Peroral Exposure to Cannabis Sativa Ethanol Extract Caused Neuronal Degeneration and Astrogliosis in Wistar Rats' Prefrontal Cortex.
Olatunji Sunday Yinka, Ogunnaike Philip Olubunmi, Abijo Ayodeji Zabdiel, Owolabi Joshua Oladele, Adelodun Stephen Taiye, Adeoye Ayodele, Fasesan Oluwatoyin Adetutu, Olanrewaju John Afees, Adegbite Ademola Kayode
Annals of Neurosciences April 2023 DOI: 10.1177/09727531221120988 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled animal experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | Juvenile male Wistar rats weighing 70-100 g |
| Intervention | Cannabis sativa |
| Dose | 10 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg |
| Duration | 21 days |
| Measures | Open field test, Y-maze test, glutamate, acetylcholine, dopamine, Cytochrome C oxidase (CcO), Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), H&E, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Prefrontal cortex Astrocytes Cannabis sativa Neurodegeneration |
| Key findings | Cannabis sativa exposure raised prefrontal glutamate (100 mg/kg) and dopamine (all doses) and increased Cytochrome C oxidase and Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase activity at 50 and 100 mg/kg. It impaired locomotor activity at 10 and 100 mg/kg and spatial memory at 100 mg/kg, and all exposed groups showed neuronal degeneration, with markedly increased GFAP astrocyte immunoreactivity at 100 mg/kg. |
Abstract
Despite widespread concerns about its possible side effects, notably on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which mediates cognitive processes, the use of Cannabis sativa as a medicinal and recreational drug is expanding exponentially. This study evaluated possible behavioral alterations, neurotransmitter levels, histological, and immunohistochemical changes in the PFC of Wistar rats exposed to Cannabis sativa. To evaluate the effect of graded doses of Cannabis sativa on the PFC using behavioural, histological, and immunohistochemical approaches. Twenty-eight juvenile male Wistar rats weighing between 70 g and 100 g were procured and assigned into groups A-D (n = 7 each). Group A served as control which received distilled water only as a placebo; rats in groups B, C, and D which were the treatment groups were orally exposed to graded doses of Cannabis sativa (10 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg, respectively). Rats in all experimental groups were exposed to Cannabis sativa for 21 days, followed by behavioral tests using the open field test for locomotor, anxiety, and exploratory activities, while the Y-maze test was for spatial memory assessment. Rats for biochemical analysis were cervically dislocated and rats for tissue processing were intracardially perfused following neurobehavioral tests. Sequel to sacrifice, brain tissues were excised and prefrontal cortices were obtained for the neurotransmitter (glutamate, acetylcholine, and dopamine) and enzymatic assay (Cytochrome C oxidase (CcO) and Glucose 6- Phosphate Dehydrogenase-G-6-PDH). Brain tissues were fixed in 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF) for histological demonstration of the PFC cytoarchitecture using H&E and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for astrocyte evaluation. Glutamate and dopamine levels were significantly increased (F = 24.44, P = .0132) in groups D, and B, C, and D, respectively, compared to control; likewise, the activities of CcO and G-6-PDH were also significantly elevated (F = 96.28, P = .0001) (F = 167.5, P = .0001) in groups C and D compared to the control. Cannabis sativa impaired locomotor activity and spatial memory in B and D and D, respectively. All Cannabis sativa exposed groups demonstrated evidence of neurodegeneration in the exposed groups; GFAP immunoexpression was evident in all groups with a marked increase in group D. Cannabis sativa altered neurotransmitter levels, energy metabolism, locomotor, and exploratory activity, and spatial working memory, with neuronal degeneration as well as reactive astrogliosis in the PFC.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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