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Fang F, Quach B, Lawrence KG, van Dongen J, Marks JA, Lundgren S, Lin M, Odintsova VV, Costeira R, Xu Z, Zhou L, Mandal M, Xia Y, Vink JM, Bierut LJ, Ollikainen M, Taylor JA, Bell JT, Kaprio J, Boomsma DI, Xu K, Sandler DP, Hancock DB, Johnson EO. Trans-ancestry epigenome-wide association meta-analysis of DNA methylation with lifetime cannabis use. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:124-133. [PMID: 37935791 PMCID: PMC11078760 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02310-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis is widely used worldwide, yet its links to health outcomes are not fully understood. DNA methylation can serve as a mediator to link environmental exposures to health outcomes. We conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of peripheral blood-based DNA methylation and lifetime cannabis use (ever vs. never) in a meta-analysis including 9436 participants (7795 European and 1641 African ancestry) from seven cohorts. Accounting for effects of cigarette smoking, our trans-ancestry EWAS meta-analysis revealed four CpG sites significantly associated with lifetime cannabis use at a false discovery rate of 0.05 ( p < 5.85 × 10 - 7 ) : cg22572071 near gene ADGRF1, cg15280358 in ADAM12, cg00813162 in ACTN1, and cg01101459 near LINC01132. Additionally, our EWAS analysis in participants who never smoked cigarettes identified another epigenome-wide significant CpG site, cg14237301 annotated to APOBR. We used a leave-one-out approach to evaluate methylation scores constructed as a weighted sum of the significant CpGs. The best model can explain 3.79% of the variance in lifetime cannabis use. These findings unravel the DNA methylation changes associated with lifetime cannabis use that are independent of cigarette smoking and may serve as a starting point for further research on the mechanisms through which cannabis exposure impacts health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Fang
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Bryan Quach
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kaitlyn G Lawrence
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jenny van Dongen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jesse A Marks
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Sara Lundgren
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mingkuan Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Veronika V Odintsova
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ricardo Costeira
- Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Zongli Xu
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Linran Zhou
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Meisha Mandal
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Yujing Xia
- Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jacqueline M Vink
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura J Bierut
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Miina Ollikainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jack A Taylor
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jordana T Bell
- Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Dana B Hancock
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Eric O Johnson
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
- Fellow Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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2
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Phukan BC, Roy R, Gahatraj I, Bhattacharya P, Borah A. Therapeutic considerations of bioactive compounds in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease: Dissecting the molecular pathways. Phytother Res 2023; 37:5657-5699. [PMID: 37823581 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8012] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Leading neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are characterized by the impairment of memory and motor functions, respectively. Despite several breakthroughs, there exists a lack of disease-modifying treatment strategies for these diseases, as the available drugs provide symptomatic relief and bring along side effects. Bioactive compounds are reported to bear neuroprotective properties with minimal toxicity, however, a detailed elucidation of their modes of neuroprotection is lacking. The review elucidates the neuroprotective mechanism(s) of some of the major phyto-compounds in pre-clinical and clinical studies of AD and PD to understand their potential in combating these diseases. Curcumin, eugenol, resveratrol, baicalein, sesamol and so on have proved efficient in countering the pathological hallmarks of AD and PD. Curcumin, resveratrol, caffeine and so on have reached the clinical phases of these diseases, while aromadendrin, delphinidin, cyanidin and xanthohumol are yet to be extensively explored in pre-clinical phases. The review highlights the need for extensive investigation of these compounds in the clinical stages of these diseases so as to utilize their disease-modifying abilities in the real field of treatment. Moreover, poor pharmacokinetic properties of natural compounds are constraints to their therapeutic yields and this review suggests a plausible contribution of nanotechnology in overcoming these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rubina Roy
- Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India
| | - Indira Gahatraj
- Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India
| | - Pallab Bhattacharya
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Anupom Borah
- Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India
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Arnanz MA, Ruiz de Martín Esteban S, Martínez Relimpio AM, Rimmerman N, Tweezer Zaks N, Grande MT, Romero J. Effects of Chronic, Low-Dose Cannabinoids, Cannabidiol, Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and a Combination of Both, on Amyloid Pathology in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2023. [PMID: 37862567 DOI: 10.1089/can.2023.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: There is an urgent need for novel therapies to treat Alzheimer's disease. Among others, the use of cannabinoids such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) has been proposed as a putative approach based on their anti-inflammatory effects. Methods: The present work was designed to explore the effects of chronic (28 days) treatment with low doses of cannabinoids: CBD (0.273 mg/kg), THC (0.205 mg/kg) or a combination of both (CBD:THC; 0.273 mg/kg:0.205 mg/kg) in the 5xFAD mouse model of AD. Results: Our data revealed that THC-treated 5xFAD mice (but not other treatment groups) exhibited anxiogenic and depressant-like behavior. A significant improvement in spatial memory was observed only in the CBD:THC-treated group. Interestingly, all cannabinoid-treated groups showed significantly increased cortical levels of the insoluble form of beta amyloid 1-42. These effects were not accompanied by changes in molecular parameters of inflammation at the mRNA or protein level. Conclusions: These data reveal differential effects of chronic, low-dose cannabinoids and point to a role of these cannabinoids in the processing of amyloid peptides in the brains of 5xFAD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Andrea Arnanz
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Neta Rimmerman
- M.H MediCane Ltd., Kfar Saba, Israel
- MediCane R&D Ltd., Kfar Saba, Israel
| | - Nurit Tweezer Zaks
- M.H MediCane Ltd., Kfar Saba, Israel
- MediCane R&D Ltd., Kfar Saba, Israel
| | - María Teresa Grande
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julián Romero
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain
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Singh K, Bhushan B, Chanchal DK, Sharma SK, Rani K, Yadav MK, Porwal P, Kumar S, Sharma A, Virmani T, Kumar G, Noman AA. Emerging Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Neurological Disorders: A Comprehensive Review. Behav Neurol 2023; 2023:8825358. [PMID: 37868743 PMCID: PMC10586905 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8825358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD), derived from Cannabis sativa, has gained remarkable attention for its potential therapeutic applications. This thorough analysis explores the increasing significance of CBD in treating neurological conditions including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease, which present major healthcare concerns on a worldwide scale. Despite the lack of available therapies, CBD has been shown to possess a variety of pharmacological effects in preclinical and clinical studies, making it an intriguing competitor. This review brings together the most recent findings on the endocannabinoid and neurotransmitter systems, as well as anti-inflammatory pathways, that underlie CBD's modes of action. Synthesized efficacy and safety assessments for a range of neurological illnesses are included, covering human trials, in vitro studies, and animal models. The investigation includes how CBD could protect neurons, control neuroinflammation, fend off oxidative stress, and manage neuronal excitability. This study emphasizes existing clinical studies and future possibilities in CBD research, addressing research issues such as regulatory complications and contradicting results, and advocates for further investigation of therapeutic efficacy and ideal dose methodologies. By emphasizing CBD's potential to improve patient well-being, this investigation presents a revised viewpoint on its suitability as a therapeutic intervention for neurological illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeep Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Rajiv Academy for Pharmacy, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bharat Bhushan
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Dilip Kumar Chanchal
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Glocal School of Pharmacy, Glocal University, Mirzapur Pole, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Satish Kumar Sharma
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Glocal School of Pharmacy, Glocal University, Mirzapur Pole, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ketki Rani
- Department of Chemistry, SGT College of Pharmacy, SGT University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Manoj Kumar Yadav
- Department of Pharmacology, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Chhalesar Campus, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Prateek Porwal
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Glocal School of Pharmacy, Glocal University, Mirzapur Pole, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shivendra Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Rajiv Academy for Pharmacy, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashwani Sharma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MVN University, 121105, Palwal, Haryana, India
| | - Tarun Virmani
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MVN University, 121105, Palwal, Haryana, India
| | - Girish Kumar
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MVN University, 121105, Palwal, Haryana, India
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5
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Gugliandolo A, Blando S, Salamone S, Caprioglio D, Pollastro F, Mazzon E, Chiricosta L. Δ8-THC Protects against Amyloid Beta Toxicity Modulating ER Stress In Vitro: A Transcriptomic Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076598. [PMID: 37047608 PMCID: PMC10095455 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represents the most common form of dementia, characterized by amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). It is characterized by neuroinflammation, the accumulation of misfolded protein, ER stress and neuronal apoptosis. It is of main importance to find new therapeutic strategies because AD prevalence is increasing worldwide. Cannabinoids are arising as promising neuroprotective phytocompounds. In this study, we evaluated the neuroprotective potential of Δ8-THC pretreatment in an in vitro model of AD through transcriptomic analysis. We found that Δ8-THC pretreatment restored the loss of cell viability in retinoic acid-differentiated neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells treated with Aβ1-42. Moreover, the transcriptomic analysis provided evidence that the enriched biological processes of gene ontology were related to ER functions and proteostasis. In particular, Aβ1-42 upregulated genes involved in ER stress and unfolded protein response, leading to apoptosis as demonstrated by the increase in Bax and the decrease in Bcl-2 both at gene and protein expression levels. Moreover, genes involved in protein folding and degradation were also deregulated. On the contrary, Δ8-THC pretreatment reduced ER stress and, as a consequence, neuronal apoptosis. Then, the results demonstrated that Δ8-THC might represent a new neuroprotective agent in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnese Gugliandolo
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, Via Provinciale Palermo, Contrada Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Santino Blando
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, Via Provinciale Palermo, Contrada Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Stefano Salamone
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
- PlantaChem Srls, Via Amico Canobio 4/6, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Diego Caprioglio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
- PlantaChem Srls, Via Amico Canobio 4/6, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Federica Pollastro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
- PlantaChem Srls, Via Amico Canobio 4/6, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Emanuela Mazzon
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, Via Provinciale Palermo, Contrada Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Luigi Chiricosta
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino-Pulejo”, Via Provinciale Palermo, Contrada Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy
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Fihurka O, Wang Y, Hong Y, Lin X, Shen N, Yang H, Brown B, Mommer M, Zieneldien T, Li Y, Kim J, Li M, Cai J, Zhou Q, Cao C. Multi-Targeting Intranasal Nanoformulation as a Therapeutic for Alzheimer's Disease. Biomolecules 2023; 13:232. [PMID: 36830601 PMCID: PMC9953380 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Melatonin, insulin, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have been shown to reverse cognitive deficits and attenuate neuropathologies in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) when used individually. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic properties of long-term intranasal treatment with a novel nanoformulation containing melatonin, insulin, and THC in aged APPswe/PS1ΔE9 (APP/PS1) mice, a transgenic model of AD. Transgenic mice at the age of 12 months were intranasally administered with a new nanoformulation containing melatonin, insulin, and THC at doses of 0.04, 0.008, and 0.02 mg/kg, respectively, once daily for 3 months. The spatial memory of the mice was assessed using the radial arm water maze (RAWM) test before and after drug treatment. Brain tissues were collected at the end of the treatment period for the assessment of Aβ load, tauopathy state, and markers of mitochondrial function. The RAWM test revealed that the treatment with the melatonin-insulin-THC (MIT) nasal spray improved the spatial learning memory of APP/PS1 mice significantly. Results of protein analyses of brain homogenates indicated that MIT treatment significantly decreased the tau phosphorylation implicated in tau toxicity (p < 0.05) and the expression of CKMT1 associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, MIT significantly decreased the expression of two mitochondrial fusion-related proteins, Mfn2 and Opa1 (p < 0.01 for both), while increasing the expression of a mitophagy regulator, Parkin, suggesting a compensatory enhancement of mitophagy due to MIT-promoted mitochondrial fusion. In conclusion, this study was the first to demonstrate the ability of an MIT nanoformulation to improve spatial memory in AD mice through its multi-targeting effects on Aβ production, tau phosphorylation, and mitochondrial dynamics. Thus, MIT may be a safe and effective therapeutic for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Fihurka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Yanhong Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Yuzhu Hong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Lin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Ning Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Haiqiang Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Breanna Brown
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Marcus Mommer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Tarek Zieneldien
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Yitong Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Janice Kim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Minghua Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Jianfeng Cai
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Qingyu Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Chuanhai Cao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF-health Byrd Alzheimer Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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An Ultra-Low Dose of ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Alleviates Alzheimer's Disease-Related Cognitive Impairments and Modulates TrkB Receptor Expression in a 5XFAD Mouse Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169449. [PMID: 36012711 PMCID: PMC9408848 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, but there is still no available treatment. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is emerging as a promising therapeutic agent. Using THC in conventional high doses may have deleterious effects. Therefore, we propose to use an ultra-low dose of THC (ULD-THC). We previously published that a single injection of ULD-THC ameliorated cognitive functioning in several models of brain injuries as well as in naturally aging mice. Here, 5xFAD AD model mice received a single treatment of ULD-THC (0.002 mg/kg) after disease onset and were examined in two separate experiments for cognitive functions, neurotropic, and inflammatory factors in the hippocampus. We show that a single injection of ULD-THC alleviated cognitive impairments in 6- and 12-month-old 5xFAD mice. On the biochemical level, our results indicate an imbalance between the truncated TrkB receptor isoform and the full receptor, with AD mice showing a greater tendency to express the truncated receptor, and ULD-THC improved this imbalance. We also investigated the expression of three AD-related inflammatory markers and found an ameliorating effect of ULD-THC. The current research demonstrates for the first time the beneficial effects of a single ultra-low dose of THC in a mouse model of AD after disease onset.
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8
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The Memory Benefit to Aged APP/PS1 Mice from Long-Term Intranasal Treatment of Low-Dose THC. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084253. [PMID: 35457070 PMCID: PMC9029288 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
THC has been used as a promising treatment approach for neurological disorders, but the highly psychoactive effects have largely warned off many scientists from pursuing it further. We conducted an intranasal treatment using low-dose THC on 12-month-old APP/PS1 mice daily for 3 months to overcome any potential psychoactive response induced by the systemic delivery. Our results demonstrate that the THC nasal treatment at 0.002 and 0.02 mg/kg significantly slowed the memory decline compared to that in the vehicle-treated transgenic mouse control group. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that the Aβ1–40 and 1–42 peptides decreased in the THC-treated groups. The Western blot data indicate that long-term low-dose THC intranasal administration promoted p-tau level reduction and mitochondrial function marker redistribution. The blood biochemical parameter data demonstrate some insignificant changes in cytokine, immunoglobulin, and immune cell profiles during intranasal THC treatment. Intranasal delivery is a non-invasive and convenient method that rapidly targets therapeutics to the brain, minimizing systemic exposure to avoid unwanted adverse effects. Our study provides new insights into the role of low-dose THC intranasal treatment as a pharmacological strategy to counteract alterations in Alzheimer’s disease-related cognitive performance.
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