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Portillo R, Abad C, Synova T, Kastner P, Heblik D, Kucera R, Karahoda R, Staud F. Cannabidiol disrupts tryptophan metabolism in the human term placenta. Toxicology 2024; 505:153813. [PMID: 38663822 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2024.153813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
The increasing use of cannabis during pregnancy raises concerns about its impact on fetal development. While cannabidiol (CBD) shows therapeutic promise, its effects during pregnancy remain uncertain. We investigated CBD's influence on tryptophan (TRP) metabolism in the human placenta. TRP is an essential amino acid that is metabolized via the serotonin and kynurenine (KYN) pathways, which are critical for fetal neurodevelopment. We used human term villous placental explants, an advanced ex vivo model, to study CBD's impact on key TRP metabolic enzymes. In addition, vesicles isolated from the microvillous membrane (MVM) of the human placenta were used to assess CBD's effect on placental serotonin uptake. Explants were exposed to CBD at therapeutic (0.1, 1, 2.5 μg/ml) and non-therapeutic (20 and 40 μg/ml) concentrations to determine its effects on the gene and protein expression of key enzymes in TRP metabolism and metabolite release. CBD upregulated TRP hydroxylase (TPH) and downregulated monoamine oxidase (MAO-A), resulting in reduced levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (HIAA). It also downregulated serotonin transporter expression and inhibited serotonin transport across the MVM by up to 60% while simultaneously enhancing TRP metabolism via the kynurenine pathway by upregulating indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO-1). Among kynurenine pathway enzymes, kynurenine 3 monooxygenase (KMO) was upregulated while kynurenine aminotransferase 1 (KAT-1) was downregulated; the former is associated with neurotoxic metabolite production, while the latter is linked to reduced neuroprotective metabolite levels. Overall, these results indicate that CBD modulates TRP catabolism in the human placenta, potentially disrupting the tightly regulated homeostasis of the serotonin and KYN pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Portillo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Cilia Abad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Tetiana Synova
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kastner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Heblik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Kucera
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Rona Karahoda
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Frantisek Staud
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
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Margolis ET, Gabard-Durnam LJ. Prenatal influences on postnatal neuroplasticity: Integrating DOHaD and sensitive/critical period frameworks to understand biological embedding in early development. INFANCY 2024. [PMID: 38449347 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Early environments can have significant and lasting effects on brain, body, and behavior across the lifecourse. Here, we address current research efforts to understand how experiences impact neurodevelopment with a new perspective integrating two well-known conceptual frameworks - the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and sensitive/critical period frameworks. Specifically, we consider how prenatal experiences characterized in the DOHaD model impact two key neurobiological mechanisms of sensitive/critical periods for adapting to and learning from the postnatal environment. We draw from both animal and human research to summarize the current state of knowledge on how particular prenatal substance exposures (psychoactive substances and heavy metals) and nutritional profiles (protein-energy malnutrition and iron deficiency) each differentially impact brain circuits' excitation/GABAergic inhibition balance and myelination. Finally, we highlight new research directions that emerge from this integrated framework, including testing how prenatal environments alter sensitive/critical period timing and learning and identifying potential promotional/buffering prenatal exposures to impact postnatal sensitive/critical periods. We hope this integrative framework considering prenatal influences on postnatal neuroplasticity will stimulate new research to understand how early environments have lasting consequences on our brains, behavior, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma T Margolis
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Ornelas LC, Fish EW, Dooley JC, Carroll M, Parnell SE, Besheer J. The impact of prenatal alcohol, synthetic cannabinoid and co-exposure on behavioral adaptations in adolescent offspring and alcohol self-administration in adulthood. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 102:107341. [PMID: 38490565 PMCID: PMC11000688 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to alcohol or cannabinoids can produce enduring neurobiological, cognitive, and behavioral changes in the offspring. Furthermore, prenatal co-exposure to alcohol and cannabinoids induces malformations in brain regions associated with reward and stress-related circuitry. This study examined the effects of co-exposure to alcohol and the synthetic cannabinoid (SCB) CP55,940 throughout gastrulation and neurulation in rats on basal corticosterone levels and a battery of behavioral tests during adolescence and alcohol self-administration in adulthood. Importantly, we find that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) caused lower baseline corticosterone levels in adolescent males and females. Co-exposure to alcohol + CP produced hyperactivity during open field test in males, but not females. During the two-bottle choice alcohol-drinking procedure, prenatal cannabinoid exposed male and female adolescent rats drank more alcohol than their vehicle-exposed controls. In adulthood, female rats treated with prenatal cannabinoid exposure (PCE), showed an overall total increase in alcohol intake during alcohol self-administration; but this was not found in males. When the reinforcer was changed to a 1% sucrose solution, male rats exposed to PCE, showed a reduced self-administration compared to vehicle-exposed males, potentially indicative of an anhedonic response. This lower self-administration persisted when 20% alcohol was reintroduced to the sucrose solution. Lastly, following an abstinence period, there were no changes due to prenatal drug exposure in either males or females. Overall, these data suggest lasting consequences of prenatal alcohol and cannabinoid exposure during adolescence and adulthood in male and female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Ornelas
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States of America
| | - Eric W Fish
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States of America
| | - Jacob C Dooley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States of America
| | - Megan Carroll
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States of America
| | - Scott E Parnell
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States of America; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States of America
| | - Joyce Besheer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States of America.
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De Genna NM, Coulter RWS, Goldschmidt L, Boss N, Hossain F, Richardson GA. Prenatal Substance Use Among Young Pregnant Sexual Minority People. LGBT Health 2024; 11:74-79. [PMID: 37410511 DOI: 10.1089/lgbt.2023.0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Sexual minority (SM) youth have higher rates of substance use and pregnancy but are absent from the prenatal substance use literature. We modeled the impact of SM identity and syndemic factors on prenatal substance use among 14- to 21-year-olds. Methods: Pregnant people completed an online survey (n = 357). Prenatal substance use was regressed on SM identity, controlling for other syndemic factors (e.g., depressive symptoms, intimate partner violence) and household substance use. Results: Pregnant SM participants (n = 125) were primarily bisexual and were more likely to use tobacco and illicit drugs than heterosexual participants (n = 232). The association between SM identity and prenatal tobacco use was not attenuated by syndemic factors, prenatal cannabis use, or household tobacco use. Conclusion: SM people need increased support for smoking cessation to redress health inequities in tobacco use, prevent prenatal exposures to tobacco, and limit the long-term consequences of tobacco use on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha M De Genna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Robert W S Coulter
- Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Clinical and Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Nicole Boss
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Fahmida Hossain
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gale A Richardson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Gorelick
- From the Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
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Ornelas LC, Fish EW, Dooley JC, Carroll M, Parnell SE, Besheer J. The impact of prenatal alcohol and synthetic cannabinoid exposure on behavioral adaptations in adolescent offspring and alcohol self-administration in adulthood. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.09.561571. [PMID: 37873078 PMCID: PMC10592743 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.09.561571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to alcohol or cannabinoids can produce enduring neurobiological, cognitive, and behavioral changes in the offspring. Furthermore, prenatal co-exposure to alcohol and cannabinoids induces malformations in brain regions associated with reward and stress-related circuitry. This study examined the effects of co-exposure to alcohol and the synthetic cannabinoid (SCB) CP55,940 throughout gastrulation and neurulation in rats on basal corticosterone levels and a battery of behavioral tests during adolescence and alcohol self-administration in adulthood. Importantly, we find that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) caused lower baseline corticosterone levels in adolescent males and females. Co-exposure to alcohol + CP produced hyperactivity during open field test in males, but not females. During the two-bottle choice alcohol-drinking procedure, prenatal cannabinoid exposed male and female adolescent rats drank more alcohol than their vehicle-exposed controls. In adulthood, female rats treated with prenatal cannabinoid exposure (PCE), showed an overall total increase in alcohol intake during alcohol self-administration; but this was not found in males. When the reinforcer was changed to a 1% sucrose solution, male rats exposed to PCE, showed a reduced self-administration compared to vehicle-exposed males, potentially indicative of an anhedonic response. This lower self-administration persisted when 20% alcohol was reintroduced to the sucrose solution. Lastly, following an abstinence period, there were no changes due to prenatal drug exposure in either males or females. Overall, these data suggest lasting consequences of prenatal alcohol and cannabinoid exposure during adolescence and adulthood in male and female rats.
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Motamedi S, Amleshi RS, Javar BA, Shams P, Kohlmeier KA, Shabani M. Cannabis during pregnancy: A way to transfer an impairment to later life. Birth Defects Res 2023; 115:1327-1344. [PMID: 37318343 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies examining the influence of cannabis across the lifespan show that exposure to cannabis during gestation or during the perinatal period is associated with later-life mental health issues that manifest during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The risk of later-life negative outcomes following early exposure is particularly high in persons who have specific genetic variants, implying that cannabis usage interacts with genetics to heighten mental health risks. Prenatal and perinatal exposure to psychoactive components has been shown in animal research to be associated with long-term effects on neural systems relevant to psychiatric and substance use disorders. The long-term molecular, epigenetic, electrophysiological, and behavioral consequences of prenatal and perinatal exposure to cannabis are discussed in this article. Animal and human studies, as well as in vivo neuroimaging methods, are used to provide insights into the changes induced in the brain by cannabis. Here, based on the literature from both animal models and humans, it can be concluded that prenatal cannabis exposure alters the developmental route of several neuronal regions with correlated functional consequences evidenced as changes in social behavior and executive functions throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Motamedi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Reza Saboori Amleshi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Behnoush Akbari Javar
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Health Foresight and Innovation Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Parisa Shams
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Kristi A Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Lei A, Breit KR, Thomas JD. Prenatal alcohol and tetrahydrocannabinol exposure: Effects on spatial and working memory. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1192786. [PMID: 37383100 PMCID: PMC10293645 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1192786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Alcohol and cannabis are widely used recreational drugs that can negatively impact fetal development, leading to cognitive impairments. However, these drugs may be used simultaneously and the effects of combined exposure during the prenatal period are not well understood. Thus, this study used an animal model to investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to ethanol (EtOH), Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or the combination on spatial and working memory. Methods Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to vaporized ethanol (EtOH; 68 ml/h), THC (100 mg/ml), the combination, or vehicle control during gestational days 5-20. Adolescent male and female offspring were evaluated using the Morris water maze task to assess spatial and working memory. Results Prenatal THC exposure impaired spatial learning and memory in female offspring, whereas prenatal EtOH exposure impaired working memory. The combination of THC and EtOH did not exacerbate the effects of either EtOH or THC, although subjects exposed to the combination were less thigmotaxic, which might represent an increase in risk-taking behavior. Discussion Our results highlight the differential effects of prenatal exposure to THC and EtOH on cognitive and emotional development, with substance- and sex-specific patterns. These findings highlight the potential harm of THC and EtOH on fetal development and support public health policies aimed at reducing cannabis and alcohol use during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Lei
- Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kristen R. Breit
- Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer D. Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
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Dow-Edwards D, Torres-Reveron A. Psychopharmacology across the Lifespan. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 222:173494. [PMID: 36410608 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Dow-Edwards
- State University of New York, Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
| | - Annelyn Torres-Reveron
- Sur180 Therapeutics, McAllen, TX, USA; Adjunct Faculty at Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, PR, USA
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