Frequent Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during adolescence impairs sociability in adult mice exposed to an aversive painful stimulus.
Alex Mabou Tagne, Yannick Fotio, Zachary Alan Springs, Shiqi Su, Daniele Piomelli
European Neuropsychopharmacology December 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.07.007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male mice |
| Interventions | Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) formalin |
| Dose | Δ9-THC 5 mg/kg intraperitoneal; formalin 1% vol intraplantar |
| Duration | Δ9-THC exposure from postnatal day 30 to 43; social interaction assessed at postnatal day 70, before and 3 weeks after formalin injection |
| Measures | three-chamber social interaction task |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Adolescence Formalin Social behavior Social interaction |
| Key findings | Adolescent Δ9-THC exposure (5 mg/kg daily, PND 30–43) did not alter adult social interaction in control male mice, but disrupted it in mice that developed lasting sensory abnormalities three weeks after formalin injection. The authors suggest this reflects a dormant social-behavior dysfunction unmasked by an aversive state. |
Abstract
Early-life exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the intoxicating constituent of cannabis, may produce enduring neurochemical changes in brain structures involved in the regulation of sociality but it is still unclear how such changes influence social behavior later in life. In the present study, we exposed male mice to moderate daily doses of Δ9-THC (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) during adolescence (postnatal day, PND, 30 to 43) and, when animals reached adulthood (PND70), we assessed their performance in the three-chamber social interaction task before and 3 weeks after injection of the chemical irritant formalin (1 % vol, intraplantar), which produces both immediate and persistent pain-related behaviors in mice. Prior Δ9-THC treatment did not alter social interaction in control adult mice but disrupted it in animals that developed lasting sensory abnormalities following formalin injection. The findings suggest that frequent exposure to Δ9-THC during adolescence causes in male mice a dormant dysfunction in social behavior which can be unmasked in adulthood when the animals experience an aversive state.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Chronic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during adolescence is associated with persistent behavioural tolerance in adult nonhuman primates. British Journal of Pharmacology November 1, 2025
- Effect of Cannabis on Memory Consolidation, Learning and Retrieval and Its Current Legal Status in India: A Review. Biomolecules January 12, 2023
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