Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) Induce Neurogenesis and Improve Cognitive Performances of Male Sprague Dawley Rats

Neurogenesis is influenced by various external factors such as enriched environments. Some researchers had postulated that neurogenesis has contributed to the hippocampal learning and memory. This project was designed to observe the effect of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆ 9 -THC) in cognitive perf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neurotoxicity research 2018-02, Vol.33 (2), p.402-411
Main Authors: Suliman, Noor Azuin, Taib, Che Norma Mat, Moklas, Mohamad Aris Mohd, Basir, Rusliza
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Brain - drug effects
Brain - metabolism
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - metabolism
Cell Biology
Cognition - drug effects
Dronabinol - pharmacology
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - metabolism
Hippocampus - drug effects
Male
Maze Learning - drug effects
Memory - drug effects
Nestin - metabolism
Neurobiology
Neurochemistry
Neurogenesis - drug effects
Neurology
Neurosciences
Original
Original Article
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Summary:Neurogenesis is influenced by various external factors such as enriched environments. Some researchers had postulated that neurogenesis has contributed to the hippocampal learning and memory. This project was designed to observe the effect of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆ 9 -THC) in cognitive performance that influenced by the neurogenesis. Different doses of ∆ 9 -THC were used for observing the neurogenesis mechanism occurs in the hippocampus of rats. The brains were stained with antibodies, namely BrdU, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), nestin, doublecortin (DCX) and class III β-tubulin (TuJ-1). The cognitive test was used novel-object discrimination test (NOD) while the proteins involved, DCX and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), were measured. Throughout this study, ∆ 9 -THC enhanced the markers involved in all stages of neurogenesis mechanism. Simultaneously, the cognitive behaviour of rat also showed improvement in learning and memory functions observed in behavioural test and molecular perspective. Administration of ∆ 9 -THC was observed to enhance the neurogenesis in the brain, especially in hippocampus thus improved the cognitive function of rats.
ISSN:1029-8428
1476-3524
DOI:10.1007/s12640-017-9806-x