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Brimvandi A, Ershad Nedaei S, Pourmotaabed A, Sahveisi K, Abdoli N, Ghazvini H, Khodamoradi M. Methamphetamine and REM sleep deprivation interact to affect behavioral performance in adult and adolescent rats. Brain Res 2024; 1841:149096. [PMID: 38936532 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149096] [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: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Drug addiction may result in sleep problems. Importantly, sleep deprivation (SD) is known as an important risk factor for relapse to drug abuse as SD mimics the effects of psychostimulants on dopamine system of the brain. Moreover, aging may affect sleep and drug addiction. This study, therefore, set out to assess the effects of methamphetamine (METH) and REM sleep deprivation (RSD) on locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior and spatial memory in adult and adolescent rats. Adult and adolescent male Wistar rats received a neurotoxic METH regimen; four subcutaneous injections of 6 mg/kg, at 2 h intervals. Five days later, the animals underwent a 48-h RSD episode using the multiple platforms method. They were then examined using the open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and Y-maze tasks. We found that the METH and RSD paradigms showed synergistic effects to increase locomotion and risk-taking behavior in both adult and adolescent animals, while only adolescent rats revealed RSD-induced anxiety-like behavior. Moreover, adolescent animals revealed greater sensitization for vertical activity following METH plus RSD episode. In addition, METH and RSD paradigms revealed synergistic effects to impair spatial working memory, but neither METH nor RSD alone affected performance of animals in the Y-maze task. Our findings may indicate that there are important relationships between METH and RSD to induce hyperlocomotion, risk-taking behavior and spatial memory impairment, particularly in adolescent animals. Moreover, it seems that adolescent rats may be more susceptible to anxiety-like behavior and hyperlocomotion than adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aazam Brimvandi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Seyed Ershad Nedaei
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Ali Pourmotaabed
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Kaveh Sahveisi
- Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nasrin Abdoli
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Hamed Ghazvini
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mehdi Khodamoradi
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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Jana A, Nath A, Sen P, Kundu S, Alghamdi BS, Abujamel TS, Saboor M, Woon-Khiong C, Alexiou A, Papadakis M, Alam MZ, Ashraf GM. Unraveling the Endocannabinoid System: Exploring Its Therapeutic Potential in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neuromolecular Med 2024; 26:20. [PMID: 38744725 PMCID: PMC11093854 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-024-08781-6] [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: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The salient features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompass persistent difficulties in social communication, as well as the presence of restricted and repetitive facets of behavior, hobbies, or pursuits, which are often accompanied with cognitive limitations. Over the past few decades, a sizable number of studies have been conducted to enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of ASD. Preclinical rat models have proven to be extremely valuable in simulating and analyzing the roles of a wide range of established environmental and genetic factors. Recent research has also demonstrated the significant involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the pathogenesis of several neuropsychiatric diseases, including ASD. In fact, the ECS has the potential to regulate a multitude of metabolic and cellular pathways associated with autism, including the immune system. Moreover, the ECS has emerged as a promising target for intervention with high predictive validity. Particularly noteworthy are resent preclinical studies in rodents, which describe the onset of ASD-like symptoms after various genetic or pharmacological interventions targeting the ECS, providing encouraging evidence for further exploration in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Jana
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | - Arnab Nath
- Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Palash Sen
- School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Swikriti Kundu
- Siksha Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Bolpur, West Bengal, 731235, India
| | - Badrah S Alghamdi
- Pre-Clinical Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Unit, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Turki S Abujamel
- Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Saboor
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, and Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Chan Woon-Khiong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | - Athanasios Alexiou
- University Centre for Research & Development, Chandigarh University, Chandigarh-Ludhiana Highway, Mohali, Punjab, India
- Department of Research & Development, Funogen, Athens, Greece
- Department of Research & Development, AFNP Med, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Science and Engineering, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, NSW, 2770, Australia
| | - Marios Papadakis
- Department of Surgery II, University Hospital Witten-Herdecke, University of Witten-Herdecke, Heusnerstrasse 40, 42283, Wuppertal, Germany.
| | - Mohammad Zubair Alam
- Pre-Clinical Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, and Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
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Fattore L, Pisanu A, Concas L, Casula C, Siddi C, Pisu MG, Serra M, Concas A, Porcu P. Behavioral characterization of co-exposure to cannabinoids and hormonal contraceptives in female rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 129:110890. [PMID: 37926338 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Hormonal contraceptives are among the most widely used drugs by young healthy women to block ovulation and avoid pregnancy. They reduce the ovarian secretion of estradiol and progesterone, hormones that also modulate neuronal plasticity, cognitive functions, emotions and mood. Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide and its use is increasing among young women, many of which regularly take the "pill". Despite evidence of a bidirectional interaction between the endocannabinoid system and gonadal hormones, only very few studies have examined the consequences of cannabis consumption in young females under hormonal contraceptives treatment. To fill this gap, this study evaluated the behavioral effects of co-exposure to chronic 1) hormonal contraceptives, i.e., ethinyl estradiol (EE) plus levonorgestrel (LNG), one of the synthetic estrogen-progestin combinations of hormonal contraceptives, and 2) cannabinoid receptor agonist, i.e., WIN 55,212-2 (WIN), on motor activity, emotional state and cognitive functions in young adult female rats (8-11/experimental group). Hormonal and cannabinoid treatment started at post-natal day (PND) 52 and 56, respectively, while behavioral testing occurred between PND 84-95. The results show that chronic EE-LNG treatment, at doses (0.020 and 0.060 mg/rat, respectively) known to drastically reduce plasma progesterone levels, and the contextual exposure to WIN, at a dose (12.5 μg/kg/infusion) known to be rewarding in the rat, alters the hormonal milieu but does not cause further changes in locomotor activity compared to EE-LNG or WIN alone, and does not modify anxiety-like state (as measured by the elevated plus maze and the marble burying tests) and cognitive abilities (as measured by the novel object recognition and the prepulse inhibition tests) in young adult female rats. Although exposure to EE-LNG and WIN tends to increase the duration of immobility and to reduce the time spent swimming in the forced swimming test, there was not a significant additive effect suggestive of a depressive-like state. These findings allow deepening the current knowledge on the interaction between cannabinoid agonists and hormonal contraceptives and suggest that low, rewarding doses of cannabinoids do not significantly alter the motor and cognitive skills and do not induce anxiety or depressive-like states in females that use hormonal contraceptives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Fattore
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Augusta Pisanu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luca Concas
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Claudia Casula
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carlotta Siddi
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Mariangela Serra
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessandra Concas
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy.
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Gonçalves PFR, Nunes LED, Andrade BDS, Silva MOLD, Souza INDO, Assunção-Miranda I, Castro NG, Neves GA. Age-dependent memory impairment induced by co-exposure to nicotine and a synthetic cannabinoid in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 127:110821. [PMID: 37442332 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Co-use of marijuana and tobacco products is the second most common drug combination among adolescents. Nicotine (NIC) and cannabinoid use during adolescence induce similar detrimental changes, raising the hypothesis that simultaneous exposure could result in even more severe outcomes. Thus, we investigated whether the co-exposure to NIC and the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 (WIN) in adolescent mice causes behavioral outcomes different from those observed after exposure to a single drug. Male Swiss mice were exposed twice daily to NIC, WIN, or NIC + WIN during adolescence (PND28-47) or adulthood (PND70-89). Drug combination led to a greater reduction in weight gain in adolescent mice, while NIC-induced weight loss was observed in adults. During administration, NIC provoked hypothermia, and WIN produced hyperlocomotion in adolescent and adult mice. Animals exposed to NIC + WIN presented a profile of changes similar to those exposed to NIC. After drug exposure, changes in locomotion, thigmotaxis, social preference, prepulse inhibition, and working and recognition memory were evaluated. Adolescent but not adult mice exposed to NIC showed withdrawal-related hyperlocomotion unaffected by WIN co-administration. An age-specific impairment in object recognition memory was induced only by drug co-exposure during adolescence, which resolved spontaneously before reaching early adulthood. A transient decrease in hippocampal α7 nAChR subunit and CB1 receptor mRNA levels was induced by NIC exposure, which may be involved but is not enough to explain the memory impairment. Our work confirms the potential of NIC and cannabinoids association to aggravate some of the individual drug effects during critical neurodevelopmental periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Felix Rolo Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luis Eduardo Duarte Nunes
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Brenda da Silva Andrade
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Isis Nem de Oliveira Souza
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Iranaia Assunção-Miranda
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Goes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Newton Gonçalves Castro
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gilda Angela Neves
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Scott JC. Impact of Adolescent Cannabis Use on Neurocognitive and Brain Development. Psychiatr Clin North Am 2023; 46:655-676. [PMID: 37879830 DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2023.03.012] [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] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Research examining associations between frequent cannabis use in adolescence and brain-behavior outcomes has increased substantially over the past 2 decades. This review attempts to synthesize the state of evidence in this area of research while acknowledging challenges in interpretation. Although there is converging evidence that ongoing, frequent cannabis use in adolescence is associated with small reductions in cognitive functioning, there is still significant debate regarding the persistence of reductions after a period of abstinence. Similarly, there is controversy regarding the replicability of structural and functional neuroimaging findings related to frequent cannabis use in adolescence. Larger studies with informative designs are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Cobb Scott
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; VISN4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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6
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Klein RM, Motomura VN, Debiasi JD, Moreira EG. Gestational paracetamol exposure induces core behaviors of neurodevelopmental disorders in infant rats and modifies response to a cannabinoid agonist in females. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2023; 99:107279. [PMID: 37391024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107279] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Paracetamol (PAR) is an over-the-counter analgesic/antipyretic used during pregnancy worldwide. Epidemiological studies have been associating gestational PAR exposure with neurobehavioral alterations in the progeny resembling autism spectrum disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. The endocannabinoid (eCB) dysfunction was previously hypothesized as one of the modes of action by which PAR may harm the developing nervous system. We aimed to evaluate possible effects of gestational exposure to PAR on male and female rat's offspring behavior and if an acute injection of WIN 55,212-2 (WIN, 0.3 mg/kg), a non-specific cannabinoid agonist, prior to behavioral tests, would induce different effects in PAR exposed and non-exposed animals. Pregnant Wistar rats were gavaged with PAR (350 mg/kg/day) or water from gestational day 6 until delivery. Nest-seeking, open field, apomorphine-induced stereotypy, marble burying and three-chamber tests were conducted in 10-, 24-, 25- or 30-days-old rats, respectively. PAR exposure resulted in increased apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior and time spent in the central area of the open field in exposed female pups. Additionally, it induced hyperactivity in the open field and increased marble burying behavior in both male and female pups. WIN injection modified the behavioral response only in the nest seeking test, and opposite effects were observed in control and PAR-exposed neonate females. Reported alterations are relevant for the neurodevelopmental disorders that have been associated with maternal PAR exposure and suggest that eCB dysfunction may play a role in the action by which PAR may harm the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Moreno Klein
- Graduation Program in Health Sciences, State University of Londrina, Londrina, PR 86047-610, Brazil
| | | | - Juliana Diosti Debiasi
- Department of Physiological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Londrina, PR 86047-610, Brazil
| | - Estefânia Gastaldello Moreira
- Graduation Program in Health Sciences, State University of Londrina, Londrina, PR 86047-610, Brazil; Department of Physiological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Londrina, PR 86047-610, Brazil.
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Shahrbabaki SSV, Moslemizadeh A, Amiresmaili S, Tezerji SS, Juybari KB, Sepehri G, Meymandi MS, Bashiri H. Ameliorating age-dependent effects of resveratrol on VPA-induced social impairments and anxiety-like behaviors in a rat model of Neurodevelopmental Disorder. Neurotoxicology 2023; 96:154-165. [PMID: 36933665 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.03.003] [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: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Although anxiety disorders, as well as difficulties in social interaction, are documented in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a neurodevelopmental disorder, the effectiveness of potential therapeutic procedures considering age and sex differences is under serious discussion. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of resveratrol (RSV) on anxiety-like behaviors and social interaction in juvenile and adult rats of both sex in a valproic acid (VPA)-induced autistic-like model. Prenatal exposure to VPA was associated with increased anxiety, also causing a significant reduction in social interaction in juvenile male subjects. Further administration of RSV attenuated VPA-induced anxiety symptoms in both sexes of adult animals and significantly increased the sociability index in male and female juvenile rats. Taken together, it can be concluded that treatment with RSV can attenuate some of the harsh effects of VPA. This treatment was especially effective on anxiety-like traits in adult subjects of both sexes regarding their performance in open field and EPM. We encourage future research to consider the sex and age-specific mechanisms behind the RSV treatment in the prenatal VPA model of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kobra Bahrampour Juybari
- Department of Pharmacology, Shcool of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Sepehri
- neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Manzume Shamsi Meymandi
- neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hamideh Bashiri
- neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Chronic exposure to a synthetic cannabinoid alters cerebral brain metabolism and causes long-lasting behavioral deficits in adult mice. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023:10.1007/s00702-023-02607-8. [PMID: 36853560 PMCID: PMC10374737 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02607-8] [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: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing evidence that cannabinoids have promising medicinal and pharmacological effects. However, the growing interest in medical cannabis highlights the need to better understand brain alterations linking phytocannabinoids or synthetic cannabinoids to clinical and behavioral phenotypes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term WIN 55,212-2 treatment-with and without prolonged abstinence-on cerebral metabolism and memory function in healthy wildtype mice. Adult C57BI/6J mice were divided into two treatment groups to study the acute effects of WIN 55,212-2 treatment as well the effects of WIN 55,212-2 treatment after an extended washout phase. We could demonstrate that 3 mg/kg WIN 55,212-2 treatment in early adulthood leads to a hypometabolism in several brain regions including the hippocampus, cerebellum, amygdala and midbrain, even after prolonged abstinence. Furthermore, prolonged acute WIN 55,212-2 treatment in 6-months-old mice reduced the glucose metabolism in the hippocampus and midbrain. In addition, Win 55,212-2 treatment during adulthood lead to spatial memory and recognition memory deficits without affecting anxiety behavior. Overall we could demonstrate that treatment with the synthetic CB1/CB2 receptor aganist Win 55,212-2 during adulthood causes persistent memory deficits, especially when mice were treated in early adulthood. Our findings highlight the risks of prolonged WIN 55,212-2 use and provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the effects of chronic cannabinoid exposure on the brain and behavior.
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Aldhafiri A, Dodu JC, Alalawi A, Soderstrom K. Developmental treatments with Δ 9- tetrahydrocannabinol and the MAGL inhibitor JZL184 persistently alter adult cocaine conditioning in contrasting ways. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 223:173524. [PMID: 36740023 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173524] [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] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Using a songbird, zebra finches, as a developmental drug abuse model we found previously that cannabinoid agonists administered during the sensorimotor period of vocal learning (50-75 days of age) persistently alter song patterns and cocaine responsiveness in adulthood. However, these effects were not produced in adults exposed to similar treatment regimens. Currently, we have used the MAGL inhibitor, JZL184, to test whether enhanced endocannabinoid signaling may similarly alter cocaine responsiveness. We found that, as expected and consistent with prior results, repeated developmental (but not adult) treatments with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 3 mg/kg QD IM) resulted in increased time spent in cocaine-paired chambers. Unexpectedly and in contrast, repeated developmental JZL184 (4 mg/kg QD IM) treatments decreased time spent in cocaine-conditioned chambers. That is, young finches repeatedly treated with JZL184 avoided cocaine-paired chambers later in adulthood, while similar development treatments with THC had the opposite effect. To begin to identify brain regions that may underly this differential responsiveness we used c-Fos expression as a marker of neuronal activity. Differences in c-Fos expression patterns following placement of cocaine-conditioned finches into vehicle- vs. cocaine-paired chambers suggest distinct involvement of circuits through striatal and amygdaloid regions in respective effects of THC and JZL184. Results demonstrate that, like exogenous cannabinoid exposure, inhibition of MAGL activity during late post-natal development persistently alters behavior in adulthood. Contrasting effects of THC vs. MAGL inhibition with JZL184 suggests the latter alters development of brain regions to favor promotion of aversive rather than appetitive cocaine responsiveness later in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Aldhafiri
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, United States of America
| | - Julien C Dodu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, United States of America
| | - Ali Alalawi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, United States of America
| | - Ken Soderstrom
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, United States of America.
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Sex differences in serotonergic control of rat social behaviour. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 223:173533. [PMID: 36858181 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173533] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE There is increasing evidence that enhancement of the salience of social stimuli can have a beneficial effect in managing many psychiatric conditions. There are, however, clear sex-related differences in social behaviour, including the neural mechanisms responsible for different aspects of social functions. OBJECTIVES We explored the role of the serotonergic system on rat social behaviour under baseline and under stressful conditions in female and male rats. METHODS Rats were treated with the selective serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitor escitalopram postnatally; a procedure known to cause a long-lasting reduction of serotonergic activity. In adulthood, social behaviour was tested in a social interaction test and in ultrasonic vocalisation (USVs) recording sessions before and after yohimbine-induced stress-like state. RESULTS Our data demonstrated that both female and, to a lesser extent, male escitalopram treated rats, exposed to a novel social situation, had fewer social exploration events and emitted fewer frequency-modulated calls with trills, trills and step calls, suggesting that an impaired function of the serotonergic system reduced the positive valence of social interaction. In a stress-like state, 50 kHz flat calls were increased only in female rats, indicating an increased seeking of social contact. However, the number of flat calls in escitalopram treated female rats was significantly lower compared with control rats. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that females may respond differently to serotonergic pharmacotherapy with respect to enhancement of beneficial effects of social support, especially in stress-related situations.
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Scott JC. Impact of Adolescent Cannabis Use on Neurocognitive and Brain Development. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2023; 32:21-42. [PMID: 36410904 DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2022.06.002] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Research examining associations between frequent cannabis use in adolescence and brain-behavior outcomes has increased substantially over the past 2 decades. This review attempts to synthesize the state of evidence in this area of research while acknowledging challenges in interpretation. Although there is converging evidence that ongoing, frequent cannabis use in adolescence is associated with small reductions in cognitive functioning, there is still significant debate regarding the persistence of reductions after a period of abstinence. Similarly, there is controversy regarding the replicability of structural and functional neuroimaging findings related to frequent cannabis use in adolescence. Larger studies with informative designs are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Cobb Scott
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; VISN4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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12
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Peters KZ, Naneix F. The role of dopamine and endocannabinoid systems in prefrontal cortex development: Adolescence as a critical period. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:939235. [PMID: 36389180 PMCID: PMC9663658 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.939235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex plays a central role in the control of complex cognitive processes including action control and decision making. It also shows a specific pattern of delayed maturation related to unique behavioral changes during adolescence and allows the development of adult cognitive processes. The adolescent brain is extremely plastic and critically vulnerable to external insults. Related to this vulnerability, adolescence is also associated with the emergence of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders involving alterations of prefrontal functions. Within prefrontal microcircuits, the dopamine and the endocannabinoid systems have widespread effects on adolescent-specific ontogenetic processes. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the maturation of the dopamine system and the endocannabinoid system in the prefrontal cortex during adolescence. We discuss how they interact with GABA and glutamate neurons to modulate prefrontal circuits and how they can be altered by different environmental events leading to long-term neurobiological and behavioral changes at adulthood. Finally, we aim to identify several future research directions to help highlight gaps in our current knowledge on the maturation of these microcircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Zara Peters
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
| | - Fabien Naneix
- The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Fabien Naneix
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13
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Licitra R, Marchese M, Naef V, Ogi A, Martinelli M, Kiferle C, Fronte B, Santorelli FM. A Review on the Bioactivity of Cannabinoids on Zebrafish Models: Emphasis on Neurodevelopment. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081820. [PMID: 36009367 PMCID: PMC9404760 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081820] [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: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
For centuries, the cannabis plant has been used as a source of food, fiber, and medicine. Recently, scientific interest in cannabis has increased considerably, as its bioactive compounds have shown promising potential in the treatment of numerous musculoskeletal and neurological diseases in humans. However, the mechanisms that underlie its possible effects on neurodevelopment and nervous-system functioning remain poorly understood and need to be further investigated. Although the bulk of research on cannabis and cannabinoids is based on in vitro or rodent models, the zebrafish has now emerged as a powerful in vivo model for drug-screening studies and translational research. We here review the available literature on the use of cannabis/cannabinoids in zebrafish, and particularly in zebrafish models of neurological disorders. A critical analysis suggests that zebrafish could serve as an experimental tool for testing the bioactivity of cannabinoids, and they could thus provide important insights into the safety and efficacy of different cannabis-extract-based products. The review showed that zebrafish exhibit similar behaviors to rodents following cannabinoid exposure. The authors stress the importance of analyzing the full spectrum of naturally occurring cannabinoids, rather than just the main ones, THC and CBD, and they offer some pointers on performing behavioral analysis in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Licitra
- Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology—ZebraLab, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.L.); (V.N.); (A.O.)
| | - Maria Marchese
- Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology—ZebraLab, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.L.); (V.N.); (A.O.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Valentina Naef
- Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology—ZebraLab, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.L.); (V.N.); (A.O.)
| | - Asahi Ogi
- Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology—ZebraLab, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.L.); (V.N.); (A.O.)
| | - Marco Martinelli
- PlantLab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.M.); (C.K.)
| | - Claudia Kiferle
- PlantLab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.M.); (C.K.)
| | - Baldassare Fronte
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Filippo Maria Santorelli
- Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology—ZebraLab, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.L.); (V.N.); (A.O.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (F.M.S.)
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14
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Effects of endocannabinoid system modulation on social behaviour: A systematic review of animal studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104680. [PMID: 35513169 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104680] [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: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
There is a clear link between psychiatric disorders and social behaviour, and evidence suggests the involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). A systematic review of preclinical literature was conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed) and PsychINFO databases to examine whether pharmacological and/or genetic manipulations of the ECS alter social behaviours in wildtype (WT) animals or models of social impairment (SIM). Eighty studies were included. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using SYRCLE's RoB tool. While some variability was evident, studies most consistently found that direct cannabinoid receptor (CBR) agonism decreased social behaviours in WT animals, while indirect CBR activation via enzyme inhibition or gene-knockout increased social behaviours. Direct and, more consistently, indirect CBR activation reversed social deficits in SIM. These CBR-mediated effects were often sex- and developmental-phase-dependent and blocked by CBR antagonism. Overall, ECS enzyme inhibition may improve social behaviour in SIM, suggesting the potential usefulness of ECS enzyme inhibition as a therapeutic approach for social deficits. Future research should endeavour to elucidate ECS status in neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by social deficits.
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15
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van Noordt S, Desjardins JA, Elsabbagh M. Inter-trial theta phase consistency during face processing in infants is associated with later emerging autism. Autism Res 2022; 15:834-846. [PMID: 35348304 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2701] [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: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research suggests that consistency in cortical activity may be a promising neurophysiological marker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the current study we examined inter-trial coherence, a measure of phase consistency across trials, in the theta range (t-ITC: 3-6 Hz), as theta has been implicated in the processing of social and emotional stimuli in infants and adults. The sample included infants who had an older sibling with a confirmed ASD diagnosis and typically developing (TD) infants with no family history of ASD. The data were collected as part of the British Autism Study of Infant Siblings (BASIS) study. Infants between 6 and 10 months of age (Mage = 7.34, SDage = 1.21) performed a visual face processing task that included faces and scrambled, "face noise", stimuli. Follow-up assessments in higher likelihood infants were completed at 24 and again at 36 months to determine diagnostic outcomes. Analysis focused on posterior t-ITC during early (0-200 ms) and late (200-500 ms) visual processing stages commonly investigated in infant studies. t-ITC over posterior scalp regions during late stage face processing was significantly higher in TD and higher likelihood infants without ASD (HRA-), indicating reduced consistency in theta-band responses in higher likelihood infants who eventually receive a diagnosis of ASD (HRA+). These findings indicate that the temporal dynamics of theta during face processing relate to ASD outcomes. Reduced consistency of oscillatory dynamics at basic levels of infant sensory processing could have downstream effects on learning and social communication. LAY SUMMARY: We examined the consistency in brain responses to faces in infants at lower or higher familial likelihood for autism. Our results show that the consistency of EEG responses was lower during face processing in higher likelihood infants who eventually received a diagnosis of autism. These findings highlight that reduced consistency in brain activity during face processing in the first year of life is related to emerging autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefon van Noordt
- Department of Psychology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Canada
| | - James A Desjardins
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, Azrieli Centre for Autism Research, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,SHARCNET, Compute Ontario, Compute Canada
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- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, Azrieli Centre for Autism Research, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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16
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Simone JJ, Green MR, McCormick CM. Endocannabinoid system contributions to sex-specific adolescent neurodevelopment. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 113:110438. [PMID: 34534603 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
With an increasing number of countries and states adopting legislation permitting the use of cannabis for medical purposes, there is a growing interest among health and research professionals into the system through which cannabinoids principally act, the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Much of the seminal research into the ECS dates back only 30 years and, although there has been tremendous development within the field during this time, many questions remain. More recently, investigations have emerged examining the contributions of the ECS to normative development and the effect of altering this system during important critical periods. One such period is adolescence, a unique period during which brain and behaviours are maturing and reorganizing in preparation for adulthood, including shifts in endocannabinoid biology. The purpose of this review is to discuss findings to date regarding the maturation of the ECS during adolescence and the consequences of manipulations of the ECS during this period to normative neurodevelopmental processes, as well as highlight sex differences in ECS function, important technical considerations, and future directions. Because most of what we know is derived from preclinical studies on rodents, we provide relevant background of this model and some commentary on the translational relevance of the research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Simone
- Department of Biological Sciences, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada; Centre for Neuroscience, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada; Huxley Health Inc., 8820 Jane St., Concord, ON, L4K 2M9, Canada; eCB Consulting Inc., PO Box 652, 3 Cameron St. W., Cannington, ON L0E 1E0, Canada; Medical Cannabis Canada, 601-3500 Lakeshore Rd. W., Oakville, ON L6L 0B4, Canada.
| | - Matthew R Green
- eCB Consulting Inc., PO Box 652, 3 Cameron St. W., Cannington, ON L0E 1E0, Canada; Medical Cannabis Canada, 601-3500 Lakeshore Rd. W., Oakville, ON L6L 0B4, Canada.
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Biological Sciences, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada; Centre for Neuroscience, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada; Department of Psychology, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
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17
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Warren WG, Hale E, Papagianni EP, Cassaday HJ, Stevenson CW, Stubbendorff C. URB597 induces subtle changes to aggression in adult Lister Hooded rats. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:885146. [PMID: 36032247 PMCID: PMC9412954 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.885146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in both social and cognitive processing. The endocannabinoid metabolism inhibitor, URB597, dose-dependently improves non-social memory in adult Wistar and Sprague Dawley rats, whereas its effect on social interaction (SI) is affected by both rat strain and drug dose. Lister Hooded rats consistently respond differently to drug treatment in general compared with albino strains. This study sought to investigate the effects of different doses of URB597 on social and non-social memory in Lister Hooded rats, as well as analyzing the behavioral composition of the SI. Males were tested for novel object recognition (NOR), social preference (between an object and an unfamiliar rat), social novelty recognition (for a familiar vs. unfamiliar rat) and SI with an unfamiliar rat. URB597 (0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg) or vehicle was given 30 min before testing. During SI testing, total interaction time was assessed along with time spent on aggressive and explorative behaviors. Lister Hooded rats displayed expected non-social and social memory and social preference, which was not affected by URB597. During SI, URB597 did not affect total interaction time. However, the high dose increased aggression, compared to vehicle, and decreased anogenital sniffing, compared to the low dose of URB597. In summary, URB597 did not affect NOR, social preference or social recognition memory but did have subtle behavioral effects during SI in Lister hooded rats. Based on our findings we argue for the importance of considering strain as well as the detailed composition of behavior when investigating drug effects on social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Warren
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Ed Hale
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni P Papagianni
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Helen J Cassaday
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Carl W Stevenson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Stubbendorff
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, United Kingdom.,Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
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18
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Gobira PH, Roncalho AL, Silva NR, Silote GP, Sales AJ, Joca SR. Adolescent cannabinoid exposure modulates the vulnerability to cocaine-induced conditioned place preference and DNMT3a expression in the prefrontal cortex in Swiss mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:3107-3118. [PMID: 34328516 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05926-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cannabis sativa is the most widely used drug by adolescents globally. The recreational use of synthetic cannabinoids by teenagers has also grown in recent years. Despite the wrong perception that exposure to these drugs does not cause harm, repeated exposure to cannabinoids at early stages of life compromises important maturation processes and brain development. Chronic early cannabinoid use has been related to a higher risk of psychiatric outcomes, including cocaine addiction. Evidence suggests that exposure to natural and synthetic cannabinoids during adolescence modifies molecular and behavioral effects of cocaine in adulthood. Responses to cocaine are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, in the brain's reward regions. However, the involvement of these processes in modulation of the vulnerability to the effects of cocaine induced by prior exposure to cannabinoids remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES Investigate whether exposure to the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2 during adolescence modulates anxiety- and depression-like behavior, memory, and cocaine reward in adult mice. We also evaluated whether exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence modulates the expression of enzymes that are involved in DNA methylation. RESULTS Exposure to WIN55,212-2 during adolescence did not alter anxiety- or depressive-like behavior. However, prior exposure to cannabinoids inhibited cocaine-induced conditioned place preference without modulating cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion, accompanied by an increase in expression of the enzyme DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a) in the prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that exposure to WIN55,212-2 during adolescence leads to changes in DNMT3a expression, and this pathway appears to be relevant to modulating the rewarding effects of cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- P H Gobira
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Café Av, s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil.
| | - A L Roncalho
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Café Av, s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil
| | - N R Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - G P Silote
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Café Av, s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil
| | - A J Sales
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - S R Joca
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP), University of São Paulo (USP), Café Av, s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil. .,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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19
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Poleg S, Kourieh E, Ruban A, Shapira G, Shomron N, Barak B, Offen D. Behavioral aspects and neurobiological properties underlying medical cannabis treatment in Shank3 mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:524. [PMID: 34645786 PMCID: PMC8514476 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01612-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease with a wide spectrum of manifestation. The core symptoms of ASD are persistent deficits in social communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. These are often accompanied by intellectual disabilities. At present, there is no designated effective treatment for the core symptoms and co-morbidities of ASD. Recently, interest is rising in medical cannabis as a treatment for ASD, with promising clinical data. However, there is a notable absence of basic pre-clinical research in this field. In this study, we investigate the behavioral and biochemical effects of long-term oral treatment with CBD-enriched medical cannabis oil in a human mutation-based Shank3 mouse model of ASD. Our findings show that this treatment alleviates anxiety and decreases repetitive grooming behavior by over 70% in treated mutant mice compared to non-treated mutant mice. Furthermore, we were able to uncover the involvement of CB1 receptor (CB1R) signaling in the Avidekel oil mechanism, alongside a mitigation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glutamate concentrations. Subsequently, RNA sequencing (RNA seq) of cerebellar brain samples revealed changes in mRNA expression of several neurotransmission-related genes post-treatment. Finally, our results question the relevancy of CBD enrichment of medical cannabis for treating the core symptoms of ASD, and emphasize the importance of the THC component for alleviating deficits in repetitive and social behaviors in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Poleg
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Emad Kourieh
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Angela Ruban
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Guy Shapira
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Noam Shomron
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Boaz Barak
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel Offen
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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20
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Meier MH, Beardslee J, Pardini D. Associations between Recent and Cumulative Cannabis Use and Internalizing Problems in Boys from Adolescence to Young Adulthood. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 48:771-782. [PMID: 32219606 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-020-00641-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This study tested whether increases in recent and cumulative cannabis use were each associated with increases in internalizing problems from adolescence to young adulthood. Participants were boys from a community sample that was assessed annually from ~age 15-26 (N = 506). Boys reported on their cannabis use, depression symptoms, and anxiety/depression problems each year. Exposures were frequency of cannabis use in a given year (no use, < weekly use, weekly or more frequent use) and cumulative prior years of weekly cannabis use. Outcomes were depression symptoms and anxiety/depression problems in a given year. Analyses examined within-person associations between changes in exposures and outcomes over time, which eliminated "fixed" (unchanging) individual differences as potential confounds. Analyses also accounted for time-varying factors as potential confounds (other substance use, externalizing problems, subclinical psychotic symptoms). Results showed that increases in recent cannabis use and cumulative prior years of weekly cannabis use were each associated with increases in depression symptoms and anxiety/depression problems. After controlling for time-varying covariates, increases in cumulative prior years of weekly cannabis use, but not recent cannabis use, remained associated with increases in depression symptoms and anxiety/depression problems. Specifically, each additional year of prior weekly cannabis use was associated with a small increase in depression symptoms (b = 0.012, p = .005) and anxiety/depression problems (b = 0.009, p = .001). Associations did not vary systematically across time. There was also no evidence of reverse causation. As boys engaged in weekly cannabis use for more years, they showed increases in internalizing problems, suggesting the importance of preventing chronic weekly cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline H Meier
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, PO Box 871104, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104, USA.
| | - Jordan Beardslee
- Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Dustin Pardini
- Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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21
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Mokrysz C, Shaban NDC, Freeman TP, Lawn W, Pope RA, Hindocha C, Freeman A, Wall MB, Bloomfield MAP, Morgan CJA, Nutt DJ, Curran HV. Acute effects of cannabis on speech illusions and psychotic-like symptoms: two studies testing the moderating effects of cannabidiol and adolescence. Psychol Med 2021; 51:2134-2142. [PMID: 32340632 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720001038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute cannabis administration can produce transient psychotic-like effects in healthy individuals. However, the mechanisms through which this occurs and which factors predict vulnerability remain unclear. We investigate whether cannabis inhalation leads to psychotic-like symptoms and speech illusion; and whether cannabidiol (CBD) blunts such effects (study 1) and adolescence heightens such effects (study 2). METHODS Two double-blind placebo-controlled studies, assessing speech illusion in a white noise task, and psychotic-like symptoms on the Psychotomimetic States Inventory (PSI). Study 1 compared effects of Cann-CBD (cannabis containing Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and negligible levels of CBD) with Cann+CBD (cannabis containing THC and CBD) in 17 adults. Study 2 compared effects of Cann-CBD in 20 adolescents and 20 adults. All participants were healthy individuals who currently used cannabis. RESULTS In study 1, relative to placebo, both Cann-CBD and Cann+CBD increased PSI scores but not speech illusion. No differences between Cann-CBD and Cann+CBD emerged. In study 2, relative to placebo, Cann-CBD increased PSI scores and incidence of speech illusion, with the odds of experiencing speech illusion 3.1 (95% CIs 1.3-7.2) times higher after Cann-CBD. No age group differences were found for speech illusion, but adults showed heightened effects on the PSI. CONCLUSIONS Inhalation of cannabis reliably increases psychotic-like symptoms in healthy cannabis users and may increase the incidence of speech illusion. CBD did not influence psychotic-like effects of cannabis. Adolescents may be less vulnerable to acute psychotic-like effects of cannabis than adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Mokrysz
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Tom P Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Will Lawn
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca A Pope
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Chandni Hindocha
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Abigail Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew B Wall
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
- Invicro, Burlington Danes Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, UK
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Michael A P Bloomfield
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Translational Psychiatry Research Group, University College London, Maple House, London, UK
- NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Celia J A Morgan
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
- Psychopharmacology and Addiction Research Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - David J Nutt
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, Burlington Danes Building, Du Cane Road, London, UK
| | - H Valerie Curran
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
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22
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Ahmed M, Boileau I, Le Foll B, Carvalho AF, Kloiber S. The endocannabinoid system in social anxiety disorder: from pathophysiology to novel therapeutics. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 44:81-93. [PMID: 34468550 PMCID: PMC8827369 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2021-1926] [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: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder that presents with an early age of onset, chronic disease course, and increased risk of psychiatric comorbidity. Current treatment options for SAD are associated with low response rates, suboptimal efficacy, and possible risk of adverse effects. Investigation of new neurobiological mechanisms may aid in the identification of more specific therapeutic targets for the treatment of this disorder. Emerging evidence suggests that the endogenous cannabinoid system, also referred to as the endocannabinoid system (ECS), could play a potential role in the pathophysiology of SAD. This review discusses the known pathophysiological mechanisms of SAD, the potential role of the ECS in this disorder, current drugs targeting the ECS, and the potential of these novel compounds to enhance the therapeutic armamentarium for SAD. Further investigational efforts, specifically in human populations, are warranted to improve our knowledge of the ECS in SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mashal Ahmed
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Isabelle Boileau
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andre F Carvalho
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Innovation in Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Treatment (IMPACT) Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia, 3216
| | - Stefan Kloiber
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Smiley CE, Saleh HK, Nimchuk KE, Garcia-Keller C, Gass JT. Adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and ethanol heightens sensitivity to fear stimuli. Behav Brain Res 2021; 415:113517. [PMID: 34389427 PMCID: PMC8404161 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis use disorder (CUD) has doubled in prevalence over the past decade as a nation-wide trend toward legalization allows for increased drug accessibility. As a result, marijuana has become the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States particularly among the adolescent population. This is especially concerning since there is greater risk for the harmful side effects of drug use during this developmental period due to ongoing brain maturation. Increasing evidence indicates that CUD often occurs along with other debilitating conditions including both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and anxiety disorders such post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, exposure to cannabis, alcohol, and stress can induce alterations in glutamate regulation and homeostasis in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that may lead to impairments in neuronal functioning and cognition. Therefore, in order to study the relationship between drug exposure and the development of PTSD, these studies utilized rodent models to determine the impact of adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and ethanol on responses to fear stimuli during fear conditioning and used calcium imaging to measure glutamate activity in the prelimbic cortex during this behavioral paradigm. The results from these experiments indicate that adolescent exposure to THC and ethanol leads to enhanced sensitivity to fear stimuli both behaviorally and neuronally. Additionally, these effects were attenuated when animals were treated with the glutamatergic modulator N-acetylcysteine (NAC). In summary, these studies support the hypothesis that adolescent exposure to THC and ethanol leads to alterations in fear stimuli processing through glutamatergic reliant modifications in PFC signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cora E Smiley
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Basic Science Building, 173 Ashley Avenue, Room 403, Charleston, SC, 29425, United States.
| | - Heyam K Saleh
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Basic Science Building, 173 Ashley Avenue, Room 403, Charleston, SC, 29425, United States
| | - Katherine E Nimchuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Basic Science Building, 173 Ashley Avenue, Room 403, Charleston, SC, 29425, United States
| | - Constanza Garcia-Keller
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Basic Science Building, 173 Ashley Avenue, Room 403, Charleston, SC, 29425, United States
| | - Justin T Gass
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Basic Science Building, 173 Ashley Avenue, Room 403, Charleston, SC, 29425, United States
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Peters KZ, Zlebnik NE, Cheer JF. Cannabis exposure during adolescence: A uniquely sensitive period for neurobiological effects. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 161:95-120. [PMID: 34801175 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a crucial developmental period where neural circuits are refined and the brain is especially vulnerable to external insults. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system undergoes changes during adolescence which affect the way in which it modulates the development of other systems, in particular dopamine circuits, which show protracted development into adolescence. Given the rise of cannabis use by adolescents and young people, as well as variants containing increasingly higher concentrations of THC, it is now crucial to understand the unique effects of adolescent exposure to cannabis on the developing brain and it might shape future adult vulnerabilities to conditions such as psychosis, schizophrenia, addiction and more. Here we discuss the development of the eCB system across the lifespan, how CB1 receptors modulate dopamine release and potential neurobiological and behavioral effects of adolescent THC exposure on the developing brain such as alterations in excitatory/inhibitory balance during this developmental period.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Z Peters
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom.
| | - N E Zlebnik
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - J F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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Yu J, Ren L, Min S, Lv F, Luo J, Li P, Zhang Y. Inhibition of CB1 receptor alleviates electroconvulsive shock-induced memory impairment by regulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity in depressive rats. Psychiatry Res 2021; 300:113917. [PMID: 33848965 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most effective treatments for depression, but it can cause cognitive deficit. Unfortunately, effective preventive measures are still lacking. The endocannabinoid system is thought to play a key role in regulation of cognitive process. Whether the endocannabinoid system is involved in the learning and memory impairment caused by ECS remain unclear. In this work, we first found that cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) were strongly expressed in hippocampus by electroconvulsive shock (ECS) in a rat depression model established by chronic mild stress (CMS). Pharmacological inhibition of CB1R using AM251 in vivo resulted in a pronounced relief in ECS-induced spatial learning and memory impairment as well as in a marked reversal of impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), and reduced synapse-related proteins expression. Furthermore, results of sucrose preference test (SPT) and open-field test (OFT) showed that AM251 had no significant impact on the therapeutic effects of ECS on pleasure and psychomotor activity. Taken together, we identified that CB1R is involved in the ECS-induced spatial learning and memory impairment and Inhibition of CB1R facilitates the recovery of memory impairment and hippocampal synaptic plasticity, without interfering with the therapeutic effects of ECS in depressed rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Li Ren
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Su Min
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
| | - Feng Lv
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Jie Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yuxi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
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The why behind the high: determinants of neurocognition during acute cannabis exposure. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:439-454. [PMID: 34045693 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00466-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Acute cannabis intoxication may induce neurocognitive impairment and is a possible cause of human error, injury and psychological distress. One of the major concerns raised about increasing cannabis legalization and the therapeutic use of cannabis is that it will increase cannabis-related harm. However, the impairing effect of cannabis during intoxication varies among individuals and may not occur in all users. There is evidence that the neurocognitive response to acute cannabis exposure is driven by changes in the activity of the mesocorticolimbic and salience networks, can be exacerbated or mitigated by biological and pharmacological factors, varies with product formulations and frequency of use and can differ between recreational and therapeutic use. It is argued that these determinants of the cannabis-induced neurocognitive state should be taken into account when defining and evaluating levels of cannabis impairment in the legal arena, when prescribing cannabis in therapeutic settings and when informing society about the safe and responsible use of cannabis.
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Vaseghi S, Nasehi M, Zarrindast MR. How do stupendous cannabinoids modulate memory processing via affecting neurotransmitter systems? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:173-221. [PMID: 33171142 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we wanted to review the role of cannabinoids in learning and memory in animal models, with respect to their interaction effects with six principal neurotransmitters involved in learning and memory including dopamine, glutamate, GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), serotonin, acetylcholine, and noradrenaline. Cannabinoids induce a wide-range of unpredictable effects on cognitive functions, while their mechanisms are not fully understood. Cannabinoids in different brain regions and in interaction with different neurotransmitters, show diverse responses. Previous findings have shown that cannabinoids agonists and antagonists induce various unpredictable effects such as similar effect, paradoxical effect, or dualistic effect. It should not be forgotten that brain neurotransmitter systems can also play unpredictable roles in mediating cognitive functions. Thus, we aimed to review and discuss the effect of cannabinoids in interaction with neurotransmitters on learning and memory. In addition, we mentioned to the type of interactions between cannabinoids and neurotransmitter systems. We suggested that investigating the type of interactions is a critical neuropharmacological issue that should be considered in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salar Vaseghi
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Amir-Almomenin Hospital, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Nasehi
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Amir-Almomenin Hospital, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Marshall AT, Munson CN, Maidment NT, Ostlund SB. Reward-predictive cues elicit excessive reward seeking in adolescent rats. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100838. [PMID: 32846387 PMCID: PMC7451619 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Impulsive behavior during adolescence may stem from developmental imbalances between motivational and cognitive-control systems, producing greater urges to pursue reward and weakened capacities to inhibit such actions. Here, we developed a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) protocol to assay rats' ability to suppress cue-motivated reward seeking based on changes in reward expectancy. Traditionally, PIT studies focus on how reward-predictive cues motivate instrumental reward-seeking behavior (lever pressing). However, cues signaling imminent reward delivery also elicit countervailing focal-search responses (food-port entry). We first examined how reward expectancy (cue-reward probability) influences expression of these competing behaviors. Adult male rats increased rates of lever pressing when presented with cues signaling lower probabilities of reward but focused their activity at the food cup on trials with cues that signaled higher probabilities of reward. We then compared adolescent and adult male rats in their responsivity to cues signaling different reward probabilities. In contrast to adults, adolescent rats did not flexibly adjust patterns of responding based on the expected likelihood of reward delivery but increased their rate of lever pressing for both weak and strong cues. These findings indicate that control over cue-motivated behavior is fundamentally dysregulated during adolescence, providing a model for studying neurobiological mechanisms of adolescent impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Marshall
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, Irvine Center for Addiction Neuroscience, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.
| | - Christy N Munson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, Irvine Center for Addiction Neuroscience, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Nigel T Maidment
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sean B Ostlund
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, Irvine Center for Addiction Neuroscience, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.
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Morrison PD, Murray RM. Cannabis points to the synaptic pathology of mental disorders: how aberrant synaptic components disrupt the highest psychological functions
. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 22:251-258. [PMID: 33162768 PMCID: PMC7605021 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2020.22.3/pmorrison] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis can elicit an acute psychotic reaction, and its long-term use is a risk
factor for schizophrenia. The main active psychoactive ingredient
∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) activates cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors, which are
localized to the terminals of glutamate and GABA neurons in the brain. The endogenous
cannabinoids are involved in information processing and plasticity at synapses in the
hippocampus, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex. Exogenously applied CB1 receptor
agonists disrupt neuronal dynamics and synaptic plasticity, resulting in cognitive
deficits and impairment of the highest psychological functions. Various other
pro-psychotic drugs, such as ketamine and methamphetamine, exert their effects in the
same microdomain of synaptic spines as Δ9-THC. Additionally, many of the most robust
findings in psychiatric genetics include components that localize to dendritic spines
and have important roles in information processing and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Morrison
- The Argyll Bute Hospital, Lochgilphead, NHS Highland, Scotland, UK; The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Robin M Murray
- The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
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Gibula-Tarlowska E, Wydra K, Kotlinska JH. Deleterious Effects of Ethanol, Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Their Combination on the Spatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility in Adolescent and Adult Male Rats in the Barnes Maze Task. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12070654. [PMID: 32660138 PMCID: PMC7407502 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12070654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Research demonstrates that adolescents differ from adults in their response to drugs of abuse. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of ethanol, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol hydrochloride (THC), and a combination of these drugs given during adolescence on spatial memory in adolescent and adult rats. Thus, adolescent rats (postnatal day (PND) 30) were subjected to the following groups: 0.9% NaCl; 1.5 g/kg ethanol; 1.0 mg/kg THC; 1.5 g/kg ethanol + 1.0 mg/kg THC. Rats received drug injection four times at three-day intervals. One day after the last injection, half of the treated animals were tested in the Barnes maze task, whereas the remaining animals were tested on PND 70. Results show that there was a significant age effect on spatial memory in the Barnes maze task after these drug administrations. Adolescent animals demonstrated more potent deficits in the spatial learning and memory (probe trial) and in cognitive flexibility (reversal learning) than did adults. However, in adult rats that received these drugs in adolescence, memory decline was observed only after ethanol and ethanol + THC administration. Thus, our results are important in understanding the deleterious impact of THC and/or ethanol abuse during adolescence on memory function across the lifespan (adolescent versus adult).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Gibula-Tarlowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Karolina Wydra
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
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Rohleder C, Pahlisch F, Graf R, Endepols H, Leweke FM. Different pharmaceutical preparations of Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol differentially affect its behavioral effects in rats. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12745. [PMID: 30938471 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Based on the contribution of the endocannabinoid system to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, the primary pro-psychotic ingredient of Cannabis sativa, Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC), is used in preclinical as well as clinical research to mimic schizophrenia-like symptoms. While it is common to administer lipid-based formulations of Δ-9-THC in human studies orally, intraperitoneal injections of water-based solutions are used in animal models. Because of the poor water solubility of Δ-9-THC, solubilizers such as ethanol and/or emulsifiers are needed for these preparations. In order to test whether a lipid-based solvent would be superior over a water-based vehicle in rats, we compared the effects on locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reaction, as well as pharmacokinetic data obtained from rats' serum and brain tissue samples. Up to 50 mg/kg Δ-9-THC in the lipid-based formulation was not able to induce any behavioral alterations, while already 5 mg/kg of the water-based Δ-9-THC preparation significantly reduced locomotor activity. This also induced a small but significant PPI reduction, which was prepulse intensity dependent. Interestingly, the reflexive motor response to the startle stimulus was not affected by the water-based Δ-9-THC solution. Analysis of serum and brain Δ-9-THC levels by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry revealed that although the final concentration reached in the brain was comparable for both pharmaceutical preparations, the water-based formulation achieved a faster kinetic. We, therefore, conclude that the slope of the Δ-9-THC concentration-time curve and the resulting cannabinoid receptor type 1 activation per time unit are responsible for the induction of behavioral alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathrin Rohleder
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular ImagingFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne Cologne Germany
- Department of Multimodal ImagingMax‐Planck‐Institute for Neurological Research Cologne Germany
- Brain and Mind CentreThe University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Franziska Pahlisch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Rudolf Graf
- Department of Multimodal ImagingMax‐Planck‐Institute for Neurological Research Cologne Germany
| | - Heike Endepols
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Experimental Molecular ImagingFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne Cologne Germany
- Department of Multimodal ImagingMax‐Planck‐Institute for Neurological Research Cologne Germany
- Department of Nuclear MedicineFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne Cologne Germany
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbHInstitute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Nuclear Chemistry (INM‐5), Wilhelm‐Johnen‐Straße Jülich Germany
| | - F. Markus Leweke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Brain and Mind CentreThe University of Sydney Sydney Australia
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Simone JJ, Baumbach JL, McPherson J, McCormick CM. Adolescent CB1 receptor antagonism influences subsequent social interactions and neural activity in female rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2020; 80:319-333. [PMID: 32220094 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that repeated exposure to the CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist AM251 in adolescence (PND 30-44) increased social interactions in female rats when tested 48 h after the final exposure to the antagonist. Here, we investigated whether the increased sociality would be present after a longer drug washout period (5 days) in both male and female rats (experiment 1), and sought to identify candidate brain regions that may explain the observed differences in social behaviours between AM251 and vehicle-treated female rats (experiment 2). While drug-free, adolescent AM251 treatment increased social interactions in females and not in males. AM251 female rats had increased neural activity (as measured by the expression of early growth response protein-1; EGR-1) in the nucleus accumbens shell and cingulate gyrus of the medial prefrontal cortex, with no observed differences in EGR-1 expression in the dorsal hippocampus, nucleus accumbens core, or prelimbic and infralimbic subdivisions of the medial prefrontal cortex relative to vehicle rats. Together, these results demonstrate a sex-specific role of adolescent endocannabinoid signalling in the normative development of social behaviours and provide further support for adolescence as a vulnerable period for the effects of altered endocannabinoid signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Simone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Jennet L Baumbach
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | | | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.,Centre for Neuroscience, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
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Disrupting the endocannabinoid system in early adolescence negatively impacts sociability. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 188:172832. [PMID: 31778723 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.172832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Animal models suggest that the endocannabinoid system (eCS) helps regulate various aspects of social behavior, including play behavior and social reward, during adolescence. Properly tuned endocannabinoid signaling may be a critical developmental component in the emergence of normal adult sociability. In the current experiment, we attempted to pharmacologically disrupt endocannabinoid tone during early adolescence, and then measure the behavioral effects at two subsequent time points. 36 male and 36 female Long Evans rats received daily injections of one of three treatments between post-natal day (PND) 25-39: 1) vehicle treatment, 2) 0.4 mg/kg CP55,940 (a potent CB1/CB2 receptor agonist), or 3) 0.5 mg/kg AM251 (a CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist). Both soon after treatment (PND 40-44) and several weeks later (PND 66-70), subjects were tested in an elevated plus maze (EPM) for anxiety and in a three-chambered apparatus for sociability. For the latter test, the number of entries into each chamber and the amount of time spent investigating each target were measured. Analyses revealed significant main effects of both sex and age on sociability: males expressed greater sociability compared to females, and sociability was higher in adolescence than adulthood. Most importantly, drug treatment (both CP55,940 and AM251) attenuated sociability in adolescence without having a significant effect on anxiety in the EPM. However, this effect did not persist into adulthood. These results indicate that pharmacological disruption of endocannabinoid tone - through either chronic agonism or antagonism of cannabinoid receptors - during early adolescence has a detrimental effect on sociability. This effect may be caused by transient, compensatory alterations in the eCS.
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Thorpe HHA, Hamidullah S, Jenkins BW, Khokhar JY. Adolescent neurodevelopment and substance use: Receptor expression and behavioral consequences. Pharmacol Ther 2019; 206:107431. [PMID: 31706976 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.107431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is the transitional period between childhood and adulthood, during which extensive brain development occurs. Since this period also overlaps with the initiation of drug use, it is important to consider how substance use during this time might produce long-term neurobiological alterations, especially against the backdrop of developmental changes in neurotransmission. Alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and opioids all produce marked changes in the expression and function of the neurotransmitter and receptor systems with which they interact. These acute and chronic alterations also contribute to behavioral consequences ranging from increased addiction risk to cognitive or neuropsychiatric behavioral dysfunctions. The current review provides an in-depth overview and update of the developmental changes in neurotransmission during adolescence, as well as the impact of drug exposure during this neurodevelopmental window. While most of these factors have been studied in animal models, which are the focus of this review, future longitudinal studies in humans that assess neural function and behavior will help to confirm pre-clinical findings. Furthermore, the neural changes induced by each drug should also be considered in the context of other contributing factors, such as sex. Further understanding of these consequences can help in the identification of novel approaches for preventing and reversing the neurobiological effects of adolescent substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley H A Thorpe
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shahnaza Hamidullah
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bryan W Jenkins
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jibran Y Khokhar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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35
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Friedman LK, Wongvravit JP. Anticonvulsant and Neuroprotective Effects of Cannabidiol During the Juvenile Period. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2019; 77:904-919. [PMID: 30169677 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nly069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Anticonvulsant effects of cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid, have not been investigated in the juvenile brain. We hypothesized that CBD would attenuate epileptiform activity at an age when the brain first becomes vulnerable to neurotoxicity and social/cognitive impairments. To induce seizures, kainic acid (KA) was injected either into the hippocampus (KAih) or systemically (KAip) on postnatal (P) day 20. CBD was coadministered (KA + CBDih, KA + CBDip) or injected 30 minutes postseizure onset (KA/CBDih, KA/CBDip). Hyperactivity, clonic convulsions, and electroencephalogram rhythmic oscillations were attenuated or absent after KA + CBDih and reduced after KA + CBDip. NeuN immunohistochemistry revealed neuroprotection. Augmented reactive glia number and expression were reversed in CA1 but persisted deep within the dentate hilus. Parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons were reduced in both models, whereas immunolabeling was dramatically increased within ipsilateral and contralateral dendritic/neuropilar fields following KA + CBDih. Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) expression was minimally affected after KAih contrasting elevations observed after KAip. Intracranial coadministration data suggest that CBD has higher efficacy in epilepsy with hippocampal focus rather than when extrahippocampal amygdala/cortical structures are triggered by systemic treatments. Inhibition of surviving PV+ and CB1+ interneurons may be facilitated by CBD implying a protective role in regulating hippocampal seizures and neurotoxicity at juvenile ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda K Friedman
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
| | - Joann P Wongvravit
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
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36
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Mouro FM, Köfalvi A, André LA, Baqi Y, Müller CE, Ribeiro JA, Sebastião AM. Memory deficits induced by chronic cannabinoid exposure are prevented by adenosine A2AR receptor antagonism. Neuropharmacology 2019; 155:10-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Swenson S, Hamilton J, Robison L, Thanos PK. Chronic aerobic exercise: Lack of effect on brain CB1 receptor levels in adult rats. Life Sci 2019; 230:84-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.05.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Ceccarini J, Casteels C, Ahmad R, Crabbé M, Van de Vliet L, Vanhaute H, Vandenbulcke M, Vandenberghe W, Van Laere K. Regional changes in the type 1 cannabinoid receptor are associated with cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019; 46:2348-2357. [PMID: 31342135 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-019-04445-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The endocannabinoid system plays a regulatory role in a number of physiological functions, including motor control but also mood, emotion, and cognition. A number of preclinical studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) models demonstrated that modulating the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) may improve motor symptoms and components of cognitive processing. However, the relation between CB1R, cognitive decline and behavioral symptoms has not been investigated in PD patients so far. The aim of this study was to examine whether CB1R availability is associated with measures of cognitive and behavioral function in PD patients. METHODS Thirty-eight PD patients and ten age- and gender-matched controls underwent a [18F]MK-9470 PET scan to assess CB1R availability, as well as volumetric MR imaging. Neuropsychological symptoms were evaluated using an extensive cognitive and behavioral battery covering the five cognitive domains, depression, anxiety, apathy, and psychiatric complications, and were correlated to CB1R availability using vowel-wise regression analysis (P < 0.05, corrected for familywise error). RESULTS PD patients with poorer performance in episodic memory, executive functioning, speed and mental flexibility (range P 0.003-0.03) showed lower CB1R availability in predominantly the midcingulate cortex and middle to superior frontal gyrus (Tpeak-level > 4.0). Also, PD patients with more severe visuospatial dysfunction showed decreased CB1R availability in the precuneus, midcingulate, supplementary motor cortex, inferior orbitofrontal gyrus and thalamus (Tpeak-level = 5.5). These correlations were not related to cortical gray matter atrophy. No relationship was found between CB1R availability and mood or behavioral symptom scores. CONCLUSIONS Decreased CB1R availability in the prefrontal and midcingulate cortex in PD patients is strongly correlated with disturbances in executive functioning, episodic memory, and visuospatial functioning. Further investigation of regional CB1R expression in groups of PD patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia is warranted in order to further investigate the role of CB1R expression in different levels of cognitive impairment in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Ceccarini
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. .,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Cindy Casteels
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rawaha Ahmad
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Melissa Crabbé
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Van de Vliet
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Heleen Vanhaute
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Old Age Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Vandenbulcke
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Vandenberghe
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Effects of the synthetic cannabinoid 5F-AMB on anxiety and recognition memory in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:2235-2242. [PMID: 30868181 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05222-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE N-[[1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indazol-3-yl]carbonyl]-L-valine methyl ester (5F-AMB) is a synthetic cannabinoid that has been distributed recently. Although inhalation of 5F-AMB produces adverse effects, such as impaired memory and disturbed consciousness, in humans, the psychopharmacological effects of 5F-AMB in rodents have not been investigated. OBJECTIVES We first examined the effects of intraperitoneal and intracerebroventricular injections of 5F-AMB on anxiety-like behavior and locomotor activity in the open field (OF) test and recognition memory in the novel object recognition test (NOR) in C57BL/6J mice. We also examined whether a cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor antagonist AM251 blocks the effects of 5F-AMB. We next examined the effects of 5F-AMB infusion into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region associated with anxiety and memory, on these tests. RESULTS Intraperitoneal injection of 5F-AMB (0.3 mg/kg) dramatically decreased locomotor activity in the OF, and this effect was partially reversed by AM251 (3 mg/kg). Intracerebroventricular infusion of 5F-AMB (10 nmol) produced an anxiolytic effect in the OF and impaired acquisition, but not retrieval, of recognition memory in the NOR, and these effects were blocked by co-infusion of AM251 (1.8 nmol). Bilateral intra-mPFC infusion of 5F-AMB (10 pmol/side) similarly produced impaired recognition memory acquisition, but no anxiolytic effect. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that centrally administered 5F-AMB produces anxiolytic effect and impaired recognition memory acquisition via activation of CB1 receptors, while systemic 5F-AMB severely impaired locomotor activity. The mPFC is involved in 5F-AMB-induced impairment of recognition memory acquisition. However, other brain region(s) may contribute to the 5F-AMB-induced anxiolytic effect.
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Poleg S, Golubchik P, Offen D, Weizman A. Cannabidiol as a suggested candidate for treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:90-96. [PMID: 30171992 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities and often intellectual disabilities. ASD has a number of prevalent co-morbidities, such as sleep disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy. No effective treatment for the core symptoms of ASD is currently available. There is increasing interest in cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol (CBD), as monotherapy or add-on treatment for the core symptoms and co-morbidities of ASD. In this review we summarize the available pre-clinical and clinical data regarding the safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis, including CBD, in young ASD patients. Cannabidiol seems to be a candidate for the treatment of ASD. At present, however, there are no convincing pre-clinical or clinical data showing efficacy and safety of cannabinoid treatment in ASD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Poleg
- Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah - Tikvah, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Pavel Golubchik
- Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic, Geha Mental Health Center, Petah -Tikvah, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel Offen
- Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah - Tikvah, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Abraham Weizman
- Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah - Tikvah, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, Petah - Tikva, Israel.
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Borsoi M, Manduca A, Bara A, Lassalle O, Pelissier-Alicot AL, Manzoni OJ. Sex Differences in the Behavioral and Synaptic Consequences of a Single in vivo Exposure to the Synthetic Cannabimimetic WIN55,212-2 at Puberty and Adulthood. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:23. [PMID: 30890922 PMCID: PMC6411818 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Heavy cannabis consumption among adolescents is associated with significant and lasting neurobiological, psychological and health consequences that depend on the age of first use. Chronic exposure to cannabinoid agonists during the perinatal period or adolescence alters social behavior and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in adult rats. However, sex differences on social behavior as well as PFC synaptic plasticity after acute cannabinoid activation remain poorly explored. Here, we determined that the consequences of a single in vivo exposure to the synthetic cannabimimetic WIN55,212-2 differently affected PFC neuronal and synaptic functions after 24 h in male and female rats during the pubertal and adulthood periods. During puberty, single cannabinoid exposure (SCE) reduced play behavior in females but not males. In contrast, the same treatment impaired sociability in both sexes at adulthood. General exploration and memory recognition remained normal at both ages and both sexes. At the synaptic level, SCE ablated endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity in the PFC of females of both ages and heightened excitability of PFC pyramidal neurons at adulthood, while males were spared. In contrast, cannabinoid exposure was associated with impaired long-term potentiation (LTP) specifically in adult males. Together, these data indicate behavioral and synaptic sex differences in response to a single in vivo exposure to cannabinoid at puberty and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milene Borsoi
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Antonia Manduca
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Anissa Bara
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Lassalle
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Anne-Laure Pelissier-Alicot
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France.,Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), CHU Conception, Service de Psychiatrie, Marseille, France.,Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), CHU Timone Adultes, Service de Médecine Légale, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier J Manzoni
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France.,Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Indiana University, Marseille, France
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Albertella L, Le Pelley ME, Yücel M, Copeland J. Age moderates the association between frequent cannabis use and negative schizotypy over time. Addict Behav 2018; 87:183-189. [PMID: 30053703 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The current study examined whether age and frequent cannabis use interact to influence the trajectories of positive and negative schizotypy over time. Participants were 155 cannabis users, aged 15-24 years old, assessed over a 12-month period at 6-monthly intervals. The analyses examined the influence of age, frequent use, and time on positive and negative schizotypy. The current study found that among frequent cannabis users, younger age was associated with increased negative schizotypy over time, while among occasional cannabis users, younger age was associated with decreasing negative schizotypy over time. The current findings have implications for understanding how cannabis use may influence psychosis risk differently depending on age and frequency of use, as well as bring together past mixed findings on the relationship between negative schizotypy and cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Albertella
- Brain and Mental Health research hub, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, VIC, Australia; School of Psychology, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia; National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | | | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health research hub, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, VIC, Australia
| | - Jan Copeland
- National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Cannabis Information and Support, NSW, Australia
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Mouro FM, Ribeiro JA, Sebastião AM, Dawson N. Chronic, intermittent treatment with a cannabinoid receptor agonist impairs recognition memory and brain network functional connectivity. J Neurochem 2018; 147:71-83. [PMID: 29989183 PMCID: PMC6220860 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating how cannabinoids affect brain function is instrumental for the development of therapeutic tools aiming to mitigate 'on target' side effects of cannabinoid-based therapies. A single treatment with the cannabinoid receptor agonist, WIN 55,212-2, disrupts recognition memory in mice. Here, we evaluate how prolonged, intermittent (30 days) exposure to WIN 55,212-2 (1 mg/kg) alters recognition memory and impacts on brain metabolism and functional connectivity. We show that chronic, intermittent treatment with WIN 55,212-2 disrupts recognition memory (Novel Object Recognition Test) without affecting locomotion and anxiety-like behaviour (Open Field and Elevated Plus Maze). Through 14 C-2-deoxyglucose functional brain imaging we show that chronic, intermittent WIN 55,212-2 exposure induces hypometabolism in the hippocampal dorsal subiculum and in the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, two brain regions directly involved in recognition memory. In addition, WIN 55,212-2 exposure induces hypometabolism in the habenula with a contrasting hypermetabolism in the globus pallidus. Through the application of the Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) algorithm to the brain imaging data, we observed that prolonged WIN 55,212-2 administration alters functional connectivity in brain networks that underlie recognition memory, including that between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, the thalamus and prefrontal cortex, and between the hippocampus and the perirhinal cortex. In addition, our results support disturbed lateral habenula and serotonin system functional connectivity following WIN 55,212-2 exposure. Overall, this study provides new insight into the functional mechanisms underlying the impact of chronic cannabinoid exposure on memory and highlights the serotonin system as a particularly vulnerable target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco M. Mouro
- Faculdade de MedicinaInstituto de Farmacologia e NeurociênciasUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
- Faculdade de MedicinaInstituto de Medicina MolecularUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
| | - Joaquim A. Ribeiro
- Faculdade de MedicinaInstituto de Farmacologia e NeurociênciasUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
- Faculdade de MedicinaInstituto de Medicina MolecularUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
| | - Ana M. Sebastião
- Faculdade de MedicinaInstituto de Farmacologia e NeurociênciasUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
- Faculdade de MedicinaInstituto de Medicina MolecularUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
| | - Neil Dawson
- Division of Biomedical and Life SciencesUniversity of LancasterLancashireUK
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44
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Sbarski B, Akirav I. Chronic exposure to cannabinoids before an emotional trauma may have negative effects on emotional function. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 28:955-969. [PMID: 30026011 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Chronic direct activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1r) may lead to downregulation of CB1r which may in turn result in a depression-like phenotype in certain individuals. We examined the effects of chronic cannabinoid receptor activation before exposure to an emotional traumatic event on CB1r expression in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and CA1 and on protracted anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. We used exposure to severe shock and situational reminders (SRs) in an inhibitory apparatus as a model for emotional trauma. Chronic treatment with the CB1/2 receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 (1.2 mg/kg, i.p.) before shock exposure had differential effects on depression- and anxiety-like behavioral measures depending on withdrawal periods. In the 24 hrs withdrawal condition, WIN55,212-2 enhanced fear retrieval and impaired extinction, increased anhedonia and despair, but had a therapeutic effect in the startle test. In the 10 days withdrawal condition, WIN55,212-2 enhanced fear retrieval and impaired extinction without preventing the shock/SR-induced negative effects on anhedonia or startle response, but had a therapeutic effect in the despair test. Chronic treatment with WIN55,212-2 was found to down regulate CB1r protein levels in the BLA in the 10 days withdrawal condition, and to upregulate CB1r protein levels in the 24 hrs condition. In the CA1, rats chronically injected with vehicle or WIN55,212-2 demonstrated downregulation of CB1r protein levels. Chronic exposure to cannabinoids prior to an emotional trauma may have deleterious effects on emotional function suggesting that direct CB1/2 receptor activation may not be an optimal way to manipulate the endocannabinoid system in stressful individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Sbarski
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Irit Akirav
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel.
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45
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Simone JJ, Baumbach JL, McCormick CM. Sex-specific effects of CB1 receptor antagonism and stress in adolescence on anxiety, corticosterone concentrations, and contextual fear in adulthood in rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 69:119-131. [PMID: 30063953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a paucity of research regarding the role of endogenous cannabinoid signalling in adolescence on brain and behaviour development. We previously demonstrated effects of repeated CB1 receptor antagonism in adolescence on socioemotional behaviours and neural protein expression 24-48 h after the last drug administration in female rats, with no effect in males. Here we investigate whether greater effects would be manifested after a lengthier delay. In Experiment 1, male and female rats were administered either 1 mg / kg of the CB1 receptor-selective antagonist AM251, vehicle (VEH), or did not receive injections (NoINJ) daily on postnatal days (PND) 30-44 either alone (no adolescent confinement stress; noACS), or in tandem with 1 h ACS. On PND 70, adolescent AM251 exposure reduced anxiety in an elevated plus maze in males, irrespective of ACS, with no effects in females. On PND 73, there were no group differences in either sex in plasma corticosterone concentrations before or after 30 min of restraint stress, although injection stress resulted in higher baseline concentrations in males. Brains were collected on PND 74, with negligible effects of either AM251 or ACS on protein markers of synaptic plasticity and of the endocannabinoid system in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. In Experiment 2, rats from both sexes were treated with vehicle or AM251 on PND 30-44 and were tested for contextual fear conditioning and extinction in adulthood. AM251 females had greater fear recall than VEH females 24 h after conditioning, with no group differences in within- or between-session fear extinction. There were no group differences in long-term extinction memory, although AM251 females froze more during a reconditioning trial compared with VEH females. There were no group differences on any of the fear conditioning measures in males. Together, these findings indicate a modest, sex-specific role of CB1 receptor signalling in adolescence on anxiety-like behaviour in males and conditioned fear behaviour in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Simone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Jennet L Baumbach
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada; Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada; Center for Neuroscience, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
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46
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On the Developmental Timing of Stress: Delineating Sex-Specific Effects of Stress across Development on Adult Behavior. Brain Sci 2018; 8:brainsci8070121. [PMID: 29966252 PMCID: PMC6071226 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8070121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress, and the chronic overactivation of major stress hormones, is associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, clinical literature on the exact role of stress either as a causative, triggering, or modulatory factor to mental illness remains unclear. We suggest that the impact of stress on the brain and behavior is heavily dependent on the developmental timing at which the stress has occurred, and as such, this may contribute to the overall variability reported on the association of stress and mental illness. Here, animal models provide a way to comprehensively assess the temporal impact of stress on behavior in a controlled manner. This review particularly focuses on the long-term impact of stress on behavior in various rodent stress models at three major developmental time points: early life, adolescence, and adulthood. We characterize the various stressor paradigms into physical, social, and pharmacological, and discuss commonalities and differences observed across these various stress-inducing methods. In addition, we discuss here how sex can influence the impact of stress at various developmental time points. We conclude here that early postnatal life and adolescence represent particular periods of vulnerability, but that stress exposure during early life can sometimes lead to resilience, particularly to fear-potentiated memories. In the adult brain, while shorter periods of stress tended to enhance spatial memory, longer periods caused impairments. Overall, males tended to be more vulnerable to the long-term effects of early life and adolescent stress, albeit very few studies incorporate both sexes, and further well-powered sex comparisons are needed.
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47
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Renard J, Rosen LG, Loureiro M, De Oliveira C, Schmid S, Rushlow WJ, Laviolette SR. Adolescent Cannabinoid Exposure Induces a Persistent Sub-Cortical Hyper-Dopaminergic State and Associated Molecular Adaptations in the Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:1297-1310. [PMID: 26733534 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence suggests that adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in marijuana, increases the risk of developing schizophrenia-related symptoms in early adulthood. In the present study, we used a combination of behavioral and molecular analyses with in vivo neuronal electrophysiology to compare the long-term effects of adolescent versus adulthood THC exposure in rats. We report that adolescent, but not adult, THC exposure induces long-term neuropsychiatric-like phenotypes similar to those observed in clinical populations. Thus, adolescent THC exposure induced behavioral abnormalities resembling positive and negative schizophrenia-related endophenotypes and a state of neuronal hyperactivity in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway. Furthermore, we observed profound alterations in several prefrontal cortical molecular pathways consistent with sub-cortical DAergic dysregulation. Our findings demonstrate a profound dissociation in relative risk profiles for adolescent versus adulthood exposure to THC in terms of neuronal, behavioral, and molecular markers resembling neuropsychiatric pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Renard
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
| | - Laura G Rosen
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
| | - Michael Loureiro
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
| | | | | | - Walter J Rushlow
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.,Department of Psychiatry, The Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Addiction Research Group.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.,Department of Psychiatry, The Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
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48
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Social Factors and Animal Models of Cannabis Use. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 140:171-200. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Adolescent cannabinoid exposure effects on natural reward seeking and learning in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:121-134. [PMID: 29022083 PMCID: PMC5790819 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4749-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Adolescence is characterized by endocannabinoid (ECB)-dependent refinement of neural circuits underlying emotion, learning, and motivation. As a result, adolescent cannabinoid receptor stimulation (ACRS) with phytocannabinoids or synthetic agonists like "Spice" cause robust and persistent changes in both behavior and circuit architecture in rodents, including in reward-related regions like medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens (NAc). OBJECTIVES AND METHODS Here, we examine persistent effects of ACRS with the cannabinoid receptor 1/2 specific agonist WIN55-212,2 (WIN; 1.2 mg/kg/day, postnatal day (PD) 30-43), on natural reward-seeking behaviors and ECB system function in adult male Long Evans rats (PD 60+). RESULTS WIN ACRS increased palatable food intake, and altered attribution of incentive salience to food cues in a sign-/goal-tracking paradigm. ACRS also blunted hunger-induced sucrose intake, and resulted in increased anandamide and oleoylethanolamide levels in NAc after acute food restriction not seen in controls. ACRS did not affect food neophobia or locomotor response to a novel environment, but did increase preference for exploring a novel environment. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that ACRS causes long-term increases in natural reward-seeking behaviors and ECB system function that persist into adulthood, potentially increasing liability to excessive natural reward seeking later in life.
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Renard J, Rushlow WJ, Laviolette SR. Effects of Adolescent THC Exposure on the Prefrontal GABAergic System: Implications for Schizophrenia-Related Psychopathology. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:281. [PMID: 30013490 PMCID: PMC6036125 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Marijuana is the most commonly used drug of abuse among adolescents. Considerable clinical evidence supports the hypothesis that adolescent neurodevelopmental exposure to high levels of the principal psychoactive component in marijuana, -delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), is associated with a high risk of developing psychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia later in life. This marijuana-associated risk is believed to be related to increasing levels of THC found within commonly used marijuana strains. Adolescence is a highly vulnerable period for the development of the brain, where the inhibitory GABAergic system plays a pivotal role in the maturation of regulatory control mechanisms in the central nervous system (CNS). Specifically, adolescent neurodevelopment represents a critical period wherein regulatory connectivity between higher-order cortical regions and sub-cortical emotional processing circuits such as the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system is established. Emerging preclinical evidence demonstrates that adolescent exposure to THC selectively targets schizophrenia-related molecular and neuropharmacological signaling pathways in both cortical and sub-cortical regions, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and mesolimbic DA pathway, comprising the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Prefrontal cortical GABAergic hypofunction is a key feature of schizophrenia-like neuropsychopathology. This GABAergic hypofunction may lead to the loss of control of the PFC to regulate proper sub-cortical DA neurotransmission, thereby leading to schizophrenia-like symptoms. This review summarizes preclinical evidence demonstrating that reduced prefrontal cortical GABAergic neurotransmission has a critical role in the sub-cortical DAergic dysregulation and schizophrenia-like behaviors observed following adolescent THC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Renard
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Walter J Rushlow
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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