Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rat Models of Prenatal and Adolescent Cannabis Exposure

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Psychiatric Disorders

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 829))

Abstract

Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) is the illicit drug most commonly used by two vulnerable populations relevant to neurodevelopment—pregnant women and teenagers. Human longitudinal studies have linked prenatal and adolescent cannabis exposure with long-term behavioral abnormalities as well as increased vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders in adulthood. Animal models provide a means of studying the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these long-term effects. This chapter provides an overview of the animal models we have used to study the developmental impact of cannabis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. SAMHSA, Results from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2007, Rockville, MD: Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-32, DHHS Publication No. SMA 07-4293

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lozano, J., et al. (2007) Prevalence of gestational exposure to cannabis in a Mediterranean city by meconium analysis. Acta Paediatr. 96, 1734–7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. El Marroun, H., et al. (2008) Demographic, emotional and social determinants of cannabis use in early pregnancy: The Generation R study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 98, 218–26

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fergusson, D.M., L.J. Horwood, and K. Northstone (2002) Maternal use of cannabis and pregnancy outcome. Bjog. 109, 21–7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Williamson, S., et al. (2006) Determination of the prevalence of drug misuse by meconium analysis. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 91, F291–2

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pertwee, R.G. (2008) The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids: delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin. Br J Pharmacol. 153, 199–215

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hurd, Y.L., et al. (2005) Marijuana impairs growth in mid-gestation fetuses. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 27, 221–9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Day, N.L., et al. (1994) Alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco: effects of prenatal exposure on offspring growth and morphology at age six. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 18, 786–94

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fried, P.A. (1995) Prenatal exposure to marihuana and tobacco during infancy, early and middle childhood: effects and an attempt at synthesis. Arch Toxicol Suppl. 17, 233–60

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Fried, P.A. and B. Watkinson (2001) Differential effects on facets of attention in adolescents prenatally exposed to cigarettes and marihuana. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 23, 421–30

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Arseneault, L., et al. (2002) Cannabis use in adolescence and risk for adult psychosis: longitudinal prospective study. Bmj. 325, 1212–3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Patton, G.C., et al. (2002) Cannabis use and mental health in young people: cohort study. Bmj. 325, 1195–8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Richardson, G.A., N.L. Day, and L. Goldschmidt (1995) Prenatal alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use: infant mental and motor development. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 17, 479–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Huizink, A.C. and E.J. Mulder (2006) Maternal smoking, drinking or cannabis use during pregnancy and neurobehavioral and cognitive functioning in human offspring. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 30, 24–41

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Kandel, D.B. (2003) Does marijuana use cause the use of other drugs? Jama. 289, 482–3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Porath, A.J. and P.A. Fried (2005) Effects of prenatal cigarette and marijuana exposure on drug use among offspring. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 27, 267–77. Epub 2005 Jan 8

    Google Scholar 

  17. Rice, D. and S. Barone, Jr. (2000) Critical periods of vulnerability for the developing nervous system: evidence from humans and animal models. Environ Health Perspect. 108 Suppl 3, 511–33

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Charmandari, E., et al. (2003) Pediatric stress: hormonal mediators and human development. Horm Res. 59, 161–79

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Arseneault, L., et al. (2002) Cannabis use in adolescence and risk for adult psychosis: longitudinal prospective study. Bmj. 325, 1212–3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Fergusson, D.M., L.J. Horwood, and N.R. Swain-Campbell (2003) Cannabis dependence and psychotic symptoms in young people. Psychol Med. 33, 15–21

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. van Os, J., et al. (2002) Cannabis use and psychosis: a longitudinal population-based study. Am J Epidemiol. 156, 319–27

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Green, A.I., et al. (2004) First episode schizophrenia-related psychosis and substance use disorders: acute response to olanzapine and haloperidol. Schizophr Res. 66, 125–35

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Veen, N.D., et al. (2004) Cannabis use and age at onset of schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 161, 501–6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lynskey, M.T., et al. (2003) Escalation of drug use in early-onset cannabis users vs co-twin controls. J.A.M.A. 289, 427–433

    Google Scholar 

  25. Fergusson, D.M. and L.J. Horwood (2000) Does cannabis use encourage other forms of illicit drug use? Addiction. 95, 505–520

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Agrawal, A., et al. (2004) A twin study of early cannabis use and subsequent use and abuse/dependence of other illicit drugs. Psychol Med. 34, 1227–37

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Clancy, B., et al. (2007) Web-based method for translating neurodevelopment from laboratory species to humans. Neuroinformatics. 5, 79–94

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Muhuri, P.K. and J.C. Gfroerer (2009) Substance use among women: associations with pregnancy, parenting, and race/ethnicity. Matern Child Health J. 13, 376–85

    Google Scholar 

  29. Izzo, A.A., et al. (2009) Non-psychotropic plant cannabinoids: new therapeutic opportunities from an ancient herb. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 30, 515–27

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mechoulam, R. and L. Hanus (2000) A historical overview of chemical research on cannabinoids. Chem Phys Lipids. 108, 1–13

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Mechoulam, R., et al. (2007) Cannabidiol – recent advances. Chemistry & biodiversity. 4, 1678–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Pertwee, R.G. (2008) The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids: delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin. British Journal of Pharmacology. 153, 199–215

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Turner, C.E., M.A. Elsohly, and E.G. Boeren (1980) Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. XVII. A review of the natural constituents. J Nat Prod. 43, 169–234

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Ren, Y., et al. (2009) Cannabidiol, a nonpsychotropic component of cannabis, inhibits cue-induced heroin seeking and normalizes discrete mesolimbic neuronal disturbances. J Neurosci. 29, 14764–9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Garcia-Gil, L., et al. (1999) Cannabinoid receptor binding and mRNA levels in several brain regions of adult male and female rats perinatally exposed to delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Drug Alcohol Depend. 55, 127–36

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Navarro, M., et al. (1994) Motor behavior and nigrostriatal dopaminergic activity in adult rats perinatally exposed to cannabinoids. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 47, 47–58

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Perez-Rosado, A., et al. (2002) Changes in prodynorphin and POMC gene expression in several brain regions of rat fetuses prenatally exposed to Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol. Neurotox Res. 4, 211–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Rodriguez de Fonseca, F., et al. (1991) Effects of pre- and perinatal exposure to hashish extracts on the ontogeny of brain dopaminergic neurons. Neuroscience. 43, 713–23

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Spano, M.S., et al. (2007) Prenatal cannabis exposure increases heroin seeking with allostatic changes in limbic enkephalin systems in adulthood. Biol Psychiatry. 61, 554–63

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Vela, G., et al. (1998) Maternal exposure to delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol facilitates morphine self-administration behavior and changes regional binding to central mu opioid receptors in adult offspring female rats. Brain research. 807, 101–9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Walters, D.E. and L.A. Carr (1986) Changes in brain catecholamine mechanisms following perinatal exposure to marihuana. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 25, 763–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Walters, D.E. and L.A. Carr (1988) Perinatal exposure to cannabinoids alters neurochemical development in rat brain. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 29, 213–6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Galler, J.R. and G. Turkewitz (1975) Variability of the effects of rearing in a large litter on the development of the rat. Dev Psychobiol. 8, 325–31

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Heggeness, F.W., et al. (1961) Weight gains of overnourished and undernourished preweanling rats. J Nutr. 75, 39–44

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Kumaresan, P., R.R. Anderson, and C.W. Turner (1966) Effect of litter size upon milk yield and litter weight gains in rats. Rev Tuberc Pneumol (Paris). 30, 41–5

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Widdowson, E.M. and C.R. Mc (1960) Some effects of accelerating growth. I. General somatic development. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 152, 188–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Jen, K.C., F. Wehmer, and J. Morofski (1978) Effects of undernutrition and litter size on material variables and pup development. Dev Psychobiol. 11, 279–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Nagy, Z.M., K.J. Porada, and J.A. Anderson (1977) Undernutrition by rearing in large litters delays the development of reflexive, locomotor, and memory processes in mice. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 91, 682–96

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Alleva, E., A. Caprioli, and G. Laviola (1989) Litter gender composition affects maternal behavior of the primiparous mouse dam (Mus musculus). J Comp Psychol. 103, 83–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Spear, L.P. (2000) The adolescent brain and age-related behavioral manifestations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 24, 417–63

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Andersen, S.L. (2003) Trajectories of brain development: point of vulnerability or window of opportunity? Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 27, 3–18

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Ellgren, M., et al. (2008) Dynamic changes of the endogenous cannabinoid and opioid mesocorticolimbic systems during adolescence: THC effects. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 18, 826–34

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Ellgren, M., S.M. Spano, and Y.L. Hurd (2007) Adolescent cannabis exposure alters opiate intake and opioid limbic neuronal populations in adult rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 32, 607–15

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Wang, X., et al. (2006) Discrete opioid gene expression impairment in the human fetal brain associated with maternal marijuana use. Pharmacogenomics J. 6, 255–64

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Zuckerman, B., et al. (1989) Effects of maternal marijuana and cocaine use on fetal growth. N Engl J Med. 320, 762–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacology & Systems Therapeutics, and Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Jennifer A. DiNieri & Yasmin L. Hurd

Authors
  1. Jennifer A. DiNieri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yasmin L. Hurd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yasmin L. Hurd .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, S. Newell Dr. 100, Gainesville, 32610, Florida, USA

    Firas H. Kobeissy

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

DiNieri, J.A., Hurd, Y.L. (2012). Rat Models of Prenatal and Adolescent Cannabis Exposure. In: Kobeissy, F. (eds) Psychiatric Disorders. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 829. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-458-2_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-458-2_14

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-457-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-458-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation