Adolescent Cannabinoid Exposure Induces a Persistent Sub-Cortical Hyper-Dopaminergic State and Associated Molecular Adaptations in the Prefrontal Cortex.
Justine Renard, Laura G Rosen, Michael Loureiro, Cleusa De Oliveira, Susanne Schmid, Walter J Rushlow, Steven R Laviolette
Cerebral Cortex February 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv335 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats exposed to THC during adolescence versus adulthood |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Adolescence Dopamine Prefrontal cortex Ventral tegmental area |
| Key findings | Adolescent, but not adult, THC exposure in rats induced long-term neuropsychiatric-like phenotypes, including behavioral abnormalities resembling positive and negative schizophrenia-related endophenotypes and neuronal hyperactivity in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway, alongside prefrontal cortical molecular alterations consistent with subcortical dopamine dysregulation. The authors argue this demonstrates a dissociation in relative risk profiles between adolescent and adult THC exposure. |
Abstract
Considerable evidence suggests that adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in marijuana, increases the risk of developing schizophrenia-related symptoms in early adulthood. In the present study, we used a combination of behavioral and molecular analyses with in vivo neuronal electrophysiology to compare the long-term effects of adolescent versus adulthood THC exposure in rats. We report that adolescent, but not adult, THC exposure induces long-term neuropsychiatric-like phenotypes similar to those observed in clinical populations. Thus, adolescent THC exposure induced behavioral abnormalities resembling positive and negative schizophrenia-related endophenotypes and a state of neuronal hyperactivity in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway. Furthermore, we observed profound alterations in several prefrontal cortical molecular pathways consistent with sub-cortical DAergic dysregulation. Our findings demonstrate a profound dissociation in relative risk profiles for adolescent versus adulthood exposure to THC in terms of neuronal, behavioral, and molecular markers resembling neuropsychiatric pathology.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 27
- Long-term hippocampal interneuronopathy drives sex-dimorphic spatial memory impairment induced by prenatal THC exposure Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2020
- Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol produce dissociable effects on prefrontal cortical executive function and regulation of affective behaviors Neuropsychopharmacology November 27, 2018
- Opioid use disorder: current trends and potential treatments Frontiers in Public Health January 25, 2024
- Effects of Chronic Exposure to Low-Dose delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Adolescence and Adulthood on Serotonin/Norepinephrine Neurotransmission and Emotional Behavior The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology July 23, 2020
- Cannabinoids and Vanilloids in Schizophrenia: Neurophysiological Evidence and Directions for Basic Research Frontiers in Pharmacology June 21, 2017
and 22 more in the library
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- Alterations of prefrontal cortex GABAergic transmission in the complex psychotic-like phenotype induced by adolescent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure in rats. Neurobiology of Disease March 1, 2014
and 4 more in the library