Abstract Water and ionic homeostasis of red blood cells (RBC) is regulated by various active and passive transport mechanisms in the RBC membrane, including channels like aquaporins, 1 the mechanically activated non-selective cation channel Piezo12 and the Ca2+-activated potassium channel KCa3.1.3 The human genome contains 27 genes that code for transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. The only TRP channel protein that has been detected in circulating mouse RBC is TRPC6,4 which might be associated with basal Ca2+ leakage and stress-stimulated Ca2+ entry.4 TRPC2 and TRPC3 are expressed by murine erythroid precursors and splenic erythroblasts, and in these cells, erythropoietin stimulates an increase in intracellular...

Abstract Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a life-long disorder that often begins between the ages of 15 and 30. Anecdotal reports suggest cannabinoids may be an effective treatment. This study sought to determine whether home cage wheel running is an effective method to assess IBD, and whether Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, can restore wheel running depressed by IBD. Adolescent and adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were individually housed in a cage with a running wheel. Rats were injected with trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) into the rectum to induce IBD-like symptoms. One day later, both vehicle and TNBS treated rats were injected...

Abstract Background Cannabis use in pregnancy leads to fetal growth restriction (FGR), but the long-term effects on cardiac function in the offspring are unknown, despite the fact that fetal growth deficits are associated with an increased risk of developing postnatal cardiovascular disease. We hypothesize that maternal exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) during pregnancy will impair fetal development, leading to cardiac dysfunction in the offspring. Methods Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly selected and administered 3 mg/kg of Δ9-THC or saline as a vehicle daily via intraperitoneal injection from gestational days 6 to 22, followed by echocardiogram analysis of cardiac function on offspring at postnatal days 1 and...

Abstract Cannabis use among pregnant women is increasing worldwide along with permissive sociocultural attitudes toward it. Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE), however, is associated with adverse outcome among offspring, ranging from reduced birth weight to child psychopathology. We have previously shown that male rat offspring prenatally exposed to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a rat model of PCE, exhibit extensive molecular, cellular, and synaptic changes in dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), resulting in a susceptible mesolimbic dopamine system associated with a psychotic-like endophenotype. This phenotype only reveals itself upon a single exposure to THC in males but not females. Here, we characterized the impact of...

Abstract Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the intoxicating constituent of cannabis and is responsible for the drug’s reinforcing effects. Retrospective human studies suggest that cannabis use during adolescence is linked to long-term negative psychological outcomes, but in such studies it is difficult to distinguish the effects of THC from those of coexisting factors. Therefore, translationally relevant animal models are required to properly investigate THC effects in adolescents. However, though the relevance of these studies depends upon human-relevant dosing, surprisingly little is known about THC pharmacology and its effects on behavior and brain activity in adolescent rodents—especially in females. Here, we conducted a systematic investigation of THC...

Abstract Background: Higher potency cannabis products are associated with higher risks of negative physical and psychological outcomes. The US cannabis industry has opposed any restrictions on THC levels, arguing that people titrate their THC doses when consuming higher potency products. Objective: To review research on the degree to which people who use cannabis for recreational purposes can and do titrate their THC doses. Method: A systematic search was conducted for studies published from 1973 to 2020. We included (1) experimental laboratory studies on dose titration of cannabis products that varied in THC content; (2) observational studies on the use of more potent products; and...

Abstract Cannabis is the most-used recreational drug worldwide, with a high prevalence of use among adolescents. In animal models, long-term adverse effects were reported following chronic adolescent exposure to the main psychotomimetic component of the plant, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, these studies investigated the effects of pure THC, without taking into account other cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. Interestingly, cannabidiol (CBD) content seems to mitigate some of the side effects of THC, at least in adult animals. Thus, in female rats, we evaluated the long-term consequences of a co-administration of THC and CBD at a 3:1 ratio, chosen based on the analysis of recently...

Abstract The increasing legal availability of cannabis has important implications for road safety. This systematic review characterised the acute effects of Δ9-THC on driving performance and driving-related cognitive skills, with a particular focus on the duration of Δ9-THC-induced impairment. Eighty publications and 1534 outcomes were reviewed. Several measures of driving performance and driving-related cognitive skills (e.g. lateral control, tracking, divided attention) demonstrated impairment in meta-analyses of “peak” Δ9-THC effects (p’s<0.05). Multiple meta-regression analyses further found that regular cannabis users experianced less impairment than ‘other’ (mostly occasional) cannabis users (p = 0.003) and that the magnitude of oral (n = 243 effect estimates [EE]) and inhaled (n = 481 EEs) Δ9-THC-induced...

Abstract The very important psychoactive phytocannabinoid from Cannabis Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and its non-psychotropic member is cannabidiol (CBD). These compounds have a variety of pharmacological activities. THC has been approved for the treatment of nausea caused by chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis and chronic and neuropathic pain and research is underway to use it to treat stimulation of dementia, anorexia nervous and Tourette’s syndrome. CBD has therapeutic benefits in Epilepsy, neuroprotective, cancer, inflammatory and anxiety. Recognizing candidate drugs efficiently in the new SARS-CoV2 disease 2019 (Covid-19) is crucial. Cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. They can reduce the uncontrolled cytokine production of acute lung...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract With the legalization of marijuana (Cannabis sativa) and increasing use during pregnancy, it is important to understand its impact on exposed offspring. Specifically, the effects of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the major psychoactive component of cannabis, on fetal ovarian development and long-term reproductive health are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of prenatal exposure to Δ9-THC on ovarian health in adult rat offspring. At 6 months of age, Δ9-THC-exposed offspring had accelerated folliculogenesis with apparent follicular development arrest, but no persistent effects on circulating steroid levels. Ovaries from Δ9-THC-exposed offspring...