Does Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Influence Offspring Development and Reproductive Outcomes?

MIRÓN GRANESE, AYELEN AIXA; MARVALDI, CAROLINA; AISEMBERG, JULIETA; CORREA, FERNANDO; SEDAN, DANIELA ; ANDRINOLO, DARIO ; FRANCHI, ANA MARIA; WOLFSON, MANUEL LUIS

Mar del Plata

Congreso; Reunion anual de sociedades de biociencias; 2023

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clinica

Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug worldwide, especially among people ofreproductive age. Its biological effects are mediated by the endocannabinoid system (eCS),which is a complex lipid signaling system composed of the endogenous ligand, theirreceptors (CB1 and CB2), and their biosynthesizing and catabolizing enzymes. The mainpsychoactive component of Cannabis sativa is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a highly lipidsoluble molecule that can cross the placenta and the blood-brain barrier with ease,accumulating in fetal tissues, particularly the brain.Several studies have shown that the eCS plays an important role in reproduction, from eggfertilization to parturition. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether prenatalcannabis exposure is associated with adverse effects throughout pregnancy and offspringbehavioral and cognitive development. We administered THC oil (0,3 μg/μl) intragastricallysince day 1 (vaginal plug observation) until the day before the onset of labor. We analyzeddifferent gestation parameters and observed that THC mice presented lower reproductiveefficiency (36.9%) than vehicle (57.2%) and control mice (71.4%). We also observed thatpregnant mice treated with THC presented lower body weight on day 16 of gestation vsvehicle and control. This trend persisted during lactation. However, no differences werefound on offspring physical development parameters (body weight, pinnae detachment,incisor eruption and eye opening). Additionally, we observed increased mortality of the pupsin the first week of life exclusively within the THC group.We performed behavioral tests when the offspring reached adulthood and found differencesin the THC-exposed group when compared to vehicle and control mice.In conclusion, our results suggest that chronic use of cannabis oil with high THC contentduring pregnancy could potentially lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes.