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Cesare D'Amico

2 papers in the library · publishing 2024-2026

Papers

Perinatal LC-ω-3-PUFA supplementation offsets prenatal THC-induced cognitive deficit via sex-specific modulation of hippocampal neuroplasticity.

European Journal of Pharmacology June 1, 2026 Gianluca Lavanco, Valentina Castelli, Cesare D'Amico et al.

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-ω-3-PUFAs) given during pregnancy and lactation prevented memory deficits caused by prenatal THC exposure in adolescent rats. THC exposure during gestation impaired hippocampus-dependent memory and disrupted excitatory/inhibitory balance in a sex-dependent manner. Supplementation with an omega-3-enriched diet restored memory performance in both sexes. In males, the fatty acids counteracted THC-induced synaptic hyperexcitability by normalizing expression of plasticity markers and endocannabinoid enzymes. In females, they rebalanced a THC-induced inhibitory shift by reducing certain synaptic protein and enzyme levels. The findings suggest perinatal omega-3 supplementation is a safe nutritional strategy to protect against THC-induced neurodevelopmental harm by restoring endocannabinoid system balance and supporting sex-specific brain plasticity.

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2026.179064 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Endocannabinoid system Excitatory/inhibitory balance Hippocampal memory Lc-ω-3-pufas +1

Prenatal THC exposure drives sex-specific alterations in spatial memory and hippocampal excitatory/inhibitory balance in adolescent rats.

Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie December 1, 2024 Valentina Castelli, Gianluca Lavanco, Giuseppe Tringali et al.

Prenatal exposure to THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, disrupts spatial memory and alters the balance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the hippocampus in a sex-specific manner. In adolescent male rats, THC exposure impaired memory retrieval and flexibility, reduced the density of a key type of inhibitory interneuron (CCK-positive basket cells), and increased markers of neuroplasticity. In females, memory retrieval was delayed but flexibility was spared, and the density of those inhibitory interneurons increased. The findings suggest male offspring are more vulnerable to prenatal THC's effects on memory processing, with sex-specific changes in synaptic plasticity and excitatory/inhibitory balance.

DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117699 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Excitatory/inhibitory balance Hippocampus Prenatal THC Exposure Sex-related vulnerability +1