CBD Reversed Seizure Worsening Caused by Chronic Nicotine Pouch Use in Mice
Chronic nicotine pouch exposure worsened seizures and brain inflammation in mice, but inhaled CBD reversed nearly all of these effects.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Seven days of nicotine pouch exposure significantly worsened seizure severity, raised brain inflammation markers (IL-6, HMGB1), and impaired the brain's waste-clearance system in mice. Inhaled CBD reversed seizure severity, restored brain water channels, and normalized inflammatory markers.
Key Numbers
Acute nicotine transiently reduced seizure severity; chronic exposure significantly worsened it; CBD restored AQP4 (water channel) expression, normalized IL-6 and HMGB1 levels, and reduced c-FOS protein expression
How They Did This
Mice received acute or 7-day chronic nicotine pouch exposure before seizures were chemically induced. Researchers measured seizure severity, brain inflammation markers, neuronal activation, and glymphatic (brain waste clearance) function. CBD was delivered via inhalation.
Why This Research Matters
Nicotine pouches are surging in popularity, especially among young people, with unknown neurological consequences. This study suggests chronic use may increase seizure vulnerability through brain inflammation and impaired waste clearance, while CBD may counteract these specific pathways.
The Bigger Picture
The rapid adoption of nicotine pouches has outpaced safety research. If chronic nicotine pouch use does increase seizure risk in humans, CBD's demonstrated ability to reverse these effects in mice could point toward protective strategies.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Mouse model may not translate to humans, chemically induced seizures differ from naturally occurring epilepsy, short exposure duration (7 days), nicotine pouch dosing may not reflect human use patterns
Questions This Raises
- ?Do nicotine pouches pose seizure risks in humans with epilepsy?
- ?Would longer nicotine exposure produce even greater effects?
- ?What CBD dose and timing would be needed for human neuroprotection?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Inhaled CBD reversed chronic nicotine's seizure-worsening effects and restored brain waste clearance
- Evidence Grade:
- Single animal study using chemically induced seizures; first to examine nicotine pouch effects on seizure vulnerability
- Study Age:
- Published 2025
- Original Title:
- Protective Role of CBD Against Nicotine Pouch-Induced Seizure Aggravation and Alterations in Brain Glymphatic Biomarkers.
- Published In:
- Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (2025)
- Authors:
- Bhandari, Bidhan(3), Naeini, Sahar Emami(2), Rogers, Hannah M(3), Alhashim, Abdullah Hassan, Yu, Jack C, Seyyedi, Mohammad, Young, Nancy, El-Marakby, Ahmed, Salles, Évila Lopes, Wang, Lei P, Baban, Babak
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06059
Evidence Hierarchy
Tests effects in animals (usually mice or rats), not humans.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can nicotine pouches increase seizure risk?
In mice, 7 days of nicotine pouch exposure significantly worsened chemically induced seizures and disrupted the brain's waste clearance system. Whether this applies to humans is unknown.
How did CBD protect against nicotine-related seizures in this study?
Inhaled CBD reversed the seizure worsening by normalizing brain inflammation markers (IL-6, HMGB1), restoring water channel expression (AQP4), and reducing neuronal overactivation.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- CBD-oil-quality-guide
- anxiety-medication-after-quitting-weed
- cannabis-chemotherapy-nausea
- cannabis-chronic-pain-research
- cannabis-epilepsy-CBD-Epidiolex
- cbd-anxiety-research-evidence
- cbd-for-weed-withdrawal
- cbd-vs-thc-difference
- medical-benefits-of-cannabis
- quitting-weed-before-surgery
- quitting-weed-medication-interactions
- quitting-weed-pregnancy
- quitting-weed-pregnant
- seniors-older-adults-cannabis-risks-medications
- weed-breastfeeding-THC-breast-milk
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06059APA
Bhandari, Bidhan; Naeini, Sahar Emami; Rogers, Hannah M; Alhashim, Abdullah Hassan; Yu, Jack C; Seyyedi, Mohammad; Young, Nancy; El-Marakby, Ahmed; Salles, Évila Lopes; Wang, Lei P; Baban, Babak. (2025). Protective Role of CBD Against Nicotine Pouch-Induced Seizure Aggravation and Alterations in Brain Glymphatic Biomarkers.. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf253
MLA
Bhandari, Bidhan, et al. "Protective Role of CBD Against Nicotine Pouch-Induced Seizure Aggravation and Alterations in Brain Glymphatic Biomarkers.." Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf253
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Protective Role of CBD Against Nicotine Pouch-Induced Seizur..." RTHC-06059. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/bhandari-2025-protective-role-of-cbd
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.