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Banerjee S, Saha D, Sharma R, Jaidee W, Puttarak P, Chaiyakunapruk N, Chaoroensup R. Phytocannabinoids in neuromodulation: From omics to epigenetics. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 330:118201. [PMID: 38677573 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent developments in metabolomics, transcriptomic and epigenetics open up new horizons regarding the pharmacological understanding of phytocannabinoids as neuromodulators in treating anxiety, depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and autism. METHODS The present review is an extensive search in public databases, such as Google Scholar, Scopus, the Web of Science, and PubMed, to collect all the literature about the neurobiological roles of cannabis extract, cannabidiol, 9-tetrahydrocannabinol specially focused on metabolomics, transcriptomic, epigenetic, mechanism of action, in different cell lines, induced animal models and clinical trials. We used bioinformatics, network pharmacology and enrichment analysis to understand the effect of phytocannabinoids in neuromodulation. RESULTS Cannabidomics studies show wide variability of metabolites across different strains and varieties, which determine their medicinal and abusive usage, which is very important for its quality control and regulation. CB receptors interact with other compounds besides cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, like cannabinol and Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol. Phytocannabinoids interact with cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid receptors (GPCR, ion channels, and PPAR) to improve various neurodegenerative diseases. However, its abuse because of THC is also a problem found across different epigenetic and transcriptomic studies. Network enrichment analysis shows CNR1 expression in the brain and its interacting genes involve different pathways such as Rap1 signalling, dopaminergic synapse, and relaxin signalling. CBD protects against diseases like epilepsy, depression, and Parkinson's by modifying DNA and mitochondrial DNA in the hippocampus. Network pharmacology analysis of 8 phytocannabinoids revealed an interaction with 10 (out of 60) targets related to neurodegenerative diseases, with enrichment of ErbB and PI3K-Akt signalling pathways which helps in ameliorating neuro-inflammation in various neurodegenerative diseases. The effects of phytocannabinoids vary across sex, disease state, and age which suggests the importance of a personalized medicine approach for better success. CONCLUSIONS Phytocannabinoids present a range of promising neuromodulatory effects. It holds promise if utilized in a strategic way towards personalized neuropsychiatric treatment. However, just like any drug irrational usage may lead to unforeseen negative effects. Exploring neuro-epigenetics and systems pharmacology of major and minor phytocannabinoid combinations can lead to success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadip Banerjee
- Medicinal Plant Innovation Center of Mae Fah Luang University, Mae Fah Luang University, ChiangRai, 57100, Thailand
| | - Debolina Saha
- School of Bioscience and Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Rohit Sharma
- Department of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Wuttichai Jaidee
- Medicinal Plant Innovation Center of Mae Fah Luang University, Mae Fah Luang University, ChiangRai, 57100, Thailand
| | - Panupong Puttarak
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand; Phytomedicine and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Excellence Center, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hat-Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | | | - Rawiwan Chaoroensup
- Medicinal Plant Innovation Center of Mae Fah Luang University, Mae Fah Luang University, ChiangRai, 57100, Thailand; School of Integrative Medicine, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand.
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Hamada H, Casciaro C, Moisiadis VG, Constantinof A, Kostaki A, Matthews SG. Prenatal maternal glucocorticoid exposure modifies sperm miRNA profiles across multiple generations in the guinea-pig. J Physiol 2024; 602:2127-2139. [PMID: 38285002 DOI: 10.1113/jp284942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternal stress and glucocorticoid exposure during pregnancy have multigenerational effects on neuroendocrine function and behaviours in offspring. Importantly, effects are transmitted through the paternal lineage. Altered phenotypes are associated with profound differences in transcription and DNA methylation in the brain. In the present study, we hypothesized that maternal prenatal synthetic glucocorticoid (sGC) exposure in the F0 pregnancy will result in differences in miRNA levels in testes germ cells and sperm across multiple generations, and that these changes will associate with modified microRNA (miRNA) profiles and gene expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of subsequent generations. Pregnant guinea-pigs (F0) were treated with multiple courses of the sGC betamethasone (Beta) (1 mg kg-1; gestational days 40, 41, 50, 51, 60 and 61) in late gestation. miRNA levels were assessed in testes germ cells and in F2 PFC using the GeneChip miRNA 4.0 Array and candidate miRNA measured in epididymal sperm by quantitative real-time PCR. Maternal Beta exposure did not alter miRNA levels in germ cells derived from the testes of adult male offspring. However, there were significant differences in the levels of four candidate miRNAs in the sperm of F1 and F2 adult males. There were no changes in miRNA levels in the PFC of juvenile F2 female offspring. The present study has identified that maternal Beta exposure leads to altered miRNA levels in sperm that are apparent for at least two generations. The fact that differences were confined to epididymal sperm suggests that the intergenerational effects of Beta may target the epididymis. KEY POINTS: Paternal glucocorticoid exposure prior to conception leads to profound epigenetic changes in the brain and somatic tissues in offspring, and microRNAs (miRNAs) in sperm may mediate these changes. We show that there were significant differences in the miRNA profile of epididymal sperm in two generations following prenatal glucocorticoid exposure that were not observed in germ cells derived from the testes. The epididymis is a probable target for intergenerational programming. The effects of prenatal glucocorticoid treatment may span multiple generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotaka Hamada
- Departments of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Christopher Casciaro
- Departments of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Vasilis G Moisiadis
- Departments of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea Constantinof
- Departments of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alisa Kostaki
- Departments of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen G Matthews
- Departments of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health Systems, Toronto, ON, Canada
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3
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Zambon A, Rico LC, Herman M, Gundacker A, Telalovic A, Hartenberger LM, Kuehn R, Romanov RA, Hussaini SA, Harkany T, Pollak DD. Gestational immune activation disrupts hypothalamic neurocircuits of maternal care behavior. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:859-873. [PMID: 35581295 PMCID: PMC9112243 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01602-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Immune activation is one of the most common complications during pregnancy, predominantly evoked by viral infections. Nevertheless, how immune activation affects mother-offspring relationships postpartum remains unknown. Here, by using the polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) model of gestational infection we show that viral-like immune activation at mid-gestation persistently changes hypothalamic neurocircuit parameters in mouse dams and, consequently, is adverse to parenting behavior. Poly I:C-exposed dams favor non-pup-directed exploratory behavior at the expense of pup retrieval. These behavioral deficits are underlain by dendrite pruning and lesser immediate early gene activation in Galanin (Gal)+ neurons with dam-specific transcriptional signatures that reside in the medial preoptic area (mPOA). Reduced activation of an exclusively inhibitory contingent of these distal-projecting Gal+ neurons allows for increased feed-forward inhibition onto putative dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in Poly I:C-exposed dams. Notably, destabilized VTA output specifically accompanies post-pup retrieval epochs. We suggest that gestational immunogenic insults bias both threat processing and reward perception, manifesting as disfavored infant caregiving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Zambon
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Cuenca Rico
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mathieu Herman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Amina Telalovic
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa-Marie Hartenberger
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rebekka Kuehn
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman A Romanov
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - S Abid Hussaini
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tibor Harkany
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela D Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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4
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Garrett ME, Dennis MF, Bourassa KJ, Hauser MA, Kimbrel NA, Beckham JC, Ashley-Koch AE. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of cannabis use disorder in a veteran cohort enriched for posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Res 2024; 333:115757. [PMID: 38309009 PMCID: PMC10922626 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115757] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Cannabis use has been increasing over the past decade, not only in the general US population, but particularly among military veterans. With this rise in use has come a concomitant increase in cannabis use disorder (CUD) among veterans. Here, we performed an epigenome-wide association study for lifetime CUD in an Iraq/Afghanistan era veteran cohort enriched for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comprising 2,310 total subjects (1,109 non-Hispanic black and 1,201 non-Hispanic white). We also investigated CUD interactions with current PTSD status and examined potential indirect effects of DNA methylation (DNAm) on the relationship between CUD and psychiatric diagnoses. Four CpGs were associated with lifetime CUD, even after controlling for the effects of current smoking (AHRR cg05575921, LINC00299 cg23079012, VWA7 cg22112841, and FAM70A cg08760398). Importantly, cg05575921, a CpG strongly linked to smoking, remained associated with lifetime CUD even when restricting the analysis to veterans who reported never smoking cigarettes. Moreover, CUD interacted with current PTSD to affect cg05575921 and cg23079012 such that those with both CUD and PTSD displayed significantly lower DNAm compared to the other groups. Finally, we provide preliminary evidence that AHRR cg05575921 helps explain the association between CUD and any psychiatric diagnoses, specifically mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie E Garrett
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, 300N Duke St, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Michelle F Dennis
- Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA; VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kyle J Bourassa
- Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA; VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael A Hauser
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, 300N Duke St, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Nathan A Kimbrel
- Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA; VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jean C Beckham
- Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA; VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Allison E Ashley-Koch
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, 300N Duke St, Durham, NC 27701, USA.
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5
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Verdikt R, Armstrong AA, Cheng J, Hwang YS, Clark AT, Yang X, Allard P. Metabolic memory of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure in pluripotent stem cells and primordial germ cells-like cells. eLife 2023; 12:RP88795. [PMID: 38150302 PMCID: PMC10752584 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis, the most consumed illicit psychoactive drug in the world, is increasingly used by pregnant women. However, while cannabinoid receptors are expressed in the early embryo, the impact of phytocannabinoids exposure on early embryonic processes is lacking. Here, we leverage a stepwise in vitro differentiation system that captures the early embryonic developmental cascade to investigate the impact of exposure to the most abundant phytocannabinoid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). We demonstrate that Δ9-THC increases the proliferation of naive mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) but not of their primed counterpart. Surprisingly, this increased proliferation, dependent on the CB1 receptor binding, is only associated with moderate transcriptomic changes. Instead, Δ9-THC capitalizes on ESCs' metabolic bivalence by increasing their glycolytic rates and anabolic capabilities. A memory of this metabolic rewiring is retained throughout differentiation to Primordial Germ Cell-Like Cells in the absence of direct exposure and is associated with an alteration of their transcriptional profile. These results represent the first in-depth molecular characterization of the impact of Δ9-THC exposure on early stages of germline development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Verdikt
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Abigail A Armstrong
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Jenny Cheng
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Graduate Program, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Young Sun Hwang
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Amander T Clark
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Xia Yang
- Integrative Biology and Physiology Department, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Patrick Allard
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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6
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Mallick R, Duttaroy AK. Epigenetic modification impacting brain functions: Effects of physical activity, micronutrients, caffeine, toxins, and addictive substances. Neurochem Int 2023; 171:105627. [PMID: 37827244 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2023.105627] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene expression are involved in many brain functions. Epigenetic processes modulate gene expression by histone modification and DNA methylation or RNA-mediated processes, which is important for brain function. Consequently, epigenetic changes are also a part of brain diseases such as mental illness and addiction. Understanding the role of different factors on the brain epigenome may help us understand the function of the brain. This review discussed the effects of caffeine, lipids, addictive substances, physical activity, and pollutants on the epigenetic changes in the brain and their modulatory effects on brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Mallick
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
| | - Asim K Duttaroy
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, POB 1046 Blindern, Oslo, Norway.
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7
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Carreras-Gallo N, Dwaraka VB, Cáceres A, Smith R, Mendez TL, Went H, Gonzalez JR. Impact of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana on genome-wide DNA methylation and its relationship with hypertension. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2214392. [PMID: 37216580 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2214392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana consumption is an important public health problem because of their high use worldwide and their association with the risk of mortality and many health conditions, such as hypertension, which is the commonest risk factor for death throughout the world. A likely pathway of action of substance consumption leading to persistent hypertension is DNA methylation. Here, we evaluated the effects of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana on DNA methylation in the same cohort (N = 3,424). Three epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) were assessed in whole blood using the InfiniumHumanMethylationEPIC BeadChip. We also evaluated the mediation of the top CpG sites in the association between substance consumption and hypertension. Our analyses showed 2,569 CpG sites differentially methylated by alcohol drinking and 528 by tobacco smoking. We did not find significant associations with marijuana consumption after correcting for multiple comparisons. We found 61 genes overlapping between alcohol and tobacco that were enriched in biological processes involved in the nervous and cardiovascular systems. In the mediation analysis, we found 66 CpG sites that significantly mediated the effect of alcohol consumption on hypertension. The top alcohol-related CpG site (cg06690548, P-value = 5.9·10-83) mapped to SLC7A11 strongly mediated 70.5% of the effect of alcohol consumption on hypertension (P-value = 0.006). Our findings suggest that DNA methylation should be considered for new targets in hypertension prevention and management, particularly concerning alcohol consumption. Our data also encourage further research into the use of methylation in blood to study the neurological and cardiovascular effects of substance consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alejandro Cáceres
- Epidemiology, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Mathematics, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Juan R Gonzalez
- Epidemiology, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Mathematics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Flynn LT, Gao WJ. DNA methylation and the opposing NMDAR dysfunction in schizophrenia and major depression disorders: a converging model for the therapeutic effects of psychedelic compounds in the treatment of psychiatric illness. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4553-4567. [PMID: 37679470 PMCID: PMC11034997 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02235-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Psychedelic compounds are being increasingly explored as a potential therapeutic option for treating several psychiatric conditions, despite relatively little being known about their mechanism of action. One such possible mechanism, DNA methylation, is a process of epigenetic regulation that changes gene expression via chemical modification of nitrogenous bases. DNA methylation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia (SZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). In this review, we propose alterations to DNA methylation as a converging model for the therapeutic effects of psychedelic compounds, highlighting the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), a crucial mediator of synaptic plasticity with known dysfunction in both diseases, as an example and anchoring point. We review the established evidence relating aberrant DNA methylation to NMDAR dysfunction in SZ and MDD and provide a model asserting that psychedelic substances may act through an epigenetic mechanism to provide therapeutic effects in the context of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Taylor Flynn
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MD/PhD program, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Verdikt R, Armstrong AA, Cheng J, Hwang YS, Clark AT, Yang X, Allard P. Metabolic memory of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure in pluripotent stem cells and primordial germ cells-like cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.13.531968. [PMID: 36993751 PMCID: PMC10054962 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.13.531968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis, the most consumed illicit psychoactive drug in the world, is increasingly used by pregnant women. However, while cannabinoid receptors are expressed in the early embryo, the impact of phytocannabinoids exposure on early embryonic processes is lacking. Here, we leverage a stepwise in vitro differentiation system that captures early embryonic developmental cascade to investigate the impact of exposure to the most abundant phytocannabinoid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). We demonstrate that Δ9-THC increases the proliferation of naïve mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) but not of their primed counterpart. Surprisingly, this increased proliferation, dependent on the CB1 receptor binding, is only associated with moderate transcriptomic changes. Instead, Δ9-THC capitalizes on ESCs' metabolic bivalence by increasing their glycolytic rates and anabolic capabilities. A memory of this metabolic rewiring is retained throughout differentiation to Primordial Germ Cell-Like Cells in the absence of direct exposure and is associated with an alteration of their transcriptional profile. These results represent the first in-depth molecular characterization of the impact of Δ9-THC exposure on early stages of germline development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Verdikt
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Abigail A. Armstrong
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jenny Cheng
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Young Sun Hwang
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Amander T. Clark
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Xia Yang
- Integrative Biology and Physiology Department, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Patrick Allard
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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10
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Cannabis Could Be the Missing Environmental Carcinogen Hiding in Plain View. Gastroenterology 2023; 165:1092-1093. [PMID: 37054753 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.02.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
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11
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Perturbation of 3D nuclear architecture, epigenomic dysregulation and aging, and cannabinoid synaptopathy reconfigures conceptualization of cannabinoid pathophysiology: part 1-aging and epigenomics. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1182535. [PMID: 37732074 PMCID: PMC10507876 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1182535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Much recent attention has been directed toward the spatial organization of the cell nucleus and the manner in which three-dimensional topologically associated domains and transcription factories are epigenetically coordinated to precisely bring enhancers into close proximity with promoters to control gene expression. Twenty lines of evidence robustly implicate cannabinoid exposure with accelerated organismal and cellular aging. Aging has recently been shown to be caused by increased DNA breaks. These breaks rearrange and maldistribute the epigenomic machinery to weaken and reverse cellular differentiation, cause genome-wide DNA demethylation, reduce gene transcription, and lead to the inhibition of developmental pathways, which contribute to the progressive loss of function and chronic immune stimulation that characterize cellular aging. Both cell lineage-defining superenhancers and the superanchors that control them are weakened. Cannabis exposure phenocopies the elements of this process and reproduces DNA and chromatin breakages, reduces the DNA, RNA protein and histone synthesis, interferes with the epigenomic machinery controlling both DNA and histone modifications, induces general DNA hypomethylation, and epigenomically disrupts both the critical boundary elements and the cohesin motors that create chromatin loops. This pattern of widespread interference with developmental programs and relative cellular dedifferentiation (which is pro-oncogenic) is reinforced by cannabinoid impairment of intermediate metabolism (which locks in the stem cell-like hyper-replicative state) and cannabinoid immune stimulation (which perpetuates and increases aging and senescence programs, DNA damage, DNA hypomethylation, genomic instability, and oncogenesis), which together account for the diverse pattern of teratologic and carcinogenic outcomes reported in recent large epidemiologic studies in Europe, the USA, and elsewhere. It also accounts for the prominent aging phenotype observed clinically in long-term cannabis use disorder and the 20 characteristics of aging that it manifests. Increasing daily cannabis use, increasing use in pregnancy, and exponential dose-response effects heighten the epidemiologic and clinical urgency of these findings. Together, these findings indicate that cannabinoid genotoxicity and epigenotoxicity are prominent features of cannabis dependence and strongly indicate coordinated multiomics investigations of cannabinoid genome-epigenome-transcriptome-metabolome, chromatin conformation, and 3D nuclear architecture. Considering the well-established exponential dose-response relationships, the diversity of cannabinoids, and the multigenerational nature of the implications, great caution is warranted in community cannabinoid penetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
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12
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Motamedi S, Amleshi RS, Javar BA, Shams P, Kohlmeier KA, Shabani M. Cannabis during pregnancy: A way to transfer an impairment to later life. Birth Defects Res 2023; 115:1327-1344. [PMID: 37318343 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2207] [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: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies examining the influence of cannabis across the lifespan show that exposure to cannabis during gestation or during the perinatal period is associated with later-life mental health issues that manifest during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The risk of later-life negative outcomes following early exposure is particularly high in persons who have specific genetic variants, implying that cannabis usage interacts with genetics to heighten mental health risks. Prenatal and perinatal exposure to psychoactive components has been shown in animal research to be associated with long-term effects on neural systems relevant to psychiatric and substance use disorders. The long-term molecular, epigenetic, electrophysiological, and behavioral consequences of prenatal and perinatal exposure to cannabis are discussed in this article. Animal and human studies, as well as in vivo neuroimaging methods, are used to provide insights into the changes induced in the brain by cannabis. Here, based on the literature from both animal models and humans, it can be concluded that prenatal cannabis exposure alters the developmental route of several neuronal regions with correlated functional consequences evidenced as changes in social behavior and executive functions throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Motamedi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Reza Saboori Amleshi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Behnoush Akbari Javar
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Health Foresight and Innovation Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Parisa Shams
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Kristi A Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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13
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Jones SK, McCarthy DM, Stanwood GD, Schatschneider C, Bhide PG. Learning and memory deficits produced by aspartame are heritable via the paternal lineage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14326. [PMID: 37652922 PMCID: PMC10471780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41213-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposures produce heritable traits that can linger in the population for one or two generations. Millions of individuals consume substances such as artificial sweeteners daily that are declared safe by regulatory agencies without evaluation of their potential heritable effects. We show that consumption of aspartame, an FDA-approved artificial sweetener, daily for up to 16-weeks at doses equivalent to only 7-15% of the FDA recommended maximum daily intake value (equivalent to 2-4 small, 8 oz diet soda drinks per day) produces significant spatial learning and memory deficits in mice. Moreover, the cognitive deficits are transmitted to male and female descendants along the paternal lineage suggesting that aspartame's adverse cognitive effects are heritable, and that they are more pervasive than current estimates, which consider effects in the directly exposed individuals only. Traditionally, deleterious environmental exposures of pregnant and nursing women are viewed as risk factors for the health of future generations. Environmental exposures of men are not considered to pose similar risks. Our findings suggest that environmental exposures of men can produce adverse impact on cognitive function in future generations and demonstrate the need for considering heritable effects via the paternal lineage as part of the regulatory evaluations of artificial sweeteners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Jones
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Deirdre M McCarthy
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Gregg D Stanwood
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Christopher Schatschneider
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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14
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Reece AS, Bennett K, Hulse GK. Cannabis- and Substance-Related Carcinogenesis in Europe: A Lagged Causal Inferential Panel Regression Study. J Xenobiot 2023; 13:323-385. [PMID: 37489337 PMCID: PMC10366890 DOI: 10.3390/jox13030024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent European data facilitate an epidemiological investigation of the controversial cannabis-cancer relationship. Of particular concern were prior findings associating high-dose cannabis use with reproductive problems and potential genetic impacts. Cancer incidence data age-standardised to the world population was obtained from the European Cancer Information System 2000-2020 and many European national cancer registries. Drug use data were obtained from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Alcohol and tobacco consumption was sourced from the WHO. Median household income was taken from the World bank. Cancer rates in high-cannabis-use countries were significantly higher than elsewhere (β-estimate = 0.4165, p = 3.54 × 10-115). Eighteen of forty-one cancers (42,675 individual rates) were significantly associated with cannabis exposure at bivariate analysis. Twenty-five cancers were linked in inverse-probability-weighted multivariate models. Temporal lagging in panel models intensified these effects. In multivariable models, cannabis was a more powerful correlate of cancer incidence than tobacco or alcohol. Reproductive toxicity was evidenced by the involvement of testis, ovary, prostate and breast cancers and because some of the myeloid and lymphoid leukaemias implicated occur in childhood, indicating inherited intergenerational genotoxicity. Cannabis is a more important carcinogen than tobacco and alcohol and fulfills epidemiological qualitative and quantitative criteria for causality for 25/41 cancers. Reproductive and transgenerational effects are prominent. These findings confirm the clinical and epidemiological salience of cannabis as a major multigenerational community carcinogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Kellie Bennett
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, 208 Kent St., Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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15
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Coelho A, Lima-Bastos S, Gobira P, Lisboa S. Endocannabinoid signaling and epigenetics modifications in the neurobiology of stress-related disorders. Neuronal Signal 2023; 7:NS20220034. [PMID: 37520658 PMCID: PMC10372471 DOI: 10.1042/ns20220034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure is associated with psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is also a vulnerability factor to developing or reinstating substance use disorder. Stress causes several changes in the neuro-immune-endocrine axis, potentially resulting in prolonged dysfunction and diseases. Changes in several transmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glucocorticoids, and cytokines, are associated with psychiatric disorders or behavioral alterations in preclinical studies. Complex and interacting mechanisms make it very difficult to understand the physiopathology of psychiatry conditions; therefore, studying regulatory mechanisms that impact these alterations is a good approach. In the last decades, the impact of stress on biology through epigenetic markers, which directly impact gene expression, is under intense investigation; these mechanisms are associated with behavioral alterations in animal models after stress or drug exposure, for example. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system modulates stress response, reward circuits, and other physiological functions, including hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activation and immune response. eCBs, for example, act retrogradely at presynaptic neurons, limiting the release of neurotransmitters, a mechanism implicated in the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects after stress. Epigenetic mechanisms can impact the expression of eCB system molecules, which in turn can regulate epigenetic mechanisms. This review will present evidence of how the eCB system and epigenetic mechanisms interact and the consequences of this interaction in modulating behavioral changes after stress exposure in preclinical studies or psychiatric conditions. Moreover, evidence that correlates the involvement of the eCB system and epigenetic mechanisms in drug abuse contexts will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur A. Coelho
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sávio Lima-Bastos
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro H. Gobira
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sabrina F. Lisboa
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
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Zucchi A, Innocenzi E, Onorato A, Dolci S, Colopi A, Balistreri CR, Grimaldi P. PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO CB 2 RECEPTORS AGONIST DIFFERENTIALLY IMPACTS MALE AND FEMALE GERM CELLS VIA HISTONE MODIFICATION. Mech Ageing Dev 2023:111840. [PMID: 37385302 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis use during pregnancy is increasing in the last few years potentially because of decreased perception of the risk of harm. Regardless, recent evidence demonstrated that prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with adverse outcomes. To date there is limited evidence of the impact of cannabis exposure during pregnancy on the reproductive health of the offspring. The biological effects of cannabis are mediated by two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. We previously demonstrated that CB2 is highly expressed in mouse male and female fetal germ cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of prenatal exposure to a selective CB2 agonist, JWH-133, on the long-term reproductive health of male and female offspring and on the involved molecular epigenetic mechanisms. Notably, we focused on epigenetic histone modifications that can silence or activate gene expression, playing a pivotal role in cell differentiation. We reported that prenatal activation of CB2 has a sex-specific impact on germ cell development of the offspring. In male it determines a delay of germ cell differentiation coinciding with an enrichment of H3K27me3, while in female it causes a reduction of the follicles number through an increased apoptotic process not linked to modified H3K27me3 level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Zucchi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Innocenzi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Onorato
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Susanna Dolci
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Ambra Colopi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Carmela Rita Balistreri
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Paola Grimaldi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
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Winter JJ, Rodríguez-Acevedo KL, Dittrich M, Heller EA. Early life adversity: Epigenetic regulation underlying drug addiction susceptibility. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103825. [PMID: 36842544 PMCID: PMC10247461 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with more than 70,000 Americans dying from drug overdose in 2019 alone. While only a small percentage of chronic drug users escalate to drug addiction, little is understood on the precise mechanisms of this susceptibility. Early life adversity is causally relevant to adult psychiatric disease and may contribute to the risk of addiction. Here we review recent pre-clinical evidence showing that early life exposure to stress and/or drugs regulates changes in behavior, gene expression, and the epigenome that persist into adulthood. We summarize the major findings and gaps in the preclinical literature, highlighting studies that demonstrate the often profound differences between female and male subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mia Dittrich
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
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18
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Mazzeo F, Meccariello R. Cannabis and Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20095663. [PMID: 37174181 PMCID: PMC10177768 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20095663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in Western counties and its abuse is particularly high in male adolescents and young adults. Its main psychotropic component, the cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), interferes in the endogenous endocannabinoid system. This signaling system is involved in the control of many biological activities, including the formation of high-quality male gametes. Direct adverse effects of Δ9-THC in male reproduction are well known in both animal models and humans. Nevertheless, the possibility of long-term effects due to epigenetic mechanisms has recently been reported. In this review, we summarize the main advances in the field suggesting the need to pay attention to the possible long-term epigenetic risks for the reproductive health of cannabis users and the health of their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomena Mazzeo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche, Giuridiche, Informatiche e Motorie, Università di Napoli Parthenope, Nola, 80035 Naples, Italy
- Department of Economics, Law, Cybersecurity and Sports Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Nola, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Rosaria Meccariello
- Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Università di Napoli Parthenope, 80133 Napoli, Italy
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University "Parthenope", 80133 Naples, Italy
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19
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Lo JO, D’Mello RJ, Watch L, Schust DJ, Murphy SK. An epigenetic synopsis of parental substance use. Epigenomics 2023; 15:453-473. [PMID: 37282544 PMCID: PMC10308258 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The rate of substance use is rising, especially among reproductive-age individuals. Emerging evidence suggests that paternal pre-conception and maternal prenatal substance use may alter offspring epigenetic regulation (changes to gene expression without modifying DNA) and outcomes later in life, including neurodevelopment and mental health. However, relatively little is known due to the complexities and limitations of existing studies, making causal interpretations challenging. This review examines the contributions and influence of parental substance use on the gametes and potential transmissibility to the offspring's epigenome as possible areas to target public health warnings and healthcare provider counseling of individuals or couples in the pre-conception and prenatal periods to ultimately mitigate short- and long-term offspring morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie O Lo
- Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Rahul J D’Mello
- Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Lester Watch
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Danny J Schust
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Susan K Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA; Division of Environmental Sciences & Policy, Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
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20
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Emerging Roles of Endocannabinoids as Key Lipid Mediators for a Successful Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065220. [PMID: 36982295 PMCID: PMC10048990 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, Cannabis use/misuse for treating pregnancy-related symptoms and other chronic conditions has increased among pregnant women, favored by decriminalization and/or legalization of its recreational uses in addition to its easy accessibility. However, there is evidence that prenatal Cannabis exposure might have adverse consequences on pregnancy progression and a deleterious impact on proper neurodevelopmental trajectories in the offspring. Maternal Cannabis use could interfere with the complex and finely controlled role performed by the endocannabinoid system in reproductive physiology, impairing multiple gestational processes from blastocyst implantation to parturition, with long-lasting intergenerational effects. In this review, we discuss current clinical and preclinical evidence regarding the role of endocannabinoids in development, function, and immunity of the maternal–fetal interface, focusing on the impact of Cannabis constituents on each of these gestational processes. We also discuss the intrinsic limitations of the available studies and the future perspectives in this challenging research field.
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Congenital Gastrointestinal Anomalies in Europe 2010–2019: A Geo-Spatiotemporal and Causal Inferential Study of Epidemiological Patterns in Relationship to Cannabis- and Substance Exposure. GASTROENTEROLOGY INSIGHTS 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Congenital anomalies (CA’s) of most of the gastrointestinal tract have been linked causally with prenatal or community cannabis exposure. Therefore, we studied this relationship in Europe. Methods: CA data were from Eurocat. Drug-use data were sourced from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income data were taken from the World Bank. Results: When countries with increasing rates of daily cannabis use were compared with those which were not, the overall rate of gastrointestinal CA’s (GCA’s) was higher in the former group (p = 0.0032). The five anomalies which were related to the metrics of cannabis exposure on bivariate analysis were bile duct atresia, Hirschsprungs, digestive disorders, annular pancreas and anorectal stenosis or atresia. The following sequence of GCA’s was significantly linked with cannabis metrics at inverse-probability-weighted-panel modelling, as indicated: esophageal stenosis or atresia, bile duct atresia, small intestinal stenosis or atresia, anorectal stenosis or atresia, Hirschsprungs disease: p = 1.83 × 10−5, 0.0046, 3.55 × 10−12, 7.35 × 10−6 and 2.00 × 10−12, respectively. When this GCA series was considered in geospatial modelling, the GCA’s were significantly cannabis-related from p = 0.0003, N.S., 0.0086, 6.652 × 10−5, 0.0002, 71.4% of 35 E-value estimates and 54.3% minimum E-values (mEVv’s) > 9 (high zone) and 100% and 97.1% > 1.25 (causality threshold). The order of cannabis sensitivity by median mEVv was Hirschsprungs > esophageal atresia > small intestinal atresia > anorectal atresia > bile duct atresia. Conclusions: Seven of eight GCA’s were related to cannabis exposure and fulfilled the quantitative criteria for epidemiologically causal relationships. Penetration of cannabinoids into the community should be carefully scrutinized and controlled to protect against exponential and multigenerational genotoxicity ensuing from multiple cannabinoids.
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Clinical Epigenomic Explanation of the Epidemiology of Cannabinoid Genotoxicity Manifesting as Transgenerational Teratogenesis, Cancerogenesis and Aging Acceleration. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3360. [PMID: 36834053 PMCID: PMC9967951 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
As global interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabis and its' derivatives for the management of selected diseases increases, it is increasingly imperative that the toxic profile of cannabinoids be thoroughly understood in order to correctly assess the balance between the therapeutic risks and benefits. Modern studies across a number of jurisdictions, including Canada, Australia, the US and Europe have confirmed that some of the most worrying and severe historical reports of both congenital anomalies and cancer induction following cannabis exposure actually underestimate the multisystem thousand megabase-scale transgenerational genetic damage. These findings from teratogenic and carcinogenic literature are supported by recent data showing the accelerated patterns of chronic disease and the advanced DNA methylation epigenomic clock age in cannabis exposed patients. Together, the increased multisystem carcinogenesis, teratogenesis and accelerated aging point strongly to cannabinoid-related genotoxicity being much more clinically significant than it is widely supposed and, thus, of very considerable public health and multigenerational impact. Recently reported longitudinal epigenome-wide association studies elegantly explain many of these observed effects with considerable methodological sophistication, including multiple pathways for the inhibition of the normal chromosomal segregation and DNA repair, the inhibition of the basic epigenetic machinery for DNA methylation and the demethylation and telomerase acceleration of the epigenomic promoter hypermethylation characterizing aging. For cancer, 810 hits were also noted. The types of malignancy which were observed have all been documented epidemiologically. Detailed epigenomic explications of the brain, heart, face, uronephrological, gastrointestinal and limb development were provided, which amply explained the observed teratological patterns, including the inhibition of the key morphogenic gradients. Hence, these major epigenomic insights constituted a powerful new series of arguments which advanced both our understanding of the downstream sequalae of multisystem multigenerational cannabinoid genotoxicity and also, since mechanisms are key to the causal argument, inveighed strongly in favor of the causal nature of the relationship. In this introductory conceptual overview, we present the various aspects of this novel synthetic paradigmatic framework. Such concepts suggest and, indeed, indicate numerous fields for further investigation and basic science research to advance the exploration of many important issues in biology, clinical medicine and population health. Given this, it is imperative we correctly appraise the risk-benefit ratio for each potential cannabis application, considering the potency, severity of disease, stage of human development and duration of use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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23
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Patterns of Cannabis- and Substance-Related Congenital General Anomalies in Europe: A Geospatiotemporal and Causal Inferential Study. Pediatr Rep 2023; 15:69-118. [PMID: 36810339 PMCID: PMC9944887 DOI: 10.3390/pediatric15010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent series of congenital anomaly (CA) rates (CARs) have showed the close and epidemiologically causal relationship of cannabis exposure to many CARs. We investigated these trends in Europe where similar trends have occurred. METHODS CARs from EUROCAT. Drug use from European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income data from World Bank. RESULTS CARs were higher in countries with increasing daily use overall (p = 9.99 × 10-14, minimum E-value (mEV) = 2.09) and especially for maternal infections, situs inversus, teratogenic syndromes and VACTERL syndrome (p = 1.49 × 10-15, mEV = 3.04). In inverse probability weighted panel regression models the series of anomalies: all anomalies, VACTERL, foetal alcohol syndrome, situs inversus (SI), lateralization (L), and teratogenic syndromes (TS; AAVFASSILTS) had cannabis metric p-values from: p < 2.2 × 10-16, 1.52 × 10-12, 1.44 × 10-13, 1.88 × 10-7, 7.39 × 10-6 and <2.2 × 10-16. In a series of spatiotemporal models this anomaly series had cannabis metric p-values from: 8.96 × 10-6, 6.56 × 10-6, 0.0004, 0.0019, 0.0006, 5.65 × 10-5. Considering E-values, the cannabis effect size order was VACTERL > situs inversus > teratogenic syndromes > FAS > lateralization syndromes > all anomalies. 50/64 (78.1%) E-value estimates and 42/64 (65.6%) mEVs > 9. Daily cannabis use was the strongest predictor for all anomalies. CONCLUSION Data confirmed laboratory, preclinical and recent epidemiological studies from Canada, Australia, Hawaii, Colorado and USA for teratological links between cannabis exposure and AAVFASSILTS anomalies, fulfilled epidemiological criteria for causality and underscored importance of cannabis teratogenicity. VACTERL data are consistent with causation via cannabis-induced Sonic Hedgehog inhibition. TS data suggest cannabinoid contribution. SI&L data are consistent with results for cardiovascular CAs. Overall, these data show that cannabis is linked across space and time and in a manner which fulfills epidemiological criteria for causality not only with many CAs, but with several multiorgan teratologic syndromes. The major clinical implication of these results is that access to cannabinoids should be tightly restricted in the interests of safeguarding the community's genetic heritage to protect and preserve coming generations, as is done for all other major genotoxins.
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Cannabinoids Transmogrify Cancer Metabolic Phenotype via Epigenetic Reprogramming and a Novel CBD Biased G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling Platform. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041030. [PMID: 36831374 PMCID: PMC9954791 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The concept of epigenetic reprogramming predicts long-term functional health effects. This reprogramming can be activated by exogenous or endogenous insults, leading to altered healthy and different disease states. The exogenous or endogenous changes that involve developing a roadmap of epigenetic networking, such as drug components on epigenetic imprinting and restoring epigenome patterns laid down during embryonic development, are paramount to establishing youthful cell type and health. This epigenetic landscape is considered one of the hallmarks of cancer. The initiation and progression of cancer are considered to involve epigenetic abnormalities and genetic alterations. Cancer epigenetics have shown extensive reprogramming of every component of the epigenetic machinery in cancer development, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, nucleosome positioning, non-coding RNAs, and microRNA expression. Endocannabinoids are natural lipid molecules whose levels are regulated by specific biosynthetic and degradative enzymes. They bind to and activate two primary cannabinoid receptors, type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2), and together with their metabolizing enzymes, form the endocannabinoid system. This review focuses on the role of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 signaling in activating numerous receptor tyrosine kinases and Toll-like receptors in the induction of epigenetic landscape alterations in cancer cells, which might transmogrify cancer metabolism and epigenetic reprogramming to a metastatic phenotype. Strategies applied from conception could represent an innovative epigenetic target for preventing and treating human cancer. Here, we describe novel cannabinoid-biased G protein-coupled receptor signaling platforms (GPCR), highlighting putative future perspectives in this field.
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Geospatiotemporal and Causal Inferential Study of European Epidemiological Patterns of Cannabis- and Substance-Related Congenital Orofacial Anomalies. J Xenobiot 2023; 13:42-74. [PMID: 36810431 PMCID: PMC9944119 DOI: 10.3390/jox13010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Since high rates of congenital anomalies (CAs), including facial CAs (FCAs), causally attributed to antenatal and community cannabis use have been reported in several recent series, it was of interest to examine this subject in detail in Europe. METHODS CA data were taken from the EUROCAT database. Drug exposure data were downloaded from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Income was taken from the World Bank's online sources. RESULTS On the bivariate maps of both orofacial clefts and holoprosencephaly against resin, the Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration rates of both covariates increased together in France, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands. In the bivariate analysis, the anomalies could be ranked by the minimum E-value (mEV) as congenital glaucoma > congenital cataract > choanal atresia > cleft lip ± cleft palate > holoprosencephaly > orofacial clefts > ear, face, and neck anomalies. When nations with increasing daily use were compared to those without, the former had generally higher rates of FCAs (p = 0.0281). In the inverse probability weighted panel regression, the sequence of anomalies-orofacial clefts, anotia, congenital cataract, and holoprosencephaly-had positive and significant cannabis coefficients of p = 2.65 × 10-5, 1.04 × 10-8, 5.88 × 10-16, and 3.21 × 10-13, respectively. In the geospatial regression, the same series of FCAs had positive and significant regression terms for cannabis of p = 8.86 × 10-9, 0.0011, 3.36 × 10-8, and 0.0015, respectively. Some 25/28 (89.3%) E-value estimates and 14/28 (50%) mEVs were >9 (considered to be in the high range), and 100% of both were >1.25 (understood to be in the causal range). CONCLUSION Rising cannabis use is associated with all the FCAs and fulfils the epidemiological criteria for causality. The data indicate particular concerns relating to brain development and exponential genotoxic dose-responses, urging caution with regard to community cannabinoid penetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-7-3844-4000; Fax: +61-7-3844-4015
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Epigenomic and Other Evidence for Cannabis-Induced Aging Contextualized in a Synthetic Epidemiologic Overview of Cannabinoid-Related Teratogenesis and Cannabinoid-Related Carcinogenesis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192416721. [PMID: 36554603 PMCID: PMC9778714 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Twelve separate streams of empirical data make a strong case for cannabis-induced accelerated aging including hormonal, mitochondriopathic, cardiovascular, hepatotoxic, immunological, genotoxic, epigenotoxic, disruption of chromosomal physiology, congenital anomalies, cancers including inheritable tumorigenesis, telomerase inhibition and elevated mortality. METHODS Results from a recently published longitudinal epigenomic screen were analyzed with regard to the results of recent large epidemiological studies of the causal impacts of cannabis. We also integrate theoretical syntheses with prior studies into these combined epigenomic and epidemiological results. RESULTS Cannabis dependence not only recapitulates many of the key features of aging, but is characterized by both age-defining and age-generating illnesses including immunomodulation, hepatic inflammation, many psychiatric syndromes with a neuroinflammatory basis, genotoxicity and epigenotoxicity. DNA breaks, chromosomal breakage-fusion-bridge morphologies and likely cycles, and altered intergenerational DNA methylation and disruption of both the histone and tubulin codes in the context of increased clinical congenital anomalies, cancers and heritable tumors imply widespread disruption of the genome and epigenome. Modern epigenomic clocks indicate that, in cannabis-dependent patients, cannabis advances cellular DNA methylation age by 25-30% at age 30 years. Data have implications not only for somatic but also stem cell and germ line tissues including post-fertilization zygotes. This effect is likely increases with the square of chronological age. CONCLUSION Recent epigenomic studies of cannabis exposure provide many explanations for the broad spectrum of cannabis-related teratogenicity and carcinogenicity and appear to account for many epidemiologically observed findings. Further research is indicated on the role of cannabinoids in the aging process both developmentally and longitudinally, from stem cell to germ cell to blastocystoids to embryoid bodies and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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D'Souza DC, DiForti M, Ganesh S, George TP, Hall W, Hjorthøj C, Howes O, Keshavan M, Murray RM, Nguyen TB, Pearlson GD, Ranganathan M, Selloni A, Solowij N, Spinazzola E. Consensus paper of the WFSBP task force on cannabis, cannabinoids and psychosis. World J Biol Psychiatry 2022; 23:719-742. [PMID: 35315315 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2022.2038797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The liberalisation of cannabis laws, the increasing availability and potency of cannabis has renewed concern about the risk of psychosis with cannabis. METHODS The objective of the WFSBP task force was to review the literature about this relationship. RESULTS Converging lines of evidence suggest that exposure to cannabis increases the risk for psychoses ranging from transient psychotic states to chronic recurrent psychosis. The greater the dose, and the earlier the age of exposure, the greater the risk. For some psychosis outcomes, the evidence supports some of the criteria of causality. However, alternate explanations including reverse causality and confounders cannot be conclusively excluded. Furthermore, cannabis is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause psychosis. More likely it is one of the multiple causal components. In those with established psychosis, cannabis has a negative impact on the course and expression of the illness. Emerging evidence also suggests alterations in the endocannabinoid system in psychotic disorders. CONCLUSIONS Given that exposure to cannabis and cannabinoids is modifiable, delaying or eliminating exposure to cannabis or cannabinoids, could potentially impact the rates of psychosis related to cannabis, especially in those who are at high risk for developing the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Cyril D'Souza
- Psychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marta DiForti
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.,South London and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Suhas Ganesh
- Psychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tony P George
- Addictions Division and Centre for Complex Interventions, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wayne Hall
- The National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Carsten Hjorthøj
- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health - CORE, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Public Health, Section of Epidemiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Oliver Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,Institute for Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robin M Murray
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Timothy B Nguyen
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.,Institute for Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Godfrey D Pearlson
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Olin Neuropsychiatry Ctr. Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Mohini Ranganathan
- Psychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.,Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alex Selloni
- Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Edoardo Spinazzola
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Verdikt R, Armstrong AA, Allard P. Transgenerational inheritance and its modulation by environmental cues. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 152:31-76. [PMID: 36707214 PMCID: PMC9940302 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The epigenome plays an important role in shaping phenotypes. However, whether the environment can alter an organism's phenotype across several generations through epigenetic remodeling in the germline is still a highly debated topic. In this chapter, we briefly review the mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance and their connection with germline development before highlighting specific developmental windows of susceptibility to environmental cues. We further discuss the evidence of transgenerational inheritance to a range of different environmental cues, both epidemiological in humans and experimental in rodent models. Doing so, we pinpoint the current challenges in demonstrating transgenerational inheritance to environmental cues and offer insight in how recent technological advances may help deciphering the epigenetic mechanisms at play. Together, we draw a detailed picture of how our environment can influence our epigenomes, ultimately reshaping our phenotypes, in an extended theory of inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Verdikt
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| | - Abigail A Armstrong
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Patrick Allard
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Epidemiological Patterns of Cannabis- and Substance- Related Congenital Uronephrological Anomalies in Europe: Geospatiotemporal and Causal Inferential Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192113769. [PMID: 36360648 PMCID: PMC9657099 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent reports linking prenatal and community cannabis exposure to elevated uronephrological congenital anomaly (UCA) rates (UCAR's) raise the question of its European epidemiology given recent increases in community cannabinoid penetration there. METHODS UCAR data from Eurocat. Drug use data from European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income from World bank. RESULTS UCAR increased across Spain, Netherlands, Poland and France. UCAR's and cannabis resin THC increased simultaneously in France, Spain, Netherlands and Bulgaria. At bivariate analysis all UCA's were related to cannabis herb and resin THC concentrations. All UCAR's were bivariately related to cannabis metrics ordered by median minimum E-value (mEV) as hypospadias > multicystic renal disease > bilateral renal agenesis > UCA's > hydronephrosis > posterior urethral valve > bladder exstrophy/epispadias. At inverse probability weighted multivariable analysis terms including cannabis were significant for the following series of anomalies: UCA's, multicystic renal disease, bilateral renal agenesis, hydronephrosis, congenital posterior urethral valves from P = 1.91 × 10-5, 2.61 × 10-8, 4.60 × 10-15, 4.60 × 10-15 and 2.66 × 10-10. At geospatial analysis the same series of UCA's were significantly related to cannabis from P = 7.84 × 10-15, 7.72 × 10-5, 0.0023, 6.95 × 10-5, and 8.82 × 10-5. 45/51 (88.2%) of E-value estimates and 31/51 (60.8%) of mEV's >9. CONCLUSION Analysis confirms a close relationship between cannabis metrics and all seven UCA's and fulfill formal criteria for quantitative causal inference. Given the exponential cannabinoid genotoxicity dose-response relationship results provide a powerful stimulus to constrain community cannabinoid exposure including protection of the food chain to preserve the genome and epigenome of coming generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +617-3844-4000; Fax: +617-3844-4015
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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Niknam Y, Iyer P, Campbell MA, Moran F, Sandy MS, Zeise L. Animal evidence considered in determination of cannabis smoke and Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol as causing reproductive toxicity (developmental endpoint): Part III. Proposed neurodevelopmental mechanisms of action. Birth Defects Res 2022; 114:1169-1185. [PMID: 36125082 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This review summarizes the most common potential pathways of neurodevelopmental toxicity due to perinatal exposure to Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9 -THC) that lead to behavioral and other adverse outcomes (AOs). This is Part III in a set of reviews highlighting the animal-derived data considered by California's Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee (DARTIC) in 2019. The Hazard Identification Document (HID) provided to the DARTIC included a summary of human, whole animal, and mechanistic data on the neurodevelopmental toxicity of cannabis smoke and Δ9 -THC. The literature search for mechanistic data has been updated through 2020. We focus on mechanistic pathways relating to behavioral and other neurodevelopmental outcomes of perinatal exposure to Δ9 -THC. The endocannabinoid system (EC system) plays a crucial role in many processes involved in neurodevelopment and exposure to Δ9 -THC can alter these processes. Whole animal studies report changes in cognitive ability, behavior, and motor function after prenatal exposure to Δ9 -THC. Findings from mechanistic studies add to this evidence and further provide information regarding the pathways leading to these outcomes. Neuromechanistic studies can bridge the gaps between molecular initiating events and apical neurodevelopmental endpoints caused by a chemical. They offer insight into potential alterations in the same pathways by other chemicals that can also result in AOs. Studies of cannabinoid receptor agonist-induced molecular alterations and provide deep biological plausibility at the mechanistic level for the cognitive, behavioral, and motor impairments observed in animal studies after perinatal exposure to Δ9 -THC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassaman Niknam
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)/Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch (RCHAB), California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Poorni Iyer
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)/Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch (RCHAB), California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Marlissa A Campbell
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)/Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch (RCHAB), California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Francisco Moran
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)/Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch (RCHAB), California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Martha S Sandy
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)/Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch (RCHAB), California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Lauren Zeise
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)/Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch (RCHAB), California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, California, USA
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Sperm DNA methylation alterations from cannabis extract exposure are evident in offspring. Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:33. [PMID: 36085240 PMCID: PMC9463823 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00466-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Cannabis legalization is expanding and men are the predominant users. We have limited knowledge about how cannabis impacts sperm and whether the effects are heritable.
Results
Whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data were generated for sperm of rats exposed to: (1) cannabis extract (CE) for 28 days, then 56 days of vehicle only (~ one spermatogenic cycle); (2) vehicle for 56 days, then 28 days of CE; or (3) vehicle only. Males were then mated with drug-naïve females to produce F1 offspring from which heart, brain, and sperm tissues underwent analyses. There were 3321 nominally significant differentially methylated CpGs in F0 sperm identified via WGBS with select methylation changes validated via bisulfite pyrosequencing. Significant methylation changes validated in F0 sperm of the exposed males at the gene 2-Phosphoxylose Phosphatase 1 (Pxylp1) were also detectable in their F1 sperm but not in controls. Changes validated in exposed F0 sperm at Metastasis Suppressor 1-Like Protein (Mtss1l) were also present in F1 hippocampal and nucleus accumbens (NAc) of the exposed group compared to controls. For Mtss1l, a significant sex-specific relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression was demonstrated in the F1 NAc. Phenotypically, rats born to CSE-exposed fathers exhibited significant cardiomegaly relative to those born to control fathers.
Conclusions
This is the first characterization of the effect of cannabis exposure on the entirety of the rat sperm methylome. We identified CE-associated methylation changes across the sperm methylome, some of which persisted despite a “washout” period. Select methylation changes validated via bisulfite pyrosequencing, and genes associated with methylation changes were involved in early developmental processes. Preconception CE exposure is associated with detectable changes in offspring DNA methylation that are functionally related to changes in gene expression and cardiomegaly.
These results support that paternal preconception exposure to cannabis can influence offspring outcomes.
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Cannabis- and Substance-Related Epidemiological Patterns of Chromosomal Congenital Anomalies in Europe: Geospatiotemporal and Causal Inferential Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191811208. [PMID: 36141481 PMCID: PMC9517644 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Laboratory data link cannabinoid exposure to chromosomal mis-segregation errors. Recent epidemiological reports confirm this link and raise concern that elevated chromosomal congenital anomaly rates (CCAR) may be occurring in Europe which is experiencing increased cannabis use, daily intensity of use and cannabinoid potency. METHODS CCAR data from Eurocat. Drug use data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income from World Bank. Bivariate, multivariate, panel and geotemporospatial regressions analyzed. Inverse probability weighting of panel models and E-values used as major quantitative causal inferential methodologies. RESULTS In countries where daily cannabis use was rising the trend for CCA's was upwards whereas in those where daily use was declining it was usually downwards (p = 0.0002). In inverse probability weighted panel models terms for cannabis metrics were significant for chromosomal disorders, trisomies 21 and 13 and Klinefelters syndrome from p < 2.2 × 10-16. In spatiotemporal models cannabis terms were positive and significant for chromosomal disorders, genetic disorders, trisomies 21, 18 and 13, Turners and Klinefelters syndromes from 4.28 × 10-6, 5.79 × 10-12, 1.26 × 10-11, 1.12 × 10-7, 7.52 × 10-9, 7.19 × 10-7 and 7.27 × 10-7. 83.7% of E-value estimates and 74.4% of minimum E-values (mEV) > 9 including four values each at infinity. Considering E-values: the sensitivity of the individual disorders was trisomy 13 > trisomy 21 > Klinefelters > chromosomal disorders > Turners > genetic syndromes > trisomy 18 with mEV's 1.91 × 1025 to 59.31; and daily cannabis use was the most powerful covariate (median mEV = 1.91 × 1025). CONCLUSIONS Data indicate that, consistent with reports from Hawaii, Canada, Colorado, Australia and USA, CCARs are causally and spatiotemporally related to metrics and intensity of cannabis exposure, directly impact 645 MB (21.5%) of the human genome and may implicate epigenomic-centrosomal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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The Cannabis-Induced Epigenetic Regulation of Genes Associated with Major Depressive Disorder. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081435. [PMID: 36011346 PMCID: PMC9407536 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of depression is increasing worldwide, as is the number of people suffering from treatment-resistant depression; these patients constitute 30% of those treated. Unfortunately, there have not been significant advances in the treatment of this disorder in the past few decades. Exposure to cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds impacts depression symptomatology in different ways, with evidence indicating that cannabidiol has antidepressant effects; there have been mixed results with medical cannabis. Even though the exact molecular mechanisms of the action underlying changes in depression symptomatology upon exposure to cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds are still unknown, there is strong evidence that these agents have a widespread impact on epigenetic regulation. We hypothesized that exposure to cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds changes the DNA methylation levels of genes associated with depression. To test this hypothesis, we first performed a literature search to identify genes that are differentially methylated upon exposure to cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds, as reported in methylome-wide association studies. We next checked whether genes residing in loci associated with depression, as identified in the largest currently available genome-wide association study of depression, were reported to be epigenetically regulated by cannabis or cannabis-related compounds. Multiple genes residing in loci associated with depression were found to be epigenetically regulated by exposure to cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. This epigenomic regulation of depression-associated genes by cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds was reported across diverse organisms, tissues, and developmental stages and occurred in genes crucial for neuronal development, functioning, survival, and synapse functioning, as well as in genes previously implicated in other mental disorders.
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European Epidemiological Patterns of Cannabis- and Substance-Related Body Wall Congenital Anomalies: Geospatiotemporal and Causal Inferential Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159027. [PMID: 35897396 PMCID: PMC9330494 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
As body wall congenital anomalies (BWCAs) have a long history of being associated with prenatal or community cannabis exposure (CCE), it was of interest to investigate these epidemiological relationships in Europe given the recent increases in cannabis use prevalence, daily intensity, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency. Methods: This study makes use of BWCA data from Eurocat, drug exposure data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and income from the World Bank. Results: The mapping analysis showed that BWCARs increased in France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The bivariate mapping analysis showed that the BWCA rates (BWCAR) and the cannabis resin THC concentration rose simultaneously in France, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Sweden, and Norway. The bivariate ranking of the BWCARs by median minimum E-value (mEV) was omphalocele > diaphragmatic hernia > abdominal wall defects > gastroschisis. With inverse probability weighted multivariable panel regression, the series of BWCAs, including gastroschisis, omphalocele, and diaphragmatic hernia, was positively related to various metrics of cannabis use from p = 2.45 × 10−14, 4.77 × 10−7 and <2.2 × 10−16. With geospatial regression, the same series of BWCAs was related to cannabis metrics from p = 0.0016, 5.28 × 10−6 and 4.88 × 10−9. Seventeen out of twenty-eight (60.7%) of the E-value estimates were >9 (high range), as were 14/28 (50.0%) of the mEVs. Conclusion: The data confirm the close relationship of the BWCARs with the metrics of CCE, fulfill the quantitative criteria of causal inference, and underscore the salience of the public health impacts of cannabinoid teratogenicity. Of major concern is the rising CCE impacting exponential cannabinoid genotoxic dose-response relationships. CCE should be carefully restricted to protect the food chain, the genome, and the epigenome of coming generations.
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Martínez-Peña AA, Lee K, Pereira M, Ayyash A, Petrik JJ, Hardy DB, Holloway AC. Prenatal Exposure to Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Alters the Expression of miR-122-5p and Its Target Igf1r in the Adult Rat Ovary. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23148000. [PMID: 35887347 PMCID: PMC9323798 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23148000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As cannabis use during pregnancy increases, it is important to understand its effects on the developing fetus. Particularly, the long-term effects of its psychoactive component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), on the offspring’s reproductive health are not fully understood. This study examined the impact of gestational THC exposure on the miRNA profile in adult rat ovaries and the possible consequences on ovarian health. Prenatal THC exposure resulted in the differential expression of 12 out of 420 evaluated miRNAs. From the differentially expressed miRNAs, miR-122-5p, which is highly conserved among species, was the only upregulated target and had the greatest fold change. The upregulation of miR-122-5p and the downregulation of its target insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (Igf1r) were confirmed by RT-qPCR. Prenatally THC-exposed ovaries had decreased IGF-1R-positive follicular cells and increased follicular apoptosis. Furthermore, THC decreased Igf1r expression in ovarian explants and granulosa cells after 48 h. As decreased IGF-1R has been associated with diminished ovarian health and fertility, we propose that these THC-induced changes may partially explain the altered ovarian follicle dynamics observed in THC-exposed offspring. Taken together, our data suggests that prenatal THC exposure may impact key pathways in the developing ovary, which could lead to subfertility or premature reproductive senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annia A. Martínez-Peña
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (A.A.M.-P.); (A.A.)
| | - Kendrick Lee
- The Children’s Health Research Institute, The Lawson Health Research Institute, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (K.L.); (D.B.H.)
| | - Madison Pereira
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (M.P.); (J.J.P.)
| | - Ahmed Ayyash
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (A.A.M.-P.); (A.A.)
| | - James J. Petrik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (M.P.); (J.J.P.)
| | - Daniel B. Hardy
- The Children’s Health Research Institute, The Lawson Health Research Institute, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (K.L.); (D.B.H.)
| | - Alison C. Holloway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (A.A.M.-P.); (A.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(905)-525-9140 (ext. 22130)
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Dong N, Zhu J, Wang R, Wang S, Chen Y, Wang C, Goh EL, Chen T. Maternal Methamphetamine Exposure Influences Behavioral Sensitization and Nucleus Accumbens DNA Methylation in Subsequent Generation. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:940798. [PMID: 35928279 PMCID: PMC9343784 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.940798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The deleterious effects of methamphetamine (METH) exposure extend beyond abusers, and may potentially impact the vulnerability of their offspring in developing addictive behaviors. Epigenetic signatures have been implicated in addiction, yet the characteristics to identify prenatal METH abuse to offspring addiction risk remains elusive. Here, we used escalating doses of METH-exposed mouse model in F0 female mice before and during pregnancy to simulate the human pattern of drug abuse and generated METH-induced behavioral sensitization to investigate the addictive behavior in offspring mice. We then utilized whole genome-bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) to investigate the methylation signature of nucleus accumbens (NAc) in male METH-sensitized mice. Interestingly, male but not female offspring exhibited an enhanced response to METH-induced behavioral sensitization. Additionally, the METH-exposed group of male mice underwent a more comprehensive wave of epigenome remodeling over all genomic elements compared with unexposed groups due to drug exposure history. 104,219 DMCs (METH-SAL vs. SAL-SAL) induced by prenatal METH-exposure were positively correlated with that of postnatal METH-exposure (38,570, SAL-METH vs. SAL-SAL). Moreover, 4,983 DMCs induced by pre- and postnatal METH exposure (METH-METH vs. SAL-METH) were negatively correlated with that of postnatal METH exposure, and 371 commonly changed DMCs between the two comparison groups also showed a significantly negative correlation and 86 annotated genes functionally enriched in the pathways of neurodevelopment and addiction. Key annotated genes included Kirrel3, Lrpprc, and Peg3, implicated in neurodevelopmental processes, were down-regulated in METH-METH group mice compared with the SAL-METH group. Taken together, we render novel insights into the epigenetic correlation of drug exposure and provide evidence for epigenetic characteristics that link maternal METH exposure to the intensity of the same drug-induced behavioral sensitization in adult offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Dong
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Rui Wang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yanjiong Chen
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
| | - Changhe Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Eyleen L.K Goh
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Faculty, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Singhealth Duke-NUS Neuroscience Academic Clinical Programme, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Teng Chen
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Teng Chen,
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Chmielowiec J, Chmielowiec K, Strońska-Pluta A, Suchanecka A, Humińska-Lisowska K, Lachowicz M, Niewczas M, Białecka M, Śmiarowska M, Grzywacz A. Methylation in the Promoter Region of the Dopamine Transporter DAT1 Gene in People Addicted to Nicotine. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19148602. [PMID: 35886451 PMCID: PMC9321476 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The dopaminergic system is a crucial element of the addiction processes. The dopamine transporter modulates the dynamics and levels of released dopamine in the synaptic cleft. Therefore, regulation of dopamine transporter (DAT1) gene expression is critical for maintaining homeostasis in the dopaminergic system. The aim of our study is evaluation of the methylation status of 33 CpG islands located in the DAT1 gene promoter region related to nicotine dependency. We investigated 142 nicotine-dependent subjects and 238 controls. Our results show that as many as 14 of the 33 CpG islands tested had statistically significantly higher methylation in the nicotine-dependent group compared to the control group. After applying Bonferroni correction, the total number of methylation sites was also significantly higher in the dependent subjects group. The analysis of the methylation status of particular CpG sites revealed a new direction of research regarding the biological aspects of nicotine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolanta Chmielowiec
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 65-046 Zielona Gora, Poland; (J.C.); (K.C.)
| | - Krzysztof Chmielowiec
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 65-046 Zielona Gora, Poland; (J.C.); (K.C.)
| | - Aleksandra Strońska-Pluta
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland; (A.S.-P.); (A.S.)
| | - Aleksandra Suchanecka
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland; (A.S.-P.); (A.S.)
| | - Kinga Humińska-Lisowska
- Faculty of Physical Education, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Milena Lachowicz
- Department of Psychology, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Marta Niewczas
- Faculty of Physical Education, University of Rzeszow, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland;
| | - Monika Białecka
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; (M.B.); (M.Ś.)
| | - Małgorzata Śmiarowska
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; (M.B.); (M.Ś.)
| | - Anna Grzywacz
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland; (A.S.-P.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-91441-47-46
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Impact of converging sociocultural and substance-related trends on US autism rates: combined geospatiotemporal and causal inferential analysis. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 273:699-717. [PMID: 35779123 PMCID: PMC10085966 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01446-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Whilst cannabis is known to be toxic to brain development, it is unknown if it is driving rising US autism rates (ASMR). A longitudinal epidemiological study was conducted using national autism census data from the US Department of Education Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) 1991-2011 and nationally representative drug exposure (cigarettes, alcohol, analgesic, and cocaine abuse, and cannabis use monthly, daily, and in pregnancy) datasets from National Survey of Drug Use and Health and US Census (income and ethnicity) and CDC Wonder population and birth data. Analysis was conducted in R. 266,950 were autistic of a population of 40,119,464 8-year-olds in 1994-2011. At national level after adjustment, daily cannabis use was significantly related to ASMR (β estimate = 4.37 (95%C.I. 4.06, 4.68), P < 2.2 × 10-16) as was first pregnancy trimester cannabis exposure (β estimate = 0.12 (0.08, 0.16), P = 1.7 × 10-12). At state level following adjustment for cannabis, cannabigerol (from β estimate = - 13.77 (- 19.41, 8.13), P = 1.8 × 10-6) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (from β estimate = 1.96 (0.88-3.04), P = 4 × 10-4) were significant. Geospatial state-level modelling showed exponential relationship between ASMR and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabigerol exposure. Exponential coefficients for the relationship between modelled ASMR and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabigerol exposure were 7.053 (6.39-7.71) and 185.334 (167.88-202.79; both P < 2.0 × 10-7). E-values are an instrument related to the evidence for causality in observational studies. High E-values were noted. Dichotomized legal status was linked with elevated ASMR. Data show cannabis use is associated with ASMR, is powerful enough to affect overall trends, and persists after controlling for other major covariates. Cannabinoids are exponentially associated with ASMR. The cannabis-autism relationship satisfies criteria of causal inference.
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Fuchs Weizman N, Wyse BA, Montbriand J, Jahangiri S, Librach CL. Cannabis significantly alters DNA methylation of the human ovarian follicle in a concentration-dependent manner. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 28:gaac022. [PMID: 35674367 PMCID: PMC9247704 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis is increasingly consumed by women of childbearing age, and the reproductive and epigenetic effects are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential epigenetic implications of cannabis use on the female ovarian follicle. Whole-genome methylation was assessed in granulosa cells from 14 matched case-control patients. Exposure status was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) measurements of five cannabis-derived phytocannabinoids in follicular fluid. DNA methylation was measured using the Illumina TruSeq Methyl Capture EPIC kit. Differential methylation, pathway analysis and correlation analysis were performed. We identified 3679 differentially methylated sites, with two-thirds affecting coding genes. A hotspot region on chromosome 9 was associated with two genomic features, a zinc-finger protein (ZFP37) and a long non-coding RNA (FAM225B). There were 2214 differentially methylated genomic features, 19 of which have been previously implicated in cannabis-related epigenetic modifications in other organ systems. Pathway analysis revealed enrichment in G protein-coupled receptor signaling, cellular transport, immune response and proliferation. Applying strict criteria, we identified 71 differentially methylated regions, none of which were previously annotated in this context. Finally, correlation analysis revealed 16 unique genomic features affected by cannabis use in a concentration-dependent manner. Of these, the histone methyltransferases SMYD3 and ZFP37 were hypomethylated, possibly implicating histone modifications as well. Herein, we provide the first DNA methylation profile of human granulosa cells exposed to cannabis. With cannabis increasingly legalized worldwide, further investigation into the heritability and functional consequences of these effects is critical for clinical consultation and for legalization guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noga Fuchs Weizman
- CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Racine IVF Unit, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | | | - Sahar Jahangiri
- CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- CReATe BioBank, Toronto, Canada
| | - Clifford L Librach
- CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- CReATe BioBank, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Epidemiology of Δ8THC-Related Carcinogenesis in USA: A Panel Regression and Causal Inferential Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19137726. [PMID: 35805384 PMCID: PMC9265369 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The use of Δ8THC is increasing at present across the USA in association with widespread cannabis legalization and the common notion that it is “legal weed”. As genotoxic actions have been described for many cannabinoids, we studied the cancer epidemiology of Δ8THC. Data on 34 cancer types was from the Centers for Disease Control Atlanta Georgia, substance abuse data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, ethnicity and income data from the U.S. Census Bureau, and cannabinoid concentration data from the Drug Enforcement Agency, were combined and processed in R. Eight cancers (corpus uteri, liver, gastric cardia, breast and post-menopausal breast, anorectum, pancreas, and thyroid) were related to Δ8THC exposure on bivariate testing, and 18 (additionally, stomach, Hodgkins, and Non-Hodgkins lymphomas, ovary, cervix uteri, gall bladder, oropharynx, bladder, lung, esophagus, colorectal cancer, and all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer)) demonstrated positive average marginal effects on fully adjusted inverse probability weighted interactive panel regression. Many minimum E-Values (mEVs) were infinite. p-values rose from 8.04 × 10−78. Marginal effect calculations revealed that 18 Δ8THC-related cancers are predicted to lead to a further 8.58 cases/100,000 compared to 7.93 for alcoholism and −8.48 for tobacco. Results indicate that between 8 and 20/34 cancer types were associated with Δ8THC exposure, with very high effect sizes (mEVs) and marginal effects after adjustment exceeding tobacco and alcohol, fulfilling the epidemiological criteria of causality and suggesting a cannabinoid class effect. The inclusion of pediatric leukemias and testicular cancer herein demonstrates heritable malignant teratogenesis.
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Epigenetic Studies for Evaluation of NPS Toxicity: Focus on Synthetic Cannabinoids and Cathinones. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061398. [PMID: 35740419 PMCID: PMC9219842 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In the recent decade, numerous new psychoactive substances (NPSs) have been added to the illicit drug market. These are synthetized to mimic the effects of classic drugs of abuse (i.e., cannabis, cocaine, etc.), with the purpose of bypassing substance legislations and increasing the pharmacotoxicological effects. To date, research into the acute pharmacological effects of new NPSs is ongoing and necessary in order to provide an appropriate contribution to public health. In fact, multiple examples of NPS-related acute intoxication and mortality have been recorded in the literature. Accordingly, several in vitro and in vivo studies have investigated the pharmacotoxicological profiles of these compounds, revealing that they can cause adverse effects involving various organ systems (i.e., cardiovascular, respiratory effects) and highlighting their potential increased consumption risks. In this sense, NPSs should be regarded as a complex issue that requires continuous monitoring. Moreover, knowledge of long-term NPS effects is lacking. Because genetic and environmental variables may impact NPS responses, epigenetics may aid in understanding the processes behind the harmful events induced by long-term NPS usage. Taken together, “pharmacoepigenomics” may provide a new field of combined study on genetic differences and epigenetic changes in drug reactions that might be predictive in forensic implications.
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Non-Psychotropic Cannabinoids as Inhibitors of TET1 Protein. Bioorg Chem 2022; 124:105793. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Geotemporospatial and causal inferential epidemiological overview and survey of USA cannabis, cannabidiol and cannabinoid genotoxicity expressed in cancer incidence 2003-2017: part 2 - categorical bivariate analysis and attributable fractions. Arch Public Health 2022; 80:100. [PMID: 35354495 PMCID: PMC8969377 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-022-00812-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the cannabis-cancer relationship remains an important open question epidemiological investigation is warranted to calculate key metrics including Rate Ratios (RR), Attributable Fractions in the Exposed (AFE) and Population Attributable Risks (PAR) to directly compare the implicated case burden between emerging cannabinoids and the established carcinogen tobacco. METHODS SEER*Stat software from Centres for Disease Control was used to access age-standardized state census incidence of 28 cancer types (including "All (non-skin) Cancer") from National Cancer Institute in US states 2001-2017. Drug exposures taken from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2003-2017, response rate 74.1%. Federal seizure data provided cannabinoid exposure. US Census Bureau furnished income and ethnicity. Exposure dichotomized as highest v. lowest exposure quintiles. Data processed in R. RESULTS Nineteen thousand eight hundred seventy-seven age-standardized cancer rates were returned. Based on these rates and state populations this equated to 51,623,922 cancer cases over an aggregated population 2003-2017 of 124,896,418,350. Fifteen cancers displayed elevated E-Values in the highest compared to the lowest quintiles of cannabidiol exposure, namely (in order): prostate, melanoma, Kaposi sarcoma, ovarian, bladder, colorectal, stomach, Hodgkins, esophagus, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, All cancer, brain, lung, CLL and breast. Eleven cancers were elevated in the highest THC exposure quintile: melanoma, thyroid, liver, AML, ALL, pancreas, myeloma, CML, breast, oropharynx and stomach. Twelve cancers were elevated in the highest tobacco quintile confirming extant knowledge and study methodology. For cannabidiol RR declined from 1.397 (95%C.I. 1.392, 1.402), AFE declined from 28.40% (28.14, 28.66%), PAR declined from 15.3% (15.1, 15.5%) and minimum E-Values declined from 2.13. For THC RR declined from 2.166 (95%C.I. 2.153, 2.180), AFE declined from 53.8% (53.5, 54.1%); PAR declined from 36.1% (35.9, 36.4%) and minimum E-Values declined from 3.72. For tobacco, THC and cannabidiol based on AFE this implies an excess of 93,860, 91,677 and 48,510 cases; based on PAR data imply an excess of 36,450, 55,780 and 14,819 cases. CONCLUSION Data implicate 23/28 cancers as being linked with THC or cannabidiol exposure with epidemiologically-causal relationships comparable to those for tobacco. AFE-attributable cases for cannabinoids (91,677 and 48,510) compare with PAR-attributable cases for tobacco (36,450). Cannabinoids constitute an important multivalent community carcinogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia. .,School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, Australia. .,, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.,School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, Australia
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Geotemporospatial and causal inferential epidemiological overview and survey of USA cannabis, cannabidiol and cannabinoid genotoxicity expressed in cancer incidence 2003-2017: part 3 - spatiotemporal, multivariable and causal inferential pathfinding and exploratory analyses of prostate and ovarian cancers. Arch Public Health 2022; 80:101. [PMID: 35354499 PMCID: PMC8969240 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-022-00813-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The epidemiology of cannabinoid-related cancerogenesis has not been studied with cutting edge epidemiological techniques. Building on earlier bivariate papers in this series we aimed to conduct pathfinding studies to address this gap in two tumours of the reproductive tract, prostate and ovarian cancer. Methods Age-standardized cancer incidence data for 28 tumour types (including “All (non-skin) Cancer”) was sourced from Centres for Disease Control and National Cancer Institute using SEER*Stat software across US states 2001–2017. Drug exposure was sourced from the nationally representative household survey National Survey of Drug Use and Health conducted annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2003–2017 with response rate 74.1%. Federal seizure data provided cannabinoid concentration data. US Census Bureau provided income and ethnicity data. Inverse probability weighted mixed effects, robust and panel regression together with geospatiotemporal regression analyses were conducted in R. E-Values were also calculated. Results 19,877 age-standardized cancer rates were returned. Based on these rates and state populations this equated to 51,623,922 cancer cases over an aggregated population 2003–2017 of 124,896,418,350. Inverse probability weighted regressions for prostate and ovarian cancers confirmed causal associations robust to adjustment. Cannabidiol alone was significantly associated with prostate cancer (β-estimate = 1.61, (95%C.I. 0.99, 2.23), P = 3.75 × 10− 7). In a fully adjusted geospatiotemporal model at one spatial and two temporal years lags cannabidiol was significantly independently associated with prostate cancer (β-estimate = 2.08, (1.19, 2.98), P = 5.20 × 10− 6). Cannabidiol alone was positively associated with ovarian cancer incidence in a geospatiotemporal model (β-estimate = 0.36, (0.30, 0.42), P < 2.20 × 10− 16). The cigarette: THC: cannabidiol interaction was significant in a fully adjusted geospatiotemporal model at six years of temporal lag (β-estimate = 1.93, (1.07, 2.78), P = 9.96 × 10− 6). Minimal modelled polynomial E-Values for prostate and ovarian cancer ranged up to 5.59 × 1059 and 1.92 × 10125. Geotemporospatial modelling of these tumours showed that the cannabidiol-carcinogenesis relationship was supra-linear and highly sigmoidal (P = 1.25 × 10− 45 and 12.82 × 10− 52 for linear v. polynomial models). Conclusion Cannabinoids including THC and cannabidiol are therefore important community carcinogens additive to the effects of tobacco and greatly exceeding those of alcohol. Reproductive tract carcinogenesis necessarily implies genotoxicity and epigenotoxicity of the germ line with transgenerational potential. Pseudoexponential and causal dose-response power functions are demonstrated. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-022-00813-6.
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Geotemporospatial and causal inference epidemiological analysis of US survey and overview of cannabis, cannabidiol and cannabinoid genotoxicity in relation to congenital anomalies 2001–2015. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:47. [PMID: 35042455 PMCID: PMC8767720 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02996-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Cannabinoids including cannabidiol have recognized genotoxic activities but their significance has not been studied broadly epidemiologically across the teratological spectrum. We examined these issues including contextual space-time relationships and formal causal inferential analysis in USA.
Methods
State congenital anomaly (CA) rate (CAR) data was taken from the annual reports of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network 2001–2005 to 2011–2015. Substance abuse rates were from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the non-institutionalized US population with 74.1% response rate. Drugs examined were cigarettes, monthly and binge alcohol, monthly cannabis and analgesic and cocaine abuse. Early termination of pregnancy for abortion (ETOPFA) rates were taken from the published literature. Cannabinoid concentrations were from Drug Enforcement Agency. Ethnicity and income data were from the US Census Bureau. Inverse probability weighted (IPW) regressions and geotemporospatial regressions conducted for selected CAs.
Results
Data on 18,328,529 births from an aggregated population of 2,377,483,589 for mid-year analyses 2005–2013 comprehending 12,611 CARs for 62 CAs was assembled and ETOPFA-corrected (ETOPFACAR) where appropriate. E-Values for ETOPFACARs by substance trends were elevated for THC (40 CAs), cannabis (35 CAs), tobacco (11 CAs), cannabidiol (8 CAs), monthly alcohol (5 CAs) and binge alcohol (2 CAs) with minimum E-Values descending from 16.55, 1.55x107, 555.10, 7.53x1019, 9.30 and 32.98. Cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, chromosomal, limb reductions, urinary, face and body wall CAs particularly affected. Highest v. lowest substance use quintile CAR prevalence ratios 2.84 (95%C.I. 2.44, 3.31), 4.85 (4.08, 5.77) and 1.92 (1.63, 2.27) and attributable fraction in exposed 0.28 (0.27, 0.28), 0.57 (0.51, 0.62) and 0.47 (0.38, 0.55) for tobacco, cannabis and cannabidiol. Small intestinal stenosis or atresia and obstructive genitourinary defect were studied in detail in lagged IPW pseudo-randomized causal regressions and spatiotemporal models confirmed the causal role of cannabinoids. Spatiotemporal predictive modelling demonstrated strongly sigmoidal non-linear cannabidiol dose-response power-function relationships (P = 2.83x10−60 and 1.61x10−71 respectively).
Conclusions
Data implicate cannabinoids including cannabidiol in a diverse spectrum of heritable CAs. Sigmoidal non-linear dose-response relationships are of grave concern.
These transgenerational genotoxic, epigenotoxic, chromosomal-toxic putatively causal teratogenic effects strongly indicate tight restrictions on community cannabinoid penetration.
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Geospatiotemporal and causal inference study of cannabis and other drugs as risk factors for female breast cancer USA 2003-2017. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvac006. [PMID: 35386387 PMCID: PMC8978645 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the commonest human cancer and its incidence (BC incidence, BCI) is rising worldwide. Whilst both tobacco and alcohol have been linked to BCI genotoxic cannabinoids have not been investigated. Age-adjusted state-based BCI 2003-2017 was taken from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database of the Centers for Disease Control. Drug use from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, response rate 74.1%. Median age, median household income and ethnicity were from US census. Inverse probability weighted (ipw) multivariable regression conducted in R. In bivariate analysis BCI was shown to be significantly linked with rising cannabis exposure {β-est. = 3.93 [95% confidence interval 2.99, 4.87], P = 1.10 × 10-15}. At 8 years lag cigarettes:cannabis [β-est. = 2660 (2150.4, 3169.3), P = 4.60 × 10-22] and cannabis:alcoholism [β-est. = 7010 (5461.6, 8558.4), P = 1.80 × 10-17] were significant in ipw-panel regression. Terms including cannabidiol [CBD; β-est. = 16.16 (0.39, 31.93), P = 0.446] and cannabigerol [CBG; β-est. = 6.23 (2.06, 10.39), P = 0.0034] were significant in spatiotemporal models lagged 1:2 years, respectively. Cannabis-liberal paradigms had higher BCI [67.50 ± 0.26 v. 65.19 ± 0.21/100 000 (mean ± SEM), P = 1.87 × 10-11; β-est. = 2.31 (1.65, 2.96), P = 9.09 × 10-12]. 55/58 expected values >1.25 and 13/58 >100. Abortion was independently and causally significant in space-time models. Data show that exposure to cannabis and the cannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, CBD, CBG and alcoholism fulfil quantitative causal criteria for BCI across space and time. Findings are robust to adjustment for age and several known sociodemographic, socio-economic and hormonal risk factors and establish cannabinoids as an additional risk factor class for breast carcinogenesis. BCI is higher under cannabis-liberal legal paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- *Correspondence address. University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia. Tel: (+617) 3844-4000; Fax: (+617) 3844-4015; E-mail:
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 27 Joondalup Dr., Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. European epidemiological patterns of cannabis- and substance-related congenital cardiovascular anomalies: geospatiotemporal and causal inferential study. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvac015. [PMID: 35966825 PMCID: PMC9364688 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
As prenatal and community cannabis exposures have recently been linked with congenital heart disease (CHD), it was of interest to explore these associations in Europe in a causal framework and space-time context. Congenital anomaly data from Eurocat, drug-use data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and income from the World Bank. Countries with rising daily cannabis use had in general higher congenital anomaly rates over time than those without (time: status interaction: β-Est. = 0.0267, P = 0.0059). At inverse probability-weighted panel regression, cannabis terms were positive and significant for CHD, severe CHD, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, atrioventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot, vascular disruptions, double outlet right ventricle, transposition of the great vessels, hypoplastic right heart, and mitral valve anomalies from 1.75 × 10-19, 4.20 × 10-11, <2.2 × 10-16, <2.2 × 10-16, 1.58 × 10-12, 4.30 × 10-9, 4.36 × 10-16, 3.50 × 10-8, 5.35 × 10-12, <2.2 × 10-16, 5.65 × 10-5 and 6.06 × 10-10. At spatial regression, terms including cannabis were positive and significant for this same list of anomalies from 0.0038, 1.05 × 10-10, 0.0215, 8.94 × 10-6, 1.23 × 10-5, 2.05 × 10-5, 1.07 × 10-6, 8.77 × 10-5, 9.11 × 10-6, 0.0001, 3.10 × 10-7 and 2.17 × 10-7. 92.6% and 75.2% of 149 E-value estimates and minimum E-values were in high zone >9; 100.0% and 98.7% >1.25. Data show many congenital cardiac anomalies exhibit strong bivariate relationships with metrics of cannabis exposure. Causal inferential modelling for the twelve anomalies selected demonstrated convincing evidence of robust relationships to cannabis which survived adjustment and fulfilled epidemiological criteria for causal relationships. Space-time regression was similarly confirmatory. Epigenomic pathways constitute viable potential mechanisms. Given exponential genotoxic dose-response effects, careful and astute control of cannabinoid penetration is indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- *Correspondence address. 39 Gladstone Rd., Highgate Hill, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Tel: +617 3844-4000; Fax: (617) 3844-4015; E-mail:
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Effects of cannabis on congenital limb anomalies in 14 European nations: A geospatiotemporal and causal inferential study. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvac016. [PMID: 35966826 PMCID: PMC9364687 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoid exposure is increasing in some European nations. Europe therefore provides an interesting test environment for the recently reported link between cannabis exposure and congenital limb anomaly (CLA) rates (CLARs). Exponential genotoxic dose-response relationships make this investigation both intriguing and imperative. Annual CLAR in 14 nations were from Epidemiological Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies. Drug use rates were from European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Dependency. Median household income was from the World Bank. E-values provide a quantitative measure of robustness of results to confounding by extraneous covariates. Inverse probability weighting is an important technique for equalizing exposures across countries and removing sources of bias. Rates of CLA, hip dysplasia and the whole group of limb anomalies were higher in countries with increasing daily cannabis use (P = 1.81 × 10-16, 0.0005 and 2.53 × 10-6, respectively). In additive inverse-probability-weighted panel models, the limb reduction-resin Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration E-value estimate was 519.93 [95% lower bound (mEV) 49.56], order Resin > Herb ≫ Tobacco > Alcohol. Elevations were noted in 86% E-value estimates and 70.2% of mEVs from 57 E-value pairs from inverse-probability-weighted panel models and from spatial models. As judged by the mEV the degree of association with metrics of cannabis exposure was hip dysplasia > polydactyly > syndactyly > limb anomalies > limb reductions with median E-value estimates from 3.40 × 1065 to 7.06 and median mEVs from 6.14 × 1033 to 3.41. Daily cannabis use interpolated was a more powerful metric of cannabis exposure than herb or resin THC exposure. Data indicate that metrics of cannabis exposure are closely linked with CLAR and satisfy epidemiological criteria for causality. Along with Hawaii and the USA, Europe now forms the third international population in which this causal link has been demonstrated. Cannabis as a predictor of limb anomalies was more potent than tobacco or alcohol. Cannabinoid access should be restricted to protect public health and the community genome/epigenome transgenerationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- *Correspondence address. 39 Gladstone Rd., Highgate Hill, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Tel: (+617) 3844-4000; Fax: (+617) 3844-4015; E-mail:
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Cannabinoid and substance relationships of European congenital anomaly patterns: a space-time panel regression and causal inferential study. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvab015. [PMID: 35145760 PMCID: PMC8824558 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
With reports from Australia, Canada, USA, Hawaii and Colorado documenting a link between cannabis and congenital anomalies (CAs), this relationship was investigated in Europe. Data on 90 CAs were accessed from Eurocat. Tobacco and alcohol consumption and median household income data were from the World Bank. Amphetamine, cocaine and last month and daily use of cannabis from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Cannabis herb and resin Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations were from published reports. Data were processed in R. Twelve thousand three hundred sixty CA rates were sourced across 16 nations of Europe. Nations with a higher or increasing rate of daily cannabis use had a 71.77% higher median CA rates than others [median ± interquartile range 2.13 (0.59, 6.30) v. 1.24 (0.15, 5.14)/10 000 live births (P = 4.74 × 10-17; minimum E-value (mEV) = 1.52]. Eighty-nine out of 90 CAs in bivariate association and 74/90 CAs in additive panel inverse probability weighted space-time regression were cannabis related. In inverse probability weighted interactive panel models lagged to zero, two, four and six years, 76, 31, 50 and 29 CAs had elevated mEVs (< 2.46 × 1039) for cannabis metrics. Cardiovascular, central nervous, gastrointestinal, genital, uronephrology, limb, face and chromosomalgenetic systems along with the multisystem VACTERL syndrome were particularly vulnerable targets. Data reveal that cannabis is related to many CAs and fulfil epidemiological criteria of causality. The triple convergence of rising cannabis use prevalence, intensity of daily use and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration in herb and resin is powerfully implicated as a primary driver of European teratogenicity, confirming results from elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- **Correspondence address. Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Tel: (617) +3844-4000; Fax: (617) +3844-4015; E-mail:
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia
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Reece AS, Hulse GK. Congenital anomaly epidemiological correlates of Δ8THC across USA 2003-16: panel regression and causal inferential study. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvac012. [PMID: 35782486 PMCID: PMC9245652 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Δ8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8THC) is marketed in many US states as 'legal weed'. Concerns exist relating to class-wide genotoxic cannabinoid effects. We conducted an epidemiological investigation of Δ8THC-related genotoxicity expressed as 57 congenital anomaly (CA) rates (CARs) in the USA. CARs were taken from the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia. Drug exposure data were taken from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, with a response rate of 74.1%. Ethnicity and income data were taken from the US Census Bureau. National cannabinoid exposure was taken from Drug Enforcement Agency publications and multiplied by state cannabis use data to derive state-based estimates of Δ8THC exposure. At bivariate continuous analysis, Δ8THC was associated with 23 CAs on raw CA rates, 33 CARs after correction for early termination for anomaly estimates and 41 on a categorical analysis comparing the highest and lowest exposure quintiles. At inverse probability weighted multivariable additive and interactive models lagged to 0, 2 and 4 years, Δ8THC was linked with 39, 8, 4 and 9 CAs. Chromosomal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, limb, central nervous system (CNS) and face systems were particularly affected. The minimum E-values ranged to infinity. Both the number of anomalies implicated and the effect sizes demonstrated were much greater for Δ8THC than for tobacco and alcohol combined. Δ8THC appears epidemiologically to be more strongly associated with many CAs than for tobacco and alcohol and is consistent with a cannabinoid class genotoxic/epigenotoxic effect. Quantitative causality criteria were fulfilled, and causal relationships either for Δ8THC or for cannabinoid/s, for which it is a surrogate marker, may be in operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Stuart Reece
- *Correspondence address. 39 Gladstone Rd., Highgate Hill, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Tel: (617) +3844-4000; Fax: +(617) 3844-4015; E-mail:
| | - Gary Kenneth Hulse
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
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