ePoster

Effect of chronic prenatal exposure to vaporized cannabis on the development and functionality of the hippocampus

Andrea Cairus, José Prieto, Nathalia Vitureira
FENS Forum 2024(2024)
Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Conference

FENS Forum 2024

Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Resources

Authors & Affiliations

Andrea Cairus, José Prieto, Nathalia Vitureira

Abstract

Cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with alterations in the neurodevelopment of exposed children, including difficulties in school learning. Although inhalation is the main route of consumption in humans, there are few reports that have attempted to replicate this route for the preclinical study of prenatal exposure. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of chronic prenatal exposure to vaporized cannabis on the development and functionality of the hippocampus of offspring. Pregnant rats were daily exposed to chronic cannabis vaporization or air vaporization (control group) from gestational days 8 to 21. Dissociated hippocampal cultures from the pups (postnatal day 0 or 1) were performed and synaptogenesis and synaptic functionality were analyzed by immunocytochemistry at 7 and 14 days-in-vitro (DIV). Changes in presynaptic function were assessed by measuring the abundance of synaptic vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGlut-1). At 7 DIV, no significant differences were observed in synaptic density or fluorescence intensity associated with synaptic vGlut-1 between cultures from offspring prenatally exposed to cannabis or controls. However, a significant increase in the vGlut-1 fluorescence intensity associated with synaptic vGlut-1 was detected in cultures at 14 DIV, suggesting that presynaptic strength is increased. No changes in synaptic density were observed at 14 DIV. These results suggest that during development the number of synaptic contacts is established appropriately, however, their functionality is affected, which would indicate a specific impairment in the adjustment of synaptic strength over the circuit.

Unique ID: fens-24/effect-chronic-prenatal-exposure-vaporized-42eb9e28