Sex differences in the effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on spatial learning in adolescent and adult rats.
Young May Cha, Katherine H Jones, Cynthia M Kuhn, Wilkie A Wilson, Harry Scott Swartzwelder
Behavioural Pharmacology September 2007 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e3282ee7b7e (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adolescent (postnatal day 30) and adult (postnatal day 70) rats of both sexes |
| Intervention | delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) |
| Dose | 5.0 mg/kg; 2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/kg intraperitoneally |
| Duration | 5 consecutive days; 21 days with testing 4 weeks later |
| Measures | Morris water maze task |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Subchronic THC impaired spatial learning in rats, and this effect depended on both age and sex, with adolescent females showing greater disruption at higher doses than adults. Prior chronic THC exposure did not produce long-lasting spatial learning deficits four weeks later. |
Abstract
Like other recreational drugs, cannabinoids may produce different effects in men and women. In this study we measured the effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on spatial learning in two groups that are underrepresented in drug research--females and adolescents. In the first experiment, adolescent (postnatal day 30) and adult (postnatal day 70) rats of both sexes were treated subchronically with 5.0 mg/kg THC or vehicle for five consecutive days. Thirty minutes after each daily injection, they were tested on the spatial version of the Morris water maze task. In the second experiment, a separate group of adolescent and adult rats of both sexes was treated with 5.0 mg/kg THC or vehicle daily for 21 days and tested, 4 weeks later, on the spatial version of the water maze. Subchronic THC impaired spatial learning, and this effect was dependent upon both the age and sex of the animals tested. Prior exposure to chronic THC, however, did not cause any long-lasting spatial learning deficits. On the basis of our previous studies in male rats the third experiment assessed the dose-response relationship for the effects of THC on spatial learning and memory in female animals. We found that subchronic THC treatment (2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) disrupted learning in both adolescents and adults, but with greater effects at higher doses in adolescents compared with adults. The developmental sensitivity to subchronic THC confirms previous work carried out in our laboratory, and the sex-dependent effects highlight the importance of including females in drug abuse and addiction research.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 31
- Long-term consequences of adolescent cannabinoid exposure in adult psychopathology Frontiers in Neuroscience November 10, 2014
- Age-related differences in the impact of cannabis use on the brain and cognition: a systematic review European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience January 24, 2019
- Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males Translational Psychiatry November 29, 2016
- Sex-Dependent Psychoneuroendocrine Effects of THC and MDMA in an Animal Model of Adolescent Drug Consumption PLoS One November 4, 2013
- Acute effects of cannabis on speech illusions and psychotic-like symptoms: two studies testing the moderating effects of cannabidiol and adolescence Psychological Medicine April 28, 2020
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