Mice exposed to high-dose synthetic THC during pregnancy and nursing showed increased anxiety, depressive behavior, cognitive impairment, and greater motivation to drink alcohol in adulthood, with sex-dependent differences.
Researchers studying prenatal cannabis effects and those following the debate over cannabis use during pregnancy.
Offspring showed increased motivation to consume alcohol alongside anxiety and cognitive impairment
What the researchers found
Offspring exposed to dronabinol (10 mg/kg twice daily) from gestational day 5 through postnatal day 21 displayed increased anxiogenic and depressive-like behaviors, cognitive impairment, disrupted reward system function, and increased alcohol consumption motivation at postnatal day 60. Effects varied by sex.
Why it matters
This is one of the first animal models attempting to characterize a comprehensive 'fetal cannabinoid syndrome,' linking prenatal THC exposure to both behavioral and molecular changes in the brain.
The numbers in context
Dronabinol dose: 10 mg/kg twice daily; exposure window: gestational day 5 to postnatal day 21; behavioral testing at postnatal day 60; sex-dependent effects observed
How the study worked
Female C57BL/6J mice received oral dronabinol (10 mg/kg every 12 hours) from gestational day 5 to postnatal day 21. Offspring were separated by sex at weaning and assessed at postnatal day 60.
What this study cannot tell us
The dronabinol dose is very high relative to typical human cannabis use. Results from inbred mouse strains may not translate directly to humans. Only one dose level tested.
How to read the evidence
Single animal study using very high dose. Controlled design but limited translatability.
When this study was published
Published in 2024.
The bigger picture
While human studies show mixed results, this animal model provides a controlled look at what high-dose THC exposure during development might do.
Questions still open
- Do lower, more physiologically relevant THC doses produce similar effects?
- Do the sex-dependent patterns mirror any patterns in human studies?
Common questions
What is 'fetal cannabinoid syndrome'?
Were the doses comparable to human use?
Read the original research
Fetal Cannabinoid Syndrome: Behavioral and Brain Alterations of the Offspring Exposed to Dronabinol during Gestation and Lactation.
International journal of molecular sciences, 25(13)
Citation
Navarro, Daniela; Gasparyan, Ani; Navarrete, Francisco; Manzanares, Jorge. (2024). Fetal Cannabinoid Syndrome: Behavioral and Brain Alterations of the Offspring Exposed to Dronabinol during Gestation and Lactation.. International journal of molecular sciences, 25(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137453
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