Effect of repeated juvenile exposure to Δ9‑tetrahydrocannabinol on anxiety-related behavior and social interactions in adolescent rats.
Afzaal N Mohammed, Navatha Alugubelly, Barbara L Kaplan, Russell L Carr
Neurotoxicology and Teratology 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2018.06.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled laboratory animal experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male and female rat pups exposed orally from postnatal days 10-16 |
| Intervention | corn oil |
| Dose | 10 mg/kg Δ9-THC daily |
| Duration | Postnatal days 10-16 exposure; testing on days 29 and 38 |
| Measures | elevated plus maze, social interaction testing |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis |
| Key findings | Oral Δ9-THC (10 mg/kg daily, postnatal days 10-16) produced no anxiety-related differences at day 29 under low or high illumination, but under high illumination THC-treated males showed more anxiolytic behavior than THC-treated females, and males were more active than controls. At day 38, both sexes showed lower social exploration but more social play episodes and more play time, suggesting altered adolescent social behavior. |
Abstract
The gestational and adolescent periods are critically important for brain development and exposure to Δ9‑tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) during these periods results in long term behavioral and biochemical abnormalities in laboratory animals. However, recent reports indicate a dramatic rise in oral Δ9-THC exposure in young children but the effects of this exposure scenario have not been adequately investigated. Using a model designed to mimic childhood exposure, male and female rat pups were orally exposed to either corn oil or 10 mg/kg Δ9-THC daily from postnatal days 10-16. On day 29, rats were tested in the elevated plus maze under both low and high illumination with no differences in anxiety-related parameters observed between controls and treated rats. Under high but not low illumination, male Δ9-THC rats exhibited increased anxiolytic behavior as compared to female Δ9-THC rats suggesting a sexual dimorphic effect that was only observed under increased aversiveness. In addition, male Δ9-THC rats had increased activity levels as compared to control males. On day 38, social interactions were determined and both male and female Δ9-THC rats exhibited lower levels of social exploration behaviors but increased episodes of social play behaviors and increased time spent engaged in play. These data suggest that oral exposure to Δ9-THC during a period similar to childhood in humans can result in altered social behavior once adolescence is reached.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 1
Cites 6
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