible target for the development of new treatments for pain as a complement to opioid-based treatments. Here we show in male and female mice that enhancing levels of the eCB, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), through pharmacological inhibition of its catabolic enzyme, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), either systemically or in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) with JZL184, leads to a substantial attenuation of the rewarding effects of opioids in male and female mice using conditioned place preference and self-administration paradigms, without altering their analgesic properties. These effects are driven by CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) within the VTA as VTA CB1R conditional knockout, counteracts JZL184's effects. Conversely, pharmacologically enhancing the levels of the other eCB, anandamide (AEA), by inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) has no effect on opioid reward or analgesia. Using fiber photometry with fluorescent sensors for calcium and dopamine (DA), we find that enhancing 2-AG levels diminishes opioid reward-related nucleus accumbens (NAc) activity and DA neurotransmission. Together these findings reveal that 2-AG counteracts the rewarding properties of opioids and provides a potential adjunctive therapeutic strategy for opioid-related analgesic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlene Martínez-Rivera
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Robert N. Fetcho
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lizzie Birmingham
- Department of Psychology, Temple University; Neuroscience Program, Temple University, 19122, USA
| | - Jin X Jiu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Ruirong Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Careen Foord
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Diego Scala-Chávez
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Narmin Mekawy
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kristen Pleil
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Virginia M. Pickel
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Conor Liston
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Carlos M. Castorena
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ying-Xian Pan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Lisa A. Briand
- Department of Psychology, Temple University; Neuroscience Program, Temple University, 19122, USA
| | - Anjali M. Rajadhyaksha
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Gutierrez A, Creehan KM, Grant Y, Taffe MA. Adult consequences of repeated nicotine and Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vapor inhalation in adolescent rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:585-599. [PMID: 38282127 PMCID: PMC10884208 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06545-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Use of electronic drug delivery systems (EDDS, "e-cigarettes") to ingest nicotine and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has surged in adolescents in the USA; five times as many high-school seniors vape nicotine daily using tobacco. At the same time, 19.5% of seniors use cannabis at least monthly, with 12% using EDDS to deliver it. OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to examine the impact of repeated adolescent vapor inhalation of nicotine and THC in rats. METHODS Female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 30-min sessions of vapor inhalation, twice daily, from post-natal day (PND) 31 to PND 40. Conditions included vapor from the propylene glycol (PG) vehicle, nicotine (60 mg/mL in the PG), THC (100 mg/mL in the PG), or the combination of nicotine (60 mg/mL) and THC (100 mg/mL). Rats were assessed on wheel activity, heroin anti-nociception and nicotine and heroin vapor volitional exposure during adulthood. RESULTS Nicotine-exposed rats exhibited few differences as adults, but were less sensitive to anti-nociceptive effects of heroin (1 mg/kg, s.c.). THC- and THC + nicotine-exposed rats were less spontaneously active, and obtained fewer nicotine vapor deliveries as adults. In contrast, THC-exposed rats obtained volitional heroin vapor at rates indistinguishable from the non-THC-exposed groups. Repeated THC exposure also caused tolerance to temperature-disrupting effects of THC (5 mg/kg, i.p.). CONCLUSIONS These studies further confirm that the effects of repeated vapor exposure to THC in adolescence last into early to middle adulthood, including decreased volitional consumption of nicotine. Effects of repeated nicotine in adolescence were comparatively minor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold Gutierrez
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kevin M Creehan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yanabel Grant
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Michael A Taffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Zhao Z, Liu Z, Wang J, Li X, He Y, Chen L, Mai Y, Wei X, Ding J, Ge F, Fan Y, Guan X. Fine-Regional Role of the Claustrum in Anxiety and Higher Sensitivity to Cocaine in Adolescent Cocaine-Exposed Male Mice during Adulthood. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0884232023. [PMID: 38148153 PMCID: PMC10860578 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0884-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescent cocaine exposure (ACE) induces anxiety and higher sensitivity to substances abuse during adulthood. Here, we show that the claustrum is crucial for controlling these psychiatric problems in male mice. In anxiety-like behavioral tests, the CaMKII-positive neurons in the median portion of the claustrum (MClaustrum) were triggered, and local suppression of these neurons reduced the anxiety-like behavior in ACE mice during adulthood. In contrast, the CaMKII-positive neurons in the anterior portion of the claustrum (AClaustrum) were more activated in response to subthreshold dose of cocaine induced conditioned place preference (CPP), and local suppression of these neurons blocked the acquisition of cocaine CPP in ACE mice during adulthood. Our findings for the first time identified the fine-regional role of the claustrum in regulating the anxiety and susceptibility to cocaine in ACE mice during adulthood, extending our understanding of the claustrum in substance use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziheng Zhao
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhaoyu Liu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuhong He
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Liying Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuning Mai
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wei
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jianhua Ding
- Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Feifei Ge
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yu Fan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaowei Guan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
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Gutierrez A, Creehan KM, Grant Y, Taffe MA. Adult consequences of repeated nicotine and Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vapor inhalation in adolescent rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.08.556932. [PMID: 37745433 PMCID: PMC10515744 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.08.556932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The use of Electronic Drug Delivery Systems (EDDS, "e-cigarettes") to ingest nicotine and Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has surged in adolescent populations in the United States, as five times as many high-school seniors vape nicotine daily as use tobacco. At the same time 19.5% of seniors use cannabis at least monthly, with 12% using EDDS to deliver it. This study was conducted to examine the impact of repeated adolescent vapor inhalation of nicotine and THC in rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 30-minute sessions of vapor inhalation, twice daily, from Post-Natal Day (PND) 31 to PND 40. Conditions included vapor from the propylene glycol (PG) vehicle, Nicotine (60 mg/mL in the PG), THC (100 mg/mL in the PG) or the combination of Nicotine (60 mg/mL) and THC (100 mg/mL). Rats were assessed on wheel activity, heroin anti-nociception and nicotine and heroin vapor volitional exposure during adulthood. Nicotine exposed rats exhibited few differences as adults, but were less sensitive to anti-nociceptive effects of heroin (1 mg/kg, s.c.). THC- and THC+Nicotine-exposed rats were less spontaneously active, and obtained fewer nicotine vapor deliveries as adults. In contrast, THC exposed rats obtained volitional heroin vapor at rates indistinguishable from the non-THC-exposed groups. Repeated THC exposure also caused tolerance to temperature-disrupting effects of THC (5 mg/kg, i.p.). These studies further confirm that the effects of repeated vapor exposure to THC in adolescence last into early to middle adulthood, including decreased volitional consumption of nicotine. Effects of repeated nicotine in adolescence were comparatively minor.
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Ferland JMN, Ellis RJ, Rompala G, Landry JA, Callens JE, Ly A, Frier MD, Uzamere TO, Hurd YL. Dose mediates the protracted effects of adolescent THC exposure on reward and stress reactivity in males relevant to perturbation of the basolateral amygdala transcriptome. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2583-2593. [PMID: 35236956 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01467-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the belief that cannabis is relatively harmless, exposure during adolescence is associated with increased risk of developing several psychopathologies in adulthood. In addition to the high levels of use amongst teenagers, the potency of ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has increased more than fourfold compared to even twenty years ago, and it is unclear whether potency influences the presentation of THC-induced behaviors. Expanded knowledge about the impact of adolescent THC exposure, especially high dose, is important to delineating neural networks and molecular mechanisms underlying psychiatric risk. Here, we observed that repeated exposure to low (1.5 mg/kg) and high (5 mg/kg) doses of THC during adolescence in male rats produced divergent effects on behavior in adulthood. Whereas low dose rats showed greater sensitivity to reward devaluation and also self-administered more heroin, high dose animals were significantly more reactive to social isolation stress. RNA sequencing of the basolateral amygdala, a region linked to reward processing and stress, revealed significant perturbations in transcripts and gene networks related to synaptic plasticity and HPA axis that were distinct to THC dose as well as stress. In silico single-cell deconvolution of the RNAseq data revealed a significant reduction of astrocyte-specific genes related to glutamate regulation in stressed high dose animals, a result paired anatomically with greater astrocyte-to-neuron ratios and hypotrophic astrocytes. These findings emphasize the importance of dose and behavioral state on the presentation of THC-related behavioral phenotypes in adulthood and dysregulation of astrocytes as an interface for the protracted effects of high dose THC and subsequent stress sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline-Marie N Ferland
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Randall J Ellis
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph A Landry
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - James E Callens
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Annie Ly
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Micah D Frier
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Teddy O Uzamere
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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Cajiao-Manrique MDM, Casadó-Anguera V, García-Blanco A, Maldonado R, Martín-García E. THC exposure during adolescence increases impulsivity-like behavior in adulthood in a WIN 55,212-2 self-administration mouse model. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1148993. [PMID: 37304451 PMCID: PMC10248087 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1148993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cannabis addiction is a chronically relapsing disorder lacking effective treatment. Regular cannabis consumption typically begins during adolescence, and this early cannabinoid exposure may increase the risk for drug addiction in adulthood. Objective This study investigates the development of cannabis addiction-like behavior in adult mice after adolescent exposure to the main psychoactive component of cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Methods Adolescent male mice were exposed to 5 mg/kg of THC from postnatal days 37 to 57. Operant self-administration sessions of WIN 55,212-2 (12.5 μg/kg/infusion) were conducted for 10 days. Mice were tested for three addiction-like criteria (persistence of response, motivation, and compulsivity), two parameters related to craving (resistance to extinction and drug-seeking behavior), and two phenotypic vulnerability traits related to substance use disorders (impulsivity and reward sensitivity). Additionally, qPCR assays were performed to detect differentially expressed genes in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), dorsal striatum, and hippocampus (HPC) of "addicted" and "non-addicted" mice. Results Adolescent THC exposure did not modify WIN 55,212-2 reinforcement nor the development of cannabis addiction-like behavior. Inversely, THC pre-exposed mice displayed impulsive-like behavior in adulthood, which was more pronounced in mice that developed the addiction-like criteria. Moreover, downregulated drd2 and adora2a gene expression in NAc and HPC was revealed in THC pre-exposed mice, as well as a downregulation of drd2 expression in mPFC of vehicle pre-treated mice that developed addiction-like behaviors. Discussion These findings suggest that adolescent THC exposure may promote impulsivity-like behavior in adulthood, associated with downregulated drd2 and adora2a expression in NAc and HPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- María del Mar Cajiao-Manrique
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-Neurophar, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Verònica Casadó-Anguera
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-Neurophar, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandra García-Blanco
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-Neurophar, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-Neurophar, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Martín-García
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-Neurophar, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
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Thrul J, Rabinowitz JA, Reboussin BA, Maher BS, Anthony JC, Ialongo NS. Longitudinal associations between age 20 problematic substance use and opioid use disorder incidence at age 30 - findings from an urban cohort. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 160:1-7. [PMID: 36764195 PMCID: PMC10023426 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
This study used data from a longitudinal prevention study in an urban cohort to examine associations between nicotine dependence, alcohol, and cannabis use disorder and disorder criteria at age 20, with opioid use disorder (OUD) incidence or criteria onset by age 30. The study sample included 1408 participants (57.5% female, 72.5% African American) drawn from two cohorts of participants in a mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. as part of a series of randomized controlled trials of elementary school-based universal prevention interventions. Lifetime cannabis use disorder (CUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD; both DSM-IV), and current nicotine dependence (Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, FTND) assessed at age 20 were used to predict (1) DSM-IV lifetime OUD at age 30, and (2) OUD criteria between ages 20 and 30 in multivariable logistic regression models. Covariates for all analyses included sociodemographics (sex, race, and free/reduced-priced lunch status), community disadvantage, and intervention status. Nicotine dependence (FTND≥3) at age 20 predicted age 30 DSM-IV lifetime OUD (aOR = 2.37; 95% CI 1.02,5.54). The number of CUD criteria (aOR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.09,1.57) and nicotine dependence severity scores (aOR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.05,1.41) at age 20 predicted any OUD criteria between the ages of 20 and 30. Findings are consistent with previous research on opioid use behavior in young adulthood and suggest that nicotine dependence and CUD criteria among urban young people predict onset of OUD and OUD criteria in young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Thrul
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA; Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Jill A Rabinowitz
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Beth A Reboussin
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Brion S Maher
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James C Anthony
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Epidemiology & Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Nicholas S Ialongo
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Pintori N, Caria F, De Luca MA, Miliano C. THC and CBD: Villain versus Hero? Insights into Adolescent Exposure. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065251. [PMID: 36982327 PMCID: PMC10048857 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis is the most used drug of abuse worldwide. It is well established that the most abundant phytocannabinoids in this plant are Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). These two compounds have remarkably similar chemical structures yet vastly different effects in the brain. By binding to the same receptors, THC is psychoactive, while CBD has anxiolytic and antipsychotic properties. Lately, a variety of hemp-based products, including CBD and THC, have become widely available in the food and health industry, and medical and recreational use of cannabis has been legalized in many states/countries. As a result, people, including youths, are consuming CBD because it is considered “safe”. An extensive literature exists evaluating the harmful effects of THC in both adults and adolescents, but little is known about the long-term effects of CBD exposure, especially in adolescence. The aim of this review is to collect preclinical and clinical evidence about the effects of cannabidiol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Pintori
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Francesca Caria
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta De Luca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-070-6758633
| | - Cristina Miliano
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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10
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Liu J, Scott BW, Burnham WM. Effects of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the elevated plus maze in mice. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:206-212. [PMID: 33883447 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The present study tested the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) alone, Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alone, and CBD and THC in combination (15:1 ratio) in the elevated plus maze (EPM), a test useful for the study of anxiety. In dose-response studies, adult, male CD1 mice were injected intraperitoneally with (1) CBD alone (0-96 mg/kg), (2) THC alone (0-6.4 mg/kg) or (3) CBD+THC in a 15:1 combination (0.0 + 0.0 mg/kg to 96.0 + 6.4 mg/kg). Diazepam (2.5 mg/kg) was also tested as a positive control. It was found that diazepam significantly increased open arm time in the EPM. CBD alone had no significant effect at any dose or injection-test interval. THC alone, however, caused a significant increase in open arm time at 3.2 and 6.4 mg/kg - doses which did not affect locomotion as measured by closed-arm entries. The effect of the combination of CBD and THC was not significantly different than the effect of THC alone. CBD alone did not have anxiolytic-like effects. THC had anxiolytic-like effects at nontoxic doses. No interaction between THC and CBD was seen when the two were combined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhan Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
| | - Brian W Scott
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
- EpLink, The Epilepsy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Willets McIntyre Burnham
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
- EpLink, The Epilepsy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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11
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Orihuel J, Capellán R, Roura-Martínez D, Ucha M, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol During Adolescence Reprograms the Nucleus Accumbens Transcriptome, Affecting Reward Processing, Impulsivity, and Specific Aspects of Cocaine Addiction-Like Behavior in a Sex-Dependent Manner. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:920-933. [PMID: 34436576 PMCID: PMC8598305 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis exposure during adolescence is associated with emotional and motivational alterations that may entail an enhanced risk of developing psychiatric disorders. In rodent models, exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence leads to increased self-administration of opiates and cocaine, however, the psychological and neural mechanisms and the sex-specificity of this phenomenon are largely unknown. METHODS We exposed male and female adolescent rats to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and studied at adulthood the effects of such treatment on psychological processes related to reward, such as Pavlovian conditioned approach, Pavlovian to instrumental transfer, habit formation and waiting impulsivity. In the light of these data and given the involvement of the nucleus accumbens in the processes examined, we performed an RNASeq transcriptomic study and assessed cocaine addiction-like behavior. RESULTS THC exposure increased goal-tracking (in males and females) and enhanced Pavlovian to instrumental transfer (especially in males) but did not affect habit formation. THC-exposed rats exhibited subtle, state-dependent changes in premature responding in the 2-CSRTT task. RNASeq data showed gene expression alterations in a marked sex-specific manner. While no effects were found on the acquisition of cocaine self-administration or punished drug-seeking, rats exposed to THC self-administered more cocaine under a progressive ratio schedule (males), had a higher rebound upon returning to continuous access to the drug (females) and showed reduced drug-seeking after 30 days of withdrawal (females). CONCLUSIONS Adolescent THC affects specific aspects of reward- (and cocaine-) guided behavior and the function of a key brain region mediating these effects, in a remarkable sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roura-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
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12
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Effects of Cannabinoid Exposure during Neurodevelopment on Future Effects of Drugs of Abuse: A Preclinical Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189989. [PMID: 34576153 PMCID: PMC8472179 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system plays a central role in the earliest stages of embryonic, postnatal and adolescent neurodevelopment. Aberrant activity of this system at key developmental phases has been shown to affect neural development. The aim of this review is to synthesise and analyse preclinical insights within rodent populations, focusing on the effects that perinatal (embryonic, gestational and early postnatal developmental stages) and adolescent (postnatal day 21–60) cannabinoid exposure impose across time on the subsequent activity of various drugs of abuse. Results in rodents show that exposure to cannabinoids during the perinatal and adolescent period can lead to multifaceted behavioural and molecular changes. In the perinatal period, significant effects of Δ9-THC exposure on subsequent opiate and amphetamine reward-related behaviours were observed primarily in male rodents. These effects were not extended to include cocaine or alcohol. In adolescence, various cannabinoid agonists were used experimentally. This array of cannabinoids demonstrated consistent effects on opioids across sex. In contrast, no significant effects were observed regarding the future activity of amphetamines and cocaine. However, these studies focused primarily on male rodents. In conclusion, numerous gaps and limitations are apparent in the current body of research. The sparsity of studies analysing the perinatal period must be addressed. Future research within both periods must also focus on delineating sex-specific effects, moving away from a male-centric focus. Studies should also aim to utilise more clinically relevant cannabinoid treatments.
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13
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Netzahualcoyotzi C, Rodríguez-Serrano LM, Chávez-Hernández ME, Buenrostro-Jáuregui MH. Early Consumption of Cannabinoids: From Adult Neurogenesis to Behavior. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7450. [PMID: 34299069 PMCID: PMC8306314 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a crucial modulatory system in which interest has been increasing, particularly regarding the regulation of behavior and neuroplasticity. The adolescent-young adulthood phase of development comprises a critical period in the maturation of the nervous system and the ECS. Neurogenesis occurs in discrete regions of the adult brain, and this process is linked to the modulation of some behaviors. Since marijuana (cannabis) is the most consumed illegal drug globally and the highest consumption rate is observed during adolescence, it is of particular importance to understand the effects of ECS modulation in these early stages of adulthood. Thus, in this article, we sought to summarize recent evidence demonstrating the role of the ECS and exogenous cannabinoid consumption in the adolescent-young adulthood period; elucidate the effects of exogenous cannabinoid consumption on adult neurogenesis; and describe some essential and adaptive behaviors, such as stress, anxiety, learning, and memory. The data summarized in this work highlight the relevance of maintaining balance in the endocannabinoid modulatory system in the early and adult stages of life. Any ECS disturbance may induce significant modifications in the genesis of new neurons and may consequently modify behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Citlalli Netzahualcoyotzi
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma 880, Lomas de Santa Fé, Ciudad de México 01219, Mexico; (C.N.); (L.M.R.-S.); (M.E.C.-H.)
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud (CICSA), FCS, Universidad Anáhuac México Campus Norte, Huixquilucan 52786, Mexico
| | - Luis Miguel Rodríguez-Serrano
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma 880, Lomas de Santa Fé, Ciudad de México 01219, Mexico; (C.N.); (L.M.R.-S.); (M.E.C.-H.)
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la alimentación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - María Elena Chávez-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma 880, Lomas de Santa Fé, Ciudad de México 01219, Mexico; (C.N.); (L.M.R.-S.); (M.E.C.-H.)
| | - Mario Humberto Buenrostro-Jáuregui
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma 880, Lomas de Santa Fé, Ciudad de México 01219, Mexico; (C.N.); (L.M.R.-S.); (M.E.C.-H.)
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14
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Bara A, Ferland JMN, Rompala G, Szutorisz H, Hurd YL. Cannabis and synaptic reprogramming of the developing brain. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:423-438. [PMID: 34021274 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00465-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent years have been transformational in regard to the perception of the health risks and benefits of cannabis with increased acceptance of use. This has unintended neurodevelopmental implications given the increased use of cannabis and the potent levels of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol today being consumed by pregnant women, young mothers and teens. In this Review, we provide an overview of the neurobiological effects of cannabinoid exposure during prenatal/perinatal and adolescent periods, in which the endogenous cannabinoid system plays a fundamental role in neurodevelopmental processes. We highlight impaired synaptic plasticity as characteristic of developmental exposure and the important contribution of epigenetic reprogramming that maintains the long-term impact into adulthood and across generations. Such epigenetic influence by its very nature being highly responsive to the environment also provides the potential to diminish neural perturbations associated with developmental cannabis exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Bara
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Jacqueline-Marie N Ferland
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Henrietta Szutorisz
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA. .,Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, NY, USA. .,Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.
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15
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Ruiz CM, Torrens A, Castillo E, Perrone CR, Cevallos J, Inshishian VC, Harder EV, Justeson DN, Huestis MA, Swarup V, Piomelli D, Mahler SV. Pharmacokinetic, behavioral, and brain activity effects of Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in adolescent male and female rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:959-969. [PMID: 32927465 PMCID: PMC8115040 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00839-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the intoxicating constituent of cannabis and is responsible for the drug's reinforcing effects. Retrospective human studies suggest that cannabis use during adolescence is linked to long-term negative psychological outcomes, but in such studies it is difficult to distinguish the effects of THC from those of coexisting factors. Therefore, translationally relevant animal models are required to properly investigate THC effects in adolescents. However, though the relevance of these studies depends upon human-relevant dosing, surprisingly little is known about THC pharmacology and its effects on behavior and brain activity in adolescent rodents-especially in females. Here, we conducted a systematic investigation of THC pharmacokinetics, metabolism and distribution in blood and brain, and of THC effects upon behavior and neural activity in adolescent Long Evans rats of both sexes. We administered THC during an early-middle adolescent window (postnatal days 27-45) in which the brain may be particularly sensitive to developmental perturbation by THC. We determined the pharmacokinetic profile of THC and its main first-pass metabolites (11-hydroxy-THC and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC) in blood and brain following acute injection (0.5 or 5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal). We also evaluated THC effects on behavioral assays of anxiety, locomotion, and place conditioning, as well as c-Fos expression in 14 brain regions. Confirming previous work, we find marked sex differences in THC metabolism, including a female-specific elevation in the bioactive metabolite 11-hydroxy-THC. Furthermore, we find dose-dependent and sex-dependent effects on behavior, neural activity, and functional connectivity across multiple nodes of brain stress and reward networks. Our findings are relevant for interpreting results of rat adolescent THC exposure studies, and may lend new insights into how THC impacts the brain in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Ruiz
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Alexa Torrens
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Erik Castillo
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Christina R. Perrone
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA ,grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Jenny Cevallos
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Victoria C. Inshishian
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA ,grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Eden V. Harder
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Drew N. Justeson
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Marilyn A. Huestis
- grid.265008.90000 0001 2166 5843Institute of Emerging Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA
| | - Vivek Swarup
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. .,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. .,Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| | - Stephen V. Mahler
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
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16
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Effects of vapourized THC and voluntary alcohol drinking during adolescence on cognition, reward, and anxiety-like behaviours in rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110141. [PMID: 33069816 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis and alcohol co-use is prevalent in adolescence, but the long-term behavioural effects of this co-use remain largely unexplored. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of adolescent alcohol and Δ9-tetrahydracannabinol (THC) vapour co-exposure on cognitive- and reward-related behaviours. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received vapourized THC (10 mg vapourized THC/four adolescent rats) or vehicle every other day (from post-natal day (PND) 28-42) and had continuous voluntary access to ethanol (10% volume/volume) in adolescence. Alcohol intake was measured during the exposure period to assess the acute effects of THC on alcohol consumption. In adulthood (PND 56+), rats underwent behavioural testing. Adolescent rats showed higher alcohol preference, assessed using the two-bottle choice test, on days on which they were not exposed to THC vapour. In adulthood, rats that drank alcohol as adolescents exhibited short-term memory deficits and showed decreased alcohol preference; on the other hand, rats exposed to THC vapour showed learning impairments in the delay-discounting task. Vapourized THC, alcohol or their combination had no effect on anxiety-like behaviours in adulthood. Our results show that although adolescent THC exposure acutely affects alcohol drinking, adolescent alcohol and cannabis co-use may not produce long-term additive effects.
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17
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Stringfield SJ, Torregrossa MM. Disentangling the lasting effects of adolescent cannabinoid exposure. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 104:110067. [PMID: 32791165 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance among adolescents, and adolescent cannabis use is associated with various neurocognitive deficits that can extend into adulthood. A growing body of evidence supports the hypothesis that adolescence encompasses a vulnerable period of development where exposure to exogenous cannabinoids can alter the normative trajectory of brain maturation. In this review, we present an overview of studies of human and rodent models that examine lasting effects of adolescent exposure. We include evidence from meta-analyses, longitudinal, or cross-sectional studies in humans that consider age of onset as a factor that contributes to the behavioral dysregulation and altered structural or functional development in cannabis users. We also discuss evidence from preclinical rodent models utilizing well-characterized or innovative routes of exposure, investigating the effects of dose and timing to produce behavioral deficits or alterations on a neuronal and behavioral level. Multiple studies from both humans and animals provide contrasting results regarding the magnitude of residual effects. Combined evidence suggests that exposure to psychoactive cannabinoids during adolescence has the potential to produce subtle, but lasting, alterations in neurobiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra J Stringfield
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Mary M Torregrossa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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18
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Sorkhou M, Bedder RH, George TP. The Behavioral Sequelae of Cannabis Use in Healthy People: A Systematic Review. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:630247. [PMID: 33664685 PMCID: PMC7920961 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.630247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Cannabis is known to have a broad range of effects on behavior, including experiencing a "high" and tranquility/relaxation. However, there are several adverse behavioral sequalae that can arise from cannabis use, depending on frequency of use, potency (e.g., THC content), age of onset, and cumulative exposure. This systematic review examined evidence for cannabis-related adverse behavioral sequalae in otherwise healthy human subjects. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies from 1990 to 2020 that identified cannabis-related adverse behavioral outcomes in subjects without psychiatric and medical co-morbidities from PubMed and PsychInfo searches. Key search terms included "cannabis" OR "tetrahydrocannabinol" OR "cannabidiol" OR "marijuana" AND "anxiety" OR "depression" OR "psychosis" OR "schizophrenia" "OR "IQ" OR "memory" OR "attention" OR "impulsivity" OR "cognition" OR "education" OR "occupation". Results: Our search detected a total of 2,870 studies, from which we extracted 124 relevant studies from the literature on cannabis effects in the non-clinical population. Effects of cannabis on several behavioral sequelae including cognition, motivation, impulsivity, mood, anxiety, psychosis intelligence, and psychosocial functioning were identified. The preponderance of the evidence suggests that frequency of cannabis use, THC (but not CBD) content, age of onset, and cumulative cannabis exposure can all contribute to these adverse outcomes in individuals without a pre-existing medical condition or psychiatric disorder. The strongest evidence for the negative effects of cannabis are for psychosis and psychosocial functioning. Conclusions: Although more research is needed to determine risk factors for development of adverse behavioral sequelae of cannabis use, these findings underline the importance of understanding vulnerability to the adverse effects of cannabis, which has implications for prevention and treatment of problematic cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Sorkhou
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rachel H Bedder
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tony P George
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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19
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Stringfield SJ, Torregrossa MM. Intravenous self-administration of delta-9-THC in adolescent rats produces long-lasting alterations in behavior and receptor protein expression. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:305-319. [PMID: 33111197 PMCID: PMC7796919 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05684-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Initial exposure to cannabinoids, including Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), often occurs during adolescence. Considerable neurodevelopmental alterations occur throughout adolescence, and the environmental insult posed by exogenous cannabinoid exposure may alter natural developmental trajectories. Multiple studies suggest that long-lasting deficits in cognitive function occur as a result of adolescent cannabis use, but considerable variability exists in the magnitude of these effects. OBJECTIVES We sought to establish a novel procedure for achieving intravenous THC self-administration in adolescent rats in order to determine if volitional THC intake in adolescence produced indices of addiction-related behavior, altered working memory performance in adulthood, or altered the expression of proteins associated with these behaviors across several brain regions. METHODS Male and female adolescent rats learned to operantly self-administer escalating doses of THC intravenously from PD 32-51. Upon reaching adulthood they were tested in abstinence for cued reinstatement of THC-seeking and working memory performance on a delayed-match-to-sample task. In a separate cohort, glutamatergic, GABAergic, and cannabinoid receptor protein expression was measured in multiple brain regions. RESULTS Both male and female adolescents self-administered THC and exhibited cue-induced lever pressing throughout abstinence. THC-exposed males exhibited slightly enhanced working memory performance in adulthood, and better performance positively correlated with total THC self-administered during adolescence. Adolescent THC-exposed rats exhibited reductions in CB1, GABA, and glutamate receptor protein, primarily in the prefrontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, and ventral tegmental area. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that THC exposure at self-administered doses can produce moderate behavioral and molecular alterations, including sex-dependent effects on working memory performance in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra J Stringfield
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Suite 223, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Mary M Torregrossa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Suite 223, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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20
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Gibula-Tarlowska E, Wydra K, Kotlinska JH. Deleterious Effects of Ethanol, Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Their Combination on the Spatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility in Adolescent and Adult Male Rats in the Barnes Maze Task. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12070654. [PMID: 32660138 PMCID: PMC7407502 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12070654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Research demonstrates that adolescents differ from adults in their response to drugs of abuse. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of ethanol, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol hydrochloride (THC), and a combination of these drugs given during adolescence on spatial memory in adolescent and adult rats. Thus, adolescent rats (postnatal day (PND) 30) were subjected to the following groups: 0.9% NaCl; 1.5 g/kg ethanol; 1.0 mg/kg THC; 1.5 g/kg ethanol + 1.0 mg/kg THC. Rats received drug injection four times at three-day intervals. One day after the last injection, half of the treated animals were tested in the Barnes maze task, whereas the remaining animals were tested on PND 70. Results show that there was a significant age effect on spatial memory in the Barnes maze task after these drug administrations. Adolescent animals demonstrated more potent deficits in the spatial learning and memory (probe trial) and in cognitive flexibility (reversal learning) than did adults. However, in adult rats that received these drugs in adolescence, memory decline was observed only after ethanol and ethanol + THC administration. Thus, our results are important in understanding the deleterious impact of THC and/or ethanol abuse during adolescence on memory function across the lifespan (adolescent versus adult).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Gibula-Tarlowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Karolina Wydra
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
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21
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Deconstructing the neurobiology of cannabis use disorder. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:600-610. [PMID: 32251385 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0611-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
There have been dramatic changes worldwide in the attitudes toward and consumption of recreational and medical cannabis. Cannabinoid receptors, which mediate the actions of cannabis, are abundantly expressed in brain regions known to mediate neural processes underlying reward, cognition, emotional regulation and stress responsivity relevant to addiction vulnerability. Despite debates regarding potential pathological consequences of cannabis use, cannabis use disorder is a clinical diagnosis with high prevalence in the general population and that often has its genesis in adolescence and in vulnerable individuals associated with psychiatric comorbidity, genetic and environmental factors. Integrated information from human and animal studies is beginning to expand insights regarding neurobiological systems associated with cannabis use disorder, which often share common neural characteristics with other substance use disorders, that could inform prevention and treatment strategies.
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22
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Lecca D, Scifo A, Pisanu A, Valentini V, Piras G, Sil A, Cadoni C, Di Chiara G. Adolescent cannabis exposure increases heroin reinforcement in rats genetically vulnerable to addiction. Neuropharmacology 2020; 166:107974. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.107974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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23
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Flores Á, Maldonado R, Berrendero F. THC exposure during adolescence does not modify nicotine reinforcing effects and relapse in adult male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:801-809. [PMID: 31858159 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05416-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cannabis use is typically initiated during adolescence, and different studies suggest that adolescent cannabinoid exposure may increase the risk for drug addiction in adulthood. OBJECTIVES This study investigated the effects of adolescent exposure to the main psychoactive component of cannabis, ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in the reinforcing properties of nicotine in adult male mice. Possible alterations in relapse to nicotine-seeking behaviour in adult animals due to THC adolescent exposure were also evaluated. METHODS Adolescent mice were exposed to escalating doses of THC from PND35 to PND49. When mice reached adulthood (PND70), surgical procedures were applied for further behavioural evaluation. Nicotine self-administration sessions were conducted consecutively for 10 days. Following extinction, mice were tested for cue- and stress-induced reinstatement of nicotine-seeking behaviour. RESULTS Adolescent THC treatment did not modify acquisition and extinction of nicotine self-administration in adulthood. Moreover, THC exposure did not alter relapse to nicotine seeking induced by stress or nicotine-associated cues. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that a history of exposure to THC during adolescence under these particular conditions does not modify the reinforcing effects and seeking behaviour of nicotine in the adult period.
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Affiliation(s)
- África Flores
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, PRBB, C/ Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, PRBB, C/ Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Fernando Berrendero
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, PRBB, C/ Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain. .,Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, UFV, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
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24
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Abstract
Given the aging Baby Boomer generation, changes in cannabis legislation, and the growing acknowledgment of cannabis for its therapeutic potential, it is predicted that cannabis use in the older population will escalate. It is, therefore, important to determine the interaction between the effects of cannabis and aging. The aim of this report is to describe the link between cannabis use and the aging brain. Our review of the literature found few and inconsistent empirical studies that directly address the impact of cannabis use on the aging brain. However, research focused on long-term cannabis use points toward cumulative effects on multimodal systems in the brain that are similarly affected during aging. Specifically, the effects of cannabis and aging converge on overlapping networks in the endocannabinoid, opioid, and dopamine systems that may affect functional decline particularly in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which are critical areas for memory and executive functioning. To conclude, despite the limited current knowledge on the potential interactive effects between cannabis and aging, evidence from the literature suggests that cannabis and aging effects are concurrently present across several neurotransmitter systems. There is a great need for future research to directly test the interactions between cannabis and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Bin Yoo
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer DiMuzio
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
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25
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Thorpe HHA, Hamidullah S, Jenkins BW, Khokhar JY. Adolescent neurodevelopment and substance use: Receptor expression and behavioral consequences. Pharmacol Ther 2019; 206:107431. [PMID: 31706976 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.107431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is the transitional period between childhood and adulthood, during which extensive brain development occurs. Since this period also overlaps with the initiation of drug use, it is important to consider how substance use during this time might produce long-term neurobiological alterations, especially against the backdrop of developmental changes in neurotransmission. Alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and opioids all produce marked changes in the expression and function of the neurotransmitter and receptor systems with which they interact. These acute and chronic alterations also contribute to behavioral consequences ranging from increased addiction risk to cognitive or neuropsychiatric behavioral dysfunctions. The current review provides an in-depth overview and update of the developmental changes in neurotransmission during adolescence, as well as the impact of drug exposure during this neurodevelopmental window. While most of these factors have been studied in animal models, which are the focus of this review, future longitudinal studies in humans that assess neural function and behavior will help to confirm pre-clinical findings. Furthermore, the neural changes induced by each drug should also be considered in the context of other contributing factors, such as sex. Further understanding of these consequences can help in the identification of novel approaches for preventing and reversing the neurobiological effects of adolescent substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley H A Thorpe
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shahnaza Hamidullah
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bryan W Jenkins
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jibran Y Khokhar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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26
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Nguyen JD, Creehan KM, Kerr TM, Taffe MA. Lasting effects of repeated ∆ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol vapour inhalation during adolescence in male and female rats. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 177:188-203. [PMID: 31478558 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Adolescents are regularly exposed to ∆9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) via smoking and, more recently, vaping cannabis extracts. Growing legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes, combined with decreasing perceptions of harm, makes it increasingly important to determine the consequences of frequent adolescent exposure for motivated behaviour and lasting tolerance in response to THC. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES Male and female rats inhaled THC vapour, or that from the propylene glycol (PG) vehicle, twice daily for 30 min from postnatal day (PND) 35-39 and PND 42-46 using an e-cigarette system. Thermoregulatory responses to vapour inhalation were assessed by radio-telemetry during adolescence and from PND 86-94. Chow intake was assessed in adulthood. Blood samples were obtained from additional adolescent groups following initial THC inhalation and after 4 days of twice daily exposure. Additional groups exposed repeatedly to THC or PG during adolescence were evaluated for intravenous self-administration of oxycodone as adults. KEY RESULTS Female, not male, adolescents developed tolerance to the hypothermic effects of THC inhalation in the first week of repeated exposure despite similar plasma THC levels. Each sex exhibited tolerance to THC hypothermia in adulthood after repeated adolescent THC. However, enhanced potency was found in females. Repeated THC male rats consumed more food than their PG-treated control group, without significant bodyweight differences. Adolescent THC did not alter oxycodone self-administration in either sex but increased fentanyl self-administration in females. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Repeated THC vapour inhalation in adolescent rats has lasting consequences observable in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques D Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, La Jolla, California
| | - Kevin M Creehan
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, La Jolla, California
| | - Tony M Kerr
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Michael A Taffe
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, La Jolla, California
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27
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Abstract
Cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and the enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis and degradation constitute the endocannabinoid system. In recent decades, the endocannabinoid system has attracted considerable interest as a potential therapeutic target in numerous pathological conditions. Its involvement in several physiological processes is well known, such as in energy balance, appetite stimulation, blood pressure, pain modulation, embryogenesis, nausea and vomiting control, memory, learning and immune response, among others, as well as in pathological conditions where it exerts a protective role in the development of certain disorders. As a result, it has been reported that changes in endocannabinoid levels may be related to neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis, as well as anorexia and irritable bowel syndrome. Alterations in the endocannabinoid system have also been associated with cancer, affecting the growth, migration and invasion of some tumours. Cannabinoids have been tested in several cancer types, including brain, breast and prostate cancers. Cannabinoids have shown promise as analgesics for the treatment of both inflammatory and neuropathic pain. There is also evidence for a role of the endocannabinoid system in the control of emotional states, and cannabinoids could prove useful in decreasing and palliating post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and anxiolytic disorders. The role of the endocannabinoid system in addictions has also been examined, and cannabinoids have been postulated as alternative and co-adjuvant treatments in some abuse syndromes, mainly in ethanol and opioid abuses. The expression of the endocannabinoid system in the eye suggests that it could be a potential therapeutic target for eye diseases. Considering the importance of the endocannabinoid system and the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in this vast number of medical conditions, several clinical studies with cannabinoid-based medications are ongoing. In addition, some cannabinoid-based medications have already been approved in various countries, including nabilone and dronabinol capsules for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, dronabinol capsules for anorexia, an oral solution of dronabinol for both vomiting associated with chemotherapy and anorexia, a Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol oromucosal spray for pain related to cancer and for spasticity and pain associated with multiple sclerosis, and an oral solution of cannabidiol for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. Here, we review the available efficacy, safety and tolerability data for cannabinoids in a range of medical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Isabel Fraguas-Sánchez
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 , Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Torres-Suárez
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 , Madrid, Spain. .,Institute of Industrial Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 , Madrid, Spain.
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28
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Andrade AK, Renda B, Murray JE. Cannabinoids, interoception, and anxiety. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 180:60-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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29
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Nguyen JD, Grant Y, Creehan KM, Hwang CS, Vandewater SA, Janda KD, Cole M, Taffe MA. Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol attenuates oxycodone self-administration under extended access conditions. Neuropharmacology 2019; 151:127-135. [PMID: 30980837 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Growing nonmedical use of prescription opioids is a global problem, motivating research on ways to reduce use and combat addiction. Medical cannabis ("medical marijuana") legalization has been associated epidemiologically with reduced opioid harms and cannabinoids have been shown to modulate effects of opioids in animal models. This study was conducted to determine if Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) enhances the behavioral effects of oxycodone. Male rats were trained to intravenously self-administer (IVSA) oxycodone (0.15 mg/kg/infusion) during 1 h, 4 h or 8 h sessions. Following acquisition rats were exposed to THC by vapor inhalation (1 h and 8 h groups) or injection (0-10 mg/kg, i.p.; all groups) prior to IVSA sessions. Fewer oxycodone infusions were obtained by rats following vaporized or injected THC compared with vehicle treatment prior to the session. Follow-up studies demonstrated parallel dose-dependent effects of THC, i.p., on self-administration of different per-infusion doses of oxycodone and a preserved loading dose early in the session. These patterns are inconsistent with behavioral suppression. Additional groups of male and female Wistar rats were assessed for nociception following inhalation of vaporized THC (50 mg/mL), oxycodone (100 mg/mL) or the combination. Tail withdrawal latency was increased more by the THC/oxycodone combination compared to either drug alone. Similar additive antinociceptive effects were produced by injection of THC (5.0 mg/kg, i.p.) and oxycodone (2.0 mg/kg, s.c.). Together these data demonstrate additive effects of THC and oxycodone and suggest the potential use of THC to enhance therapeutic efficacy, and to reduce the abuse, of opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques D Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yanabel Grant
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin M Creehan
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Candy S Hwang
- Departments of Chemistry and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute for Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Chemistry, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sophia A Vandewater
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kim D Janda
- Departments of Chemistry and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute for Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maury Cole
- La Jolla Alcohol Research, Inc, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael A Taffe
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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30
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Concomitant THC and stress adolescent exposure induces impaired fear extinction and related neurobiological changes in adulthood. Neuropharmacology 2019; 144:345-357. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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31
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Greenwald MK. Anti-stress neuropharmacological mechanisms and targets for addiction treatment: A translational framework. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:84-104. [PMID: 30238023 PMCID: PMC6138948 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-related substance use is a major challenge for treating substance use disorders. This selective review focuses on emerging pharmacotherapies with potential for reducing stress-potentiated seeking and consumption of nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids (i.e., key phenotypes for the most commonly abused substances). I evaluate neuropharmacological mechanisms in experimental models of drug-maintenance and relapse, which translate more readily to individuals presenting for treatment (who have initiated and progressed). An affective/motivational systems model (three dimensions: valence, arousal, control) is mapped onto a systems biology of addiction approach for addressing this problem. Based on quality of evidence to date, promising first-tier neurochemical receptor targets include: noradrenergic (α1 and β antagonist, α2 agonist), kappa-opioid antagonist, nociceptin antagonist, orexin-1 antagonist, and endocannabinoid modulation (e.g., cannabidiol, FAAH inhibition); second-tier candidates may include corticotropin releasing factor-1 antagonists, serotonergic agents (e.g., 5-HT reuptake inhibitors, 5-HT3 antagonists), glutamatergic agents (e.g., mGluR2/3 agonist/positive allosteric modulator, mGluR5 antagonist/negative allosteric modulator), GABA-promoters (e.g., pregabalin, tiagabine), vasopressin 1b antagonist, NK-1 antagonist, and PPAR-γ agonist (e.g., pioglitazone). To address affective/motivational mechanisms of stress-related substance use, it may be advisable to combine agents with actions at complementary targets for greater efficacy but systematic studies are lacking except for interactions with the noradrenergic system. I note clinically-relevant factors that could mediate/moderate the efficacy of anti-stress therapeutics and identify research gaps that should be pursued. Finally, progress in developing anti-stress medications will depend on use of reliable CNS biomarkers to validate exposure-response relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark K. Greenwald
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
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32
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Abstract
The opioid epidemic is at the epicenter of the drug crisis, resulting in an inconceivable number of overdose deaths and exorbitant associated medical costs that have crippled many communities across the socioeconomic spectrum in the United States. Classic medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder predominantly target the opioid system and thus have been underutilized, in part due to their own potential for abuse and heavy regulatory burden for patients and clinicians. Opioid antagonists are now evolving in their use, not only to prevent acute overdoses but as extended-use treatment options. Strategies that target specific genetic and epigenetic factors, along with novel nonopioid medications, hold promise as future therapeutic interventions for opioid abuse. Success in increasing the treatment options in the clinical toolbox will, hopefully, help to end the historical pattern of recurring opioid epidemics. [AJP at 175: Remembering Our Past As We Envision Our Future Drug Addiction in Relation to Problems of Adolescence Zimmering and colleagues wrote in the midst of an opiate epidemic among young people that "only the human being, or rather certain types of human beings, will return to the enslaving, self-destructive habit." (Am J Psychiatry 1952; 109:272-278 )].
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin L. Hurd
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Addiction Institute, Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System, New York
| | - Charles P. O’Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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34
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Adolescent cannabinoid exposure induces irritability-like behavior and cocaine cross-sensitization without affecting the escalation of cocaine self-administration in adulthood. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13893. [PMID: 30224774 PMCID: PMC6141462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31921-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis use is typically initiated during adolescence and is a significant risk factor for the development of cocaine use in adulthood. However, no preclinical studies have examined the effects of adolescent cannabinoid exposure on cocaine dependence in adulthood using the escalation model of cocaine self-administration and the assessment of negative emotional states. In the present study, we found that exposure to the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 (WIN) in adolescence produced irritability-like behavior and psychomotor cross-sensitization to cocaine in adolescence. In adulthood, rats were allowed to self-administer cocaine. The acquisition of cocaine self-administration was lower in rats with adolescent WIN exposure compared with controls. However, both WIN-exposed and control rats escalated their cocaine intake at the same rate, had similar responding under a progressive-ratio schedule of reinforcement, and had similar psychomotor responses to cocaine. Interestingly, the increase in irritability-like behavior that was previously observed in adolescence after WIN exposure persisted into adulthood. Whether the persisting increase in irritability-like behavior after WIN exposure has translational relevance remains to be studied. In summary, these results suggest that psychoactive cannabinoid exposure during adolescence is unlikely to have a major effect on the escalation of cocaine intake or the development of compulsive-like responding per se in adulthood in a rat model of cocaine self-administration. However, whether the persisting irritability-like behavior may predispose an individual to mood-related impairments in adulthood or predict such impairments warrants further investigation.
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35
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Renard J, Rosen LG, Loureiro M, De Oliveira C, Schmid S, Rushlow WJ, Laviolette SR. Adolescent Cannabinoid Exposure Induces a Persistent Sub-Cortical Hyper-Dopaminergic State and Associated Molecular Adaptations in the Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:1297-1310. [PMID: 26733534 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence suggests that adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in marijuana, increases the risk of developing schizophrenia-related symptoms in early adulthood. In the present study, we used a combination of behavioral and molecular analyses with in vivo neuronal electrophysiology to compare the long-term effects of adolescent versus adulthood THC exposure in rats. We report that adolescent, but not adult, THC exposure induces long-term neuropsychiatric-like phenotypes similar to those observed in clinical populations. Thus, adolescent THC exposure induced behavioral abnormalities resembling positive and negative schizophrenia-related endophenotypes and a state of neuronal hyperactivity in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway. Furthermore, we observed profound alterations in several prefrontal cortical molecular pathways consistent with sub-cortical DAergic dysregulation. Our findings demonstrate a profound dissociation in relative risk profiles for adolescent versus adulthood exposure to THC in terms of neuronal, behavioral, and molecular markers resembling neuropsychiatric pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Renard
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
| | - Laura G Rosen
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
| | - Michael Loureiro
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
| | | | | | - Walter J Rushlow
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.,Department of Psychiatry, The Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.,Department of Psychiatry, The Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
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36
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Adolescent cannabinoid exposure effects on natural reward seeking and learning in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:121-134. [PMID: 29022083 PMCID: PMC5790819 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4749-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Adolescence is characterized by endocannabinoid (ECB)-dependent refinement of neural circuits underlying emotion, learning, and motivation. As a result, adolescent cannabinoid receptor stimulation (ACRS) with phytocannabinoids or synthetic agonists like "Spice" cause robust and persistent changes in both behavior and circuit architecture in rodents, including in reward-related regions like medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens (NAc). OBJECTIVES AND METHODS Here, we examine persistent effects of ACRS with the cannabinoid receptor 1/2 specific agonist WIN55-212,2 (WIN; 1.2 mg/kg/day, postnatal day (PD) 30-43), on natural reward-seeking behaviors and ECB system function in adult male Long Evans rats (PD 60+). RESULTS WIN ACRS increased palatable food intake, and altered attribution of incentive salience to food cues in a sign-/goal-tracking paradigm. ACRS also blunted hunger-induced sucrose intake, and resulted in increased anandamide and oleoylethanolamide levels in NAc after acute food restriction not seen in controls. ACRS did not affect food neophobia or locomotor response to a novel environment, but did increase preference for exploring a novel environment. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that ACRS causes long-term increases in natural reward-seeking behaviors and ECB system function that persist into adulthood, potentially increasing liability to excessive natural reward seeking later in life.
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37
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Butelman ER, Maremmani AGI, Bacciardi S, Chen CY, Correa da Rosa J, Kreek MJ. Non-medical Cannabis Self-Exposure as a Dimensional Predictor of Opioid Dependence Diagnosis: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:283. [PMID: 29997535 PMCID: PMC6030387 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The impact of increasing non-medical cannabis use on vulnerability to develop opioid use disorders has received considerable attention, with contrasting findings. A dimensional analysis of self-exposure to cannabis and other drugs, in individuals with and without opioid dependence (OD) diagnoses, may clarify this issue. Objective: To examine the age of onset of maximal self-exposure to cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin, in volunteers diagnosed with OD, using a rapidly administered instrument (the KMSK scales). To then determine whether maximal self-exposure to cannabis, alcohol, and cocaine is a dimensional predictor of odds of OD diagnoses. Methods: This outpatient observational study examined maximal self-exposure to these drugs, in volunteers diagnosed with DSM-IV OD or other drug diagnoses, and normal volunteers. In order to focus more directly on opioid dependence diagnosis as the outcome, volunteers who had cocaine dependence diagnoses were excluded. Male and female adults of diverse ethnicity were consecutively ascertained from the community, and from local drug treatment programs, in 2002-2013 (n = 574, of whom n = 94 had OD diagnoses). The age of onset of maximal self-exposure of these drugs was examined. After propensity score matching for age at ascertainment, gender, and ethnicity, a multiple logistic regression examined how increasing self-exposure to non-medical cannabis, alcohol and cocaine affected odds of OD diagnoses. Results: Volunteers with OD diagnoses had the onset of heaviest use of cannabis in the approximate transition between adolescence and adulthood (mean age = 18.9 years), and onset of heaviest use of alcohol soon thereafter (mean age = 20.1 years). Onset of heaviest use of heroin and cocaine was detected later in the lifespan (mean ages = 24.7 and 25.3 years, respectively). After propensity score matching for demographic variables, we found that the maximal self-exposure to cannabis and cocaine, but not to alcohol, was greater in volunteers with OD diagnoses, than in those without this diagnosis. Also, a multiple logistic regression detected that increasing self-exposure to cannabis and cocaine, but not alcohol, was a positive predictor of OD diagnosis. Conclusions/Importance: Increasing self-exposure to non-medical cannabis, as measured with a rapid dimensional instrument, was a predictor of greater odds of opioid dependence diagnosis, in propensity score-matched samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo R Butelman
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Angelo G I Maremmani
- "VP Dole" Dual Diagnosis Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Bacciardi
- "VP Dole" Dual Diagnosis Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carina Y Chen
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joel Correa da Rosa
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Rockefeller University Hospital, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mary Jeanne Kreek
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
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38
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Panlilio LV, Justinova Z. Preclinical Studies of Cannabinoid Reward, Treatments for Cannabis Use Disorder, and Addiction-Related Effects of Cannabinoid Exposure. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:116-141. [PMID: 28845848 PMCID: PMC5719102 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use has become increasingly accepted socially and legally, for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Without reliable information about the effects of cannabis, people cannot make informed decisions regarding its use. Like alcohol and tobacco, cannabis can have serious adverse effects on health, and some people have difficulty discontinuing their use of the drug. Many cannabis users progress to using and becoming addicted to other drugs, but the reasons for this progression are unclear. The natural cannabinoid system of the brain is complex and involved in many functions, including brain development, reward, emotion, and cognition. Animal research provides an objective and controlled means of obtaining information about: (1) how cannabis affects the brain and behavior, (2) whether medications can be developed to treat cannabis use disorder, and (3) whether cannabis might produce lasting changes in the brain that increase the likelihood of becoming addicted to other drugs. This review explains the tactics used to address these issues, evaluates the progress that has been made, and offers some directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh V Panlilio
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zuzana Justinova
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Adolescent Exposure to the Synthetic Cannabinoid WIN 55212-2 Modifies Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms in Adult Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2017. [PMID: 28635664 PMCID: PMC5486147 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18061326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic cannabinoid consumption is an increasingly common behavior among teenagers and has been shown to cause long-lasting neurobehavioral alterations. Besides, it has been demonstrated that cocaine addiction in adulthood is highly correlated with cannabis abuse during adolescence. Cocaine consumption and subsequent abstinence from it can cause psychiatric symptoms, such as psychosis, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression. The aim of the present research was to study the consequences of adolescent exposure to cannabis on the psychiatric-like effects promoted by cocaine withdrawal in adult mice. We pre-treated juvenile mice with the cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist WIN 55212-2 (WIN) and then subjected them to a chronic cocaine treatment during adulthood. Following these treatments, animals were tested under cocaine withdrawal in the following paradigms: pre-pulse inhibition, object recognition, elevated plus maze, and tail suspension. The long-term psychotic-like actions induced by WIN were not modified after cocaine cessation. Moreover, the memory impairments induced by cocaine withdrawal were not altered by previous adolescent WIN intake. However, WIN pre-treatment prevented the anxiogenic effects observed after cocaine abstinence, and led to greater depressive-like symptoms following cocaine removal in adulthood. This study is the first to show the long-lasting behavioral consequences of juvenile exposure to WIN on cocaine withdrawal in adult mice.
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Laviolette SR. Cannabinoid regulation of opiate motivational processing in the mesolimbic system: the integrative roles of amygdala, prefrontal cortical and ventral hippocampal input pathways. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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41
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Spear LP. Consequences of adolescent use of alcohol and other drugs: Studies using rodent models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:228-243. [PMID: 27484868 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Studies using animal models of adolescent exposure to alcohol, nicotine, cannabinoids, and the stimulants cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethampethamine and methamphetamine have revealed a variety of persisting neural and behavioral consequences. Affected brain regions often include mesolimbic and prefrontal regions undergoing notable ontogenetic change during adolescence, although it is unclear whether this represents areas of specific vulnerability or particular scrutiny to date. Persisting alterations in forebrain systems critical for modulating reward, socioemotional processing and cognition have emerged, including apparent induction of a hyper-dopaminergic state with some drugs and/or attenuations in neurons expressing cholinergic markers. Disruptions in cognitive functions such as working memory, alterations in affect including increases in social anxiety, and mixed evidence for increases in later drug self-administration has also been reported. When consequences of adolescent and adult exposure were compared, adolescents were generally found to be more vulnerable to alcohol, nicotine, and cannabinoids, but generally not to stimulants. More work is needed to determine how adolescent drug exposure influences sculpting of the adolescent brain, and provide approaches to prevent/reverse these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Patia Spear
- Department of Psychology, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center (DEARC), Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States.
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42
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Renard J, Rushlow WJ, Laviolette SR. What Can Rats Tell Us about Adolescent Cannabis Exposure? Insights from Preclinical Research. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2016; 61:328-34. [PMID: 27254841 PMCID: PMC4872245 DOI: 10.1177/0706743716645288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Marijuana is the most widely used drug of abuse among adolescents. Adolescence is a vulnerable period for brain development, during which time various neurotransmitter systems such as the glutamatergic, GABAergic, dopaminergic, and endocannabinoid systems undergo extensive reorganization to support the maturation of the central nervous system (CNS). ▵-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana, acts as a partial agonist of CB1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs). CB1Rs are abundant in the CNS and are central components of the neurodevelopmental changes that occur during adolescence. Thus, overactivation of CB1Rs by cannabinoid exposure during adolescence has the ability to dramatically alter brain maturation, leading to persistent and enduring changes in adult cerebral function. Increasing preclinical evidence lends support to clinical evidence suggesting that chronic adolescent marijuana exposure may be associated with a higher risk for neuropsychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia. In this review, we present a broad overview of current neurobiological evidence regarding the long-term consequences of adolescent cannabinoid exposure on adult neuropsychiatric-like disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Renard
- Addiction Research Group, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
| | - Walter J Rushlow
- Addiction Research Group, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Psychiatry, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Addiction Research Group, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Psychiatry, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
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43
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Adolescent Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure Alters WIN55,212-2 Self-Administration in Adult Rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:1416-26. [PMID: 26388146 PMCID: PMC4793126 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide, and use is typically initiated during adolescence. The endocannabinoid system has an important role in formation of the nervous system, from very early development through adolescence. Cannabis exposure during this vulnerable period might lead to neurobiological changes that affect adult brain functions and increase the risk of cannabis use disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate whether exposure to Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in adolescent rats might enhance reinforcing effects of cannabinoids in adulthood. Male adolescent rats were treated with increasing doses of THC (or its vehicle) twice/day for 11 consecutive days (PND 45-55). When the animals reached adulthood, they were tested by allowing them to intravenously self-administer the cannabinoid CB1-receptor agonist WIN55,212-2. In a separate set of animals given the same THC (or vehicle) treatment regimen, electrophysiological and neurochemical experiments were performed to assess possible modifications of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, which is critically involved in cannabinoid-induced reward. Behavioral data showed that acquisition of WIN55,212-2 self-administration was enhanced in THC-exposed rats relative to vehicle-exposed controls. Neurophysiological data showed that THC-exposed rats displayed a reduced capacity for WIN55,212-2 to stimulate firing of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area and to increase dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens shell. These findings-that early, passive exposure to THC can produce lasting alterations of the reward system of the brain and subsequently increase cannabinoid self-administration in adulthood-suggest a mechanism by which adolescent cannabis exposure could increase the risk of subsequent cannabis dependence in humans.
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Becker MP, Collins PF, Lim KO, Muetzel RL, Luciana M. Longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure after heavy cannabis use. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 16:23-35. [PMID: 26602958 PMCID: PMC4691379 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Revised: 10/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies of cannabis users report alterations in brain white matter microstructure, primarily based on cross-sectional research, and etiology of the alterations remains unclear. We report findings from longitudinal voxelwise analyses of DTI data collected at baseline and at a 2-year follow-up on 23 young adult (18-20 years old at baseline) regular cannabis users and 23 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched non-using controls with limited substance use histories. Onset of cannabis use was prior to age 17. Cannabis users displayed reduced longitudinal growth in fractional anisotropy in the central and parietal regions of the right and left superior longitudinal fasciculus, in white matter adjacent to the left superior frontal gyrus, in the left corticospinal tract, and in the right anterior thalamic radiation lateral to the genu of the corpus callosum, along with less longitudinal reduction of radial diffusion in the right central/posterior superior longitudinal fasciculus, corticospinal tract, and posterior cingulum. Greater amounts of cannabis use were correlated with reduced longitudinal growth in FA as was relatively impaired performance on a measure of verbal learning. These findings suggest that continued heavy cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood alters ongoing development of white matter microstructure, contributing to functional impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary P Becker
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States; Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street SE, Ste. 333, Minneapolis, MN 55414, United States.
| | - Paul F Collins
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States; Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street SE, Ste. 333, Minneapolis, MN 55414, United States
| | - Kelvin O Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, 2450 Riverside Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454, United States
| | - R L Muetzel
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - M Luciana
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States; Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street SE, Ste. 333, Minneapolis, MN 55414, United States
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45
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Higuera-Matas A, Ucha M, Ambrosio E. Long-term consequences of perinatal and adolescent cannabinoid exposure on neural and psychological processes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:119-46. [PMID: 25960036 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Marihuana is the most widely consumed illicit drug, even among adolescents and pregnant women. Given the critical developmental processes that occur in the adolescent and fetal nervous system, marihuana consumption during these stages may have permanent consequences on several brain functions in later adult life. Here, we review what is currently known about the long-term consequences of perinatal and adolescent cannabinoid exposure. The most consistent findings point to long-term impairments in cognitive function that are associated with structural alterations and disturbed synaptic plasticity. In addition, several neurochemical modifications are also evident after prenatal or adolescent cannabinoid exposure, especially in the endocannabinoid, glutamatergic, dopaminergic and opioidergic systems. Important sexual dimorphisms are also evident in terms of the long-lasting effects of cannabinoid consumption during pregnancy and adolescence, and cannabinoids possibly have a protective effect in adolescents who have suffered traumatic life challenges, such as maternal separation or intense stress. Finally, we suggest some future research directions that may encourage further advances in this exciting field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University of Distance Learning (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University of Distance Learning (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University of Distance Learning (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Greydanus DE, Kaplan G, Baxter LE, Patel DR, Feucht CL. Cannabis: The never-ending, nefarious nepenthe of the 21st century: What should the clinician know? Dis Mon 2015; 61:118-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.disamonth.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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47
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Covey DP, Wenzel JM, Cheer JF. Cannabinoid modulation of drug reward and the implications of marijuana legalization. Brain Res 2014; 1628:233-43. [PMID: 25463025 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Marijuana is the most popular illegal drug worldwide. Recent trends indicate that this may soon change; not due to decreased marijuana use, but to an amendment in marijuana's illegal status. The cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor mediates marijuana's psychoactive and reinforcing properties. CB1 receptors are also part of the brain endocannabinoid (eCB) system and support numerous forms of learning and memory, including the conditioned reinforcing properties of cues predicting reward or punishment. This is accomplished via eCB-dependent alterations in mesolimbic dopamine function, which plays an obligatory role in reward learning and motivation. Presynaptic CB1 receptors control midbrain dopamine neuron activity and thereby shape phasic dopamine release in target regions, particularly the nucleus accumbens (NAc). By also regulating synaptic input to the NAc, CB1 receptors modulate NAc output onto downstream neurons of the basal ganglia motor circuit, and thereby support goal-directed behaviors. Abused drugs promote short- and long-term adaptations in eCB-regulation of mesolimbic dopamine function, and thereby hijack neural systems related to the pursuit of rewards to promote drug abuse. By pharmacologically targeting the CB1 receptors, marijuana has preferential access to this neuronal system and can potently alter eCB-dependent processing of reward-related stimuli. As marijuana legalization progresses, greater access to this drug should increase the utility of marijuana as a research tool to better understand the eCB system, which has the potential to advance cannabinoid-based treatments for drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan P Covey
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer M Wenzel
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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