Prenatal THC exposure may endanger lifelong health

summary: Recent studies have shown that exposure to THC during pregnancy can have significant effects on fetal development, leading to lifelong health effects on offspring.

The study found that exposure to THC altered the placental and fetal epigenomes, changes consistent with common neurobehavioral conditions such as autism spectrum disorders. This is in addition to growing evidence questioning the perception that cannabis is completely safe, especially during pregnancy.

The researchers hope that these findings will inform public health policy and patient counseling regarding cannabis use.

Important facts:

1. THC exposure during pregnancy alters the placental and fetal epigenomes, causing changes consistent with neurobehavioral conditions such as autism spectrum disorders.
2. The study, conducted in nonhuman primates, found that daily exposure to THC caused profound epigenetic changes in key regions associated with prenatal development, including the placenta and fetal brain, heart, and lungs. seen.
3. The researchers hope that the study can inform and guide public health policy and patient counseling, especially regarding cannabis use during pregnancy.

sauce: Oregon Health & Science University

Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University have shown that THC consumption during pregnancy can affect fetal development, leading to lifelong health effects in offspring.

The preclinical study was published today in the journal clinical epigenetics.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, is becoming more popular and available in the United States.

The prevalence of cannabis use during pregnancy is also growing rapidly, especially during early pregnancy (when the fetus is most vulnerable to environmental exposures) to relieve common symptoms such as morning sickness.

However, the potential effects of prenatal cannabis use on fetal development remain inconclusive, partly due to the lack of safety data.

This study aimed to identify potential long-term health effects of THC use during pregnancy.

OHSU researchers found that exposure of pregnant subjects to THC altered the placental and fetal epigenomes in a non-human primate model. This includes chemical modifications to the DNA responsible for gene regulation and expression, which tells the gene what, where and when to do something. .

The researchers also found that these changes to gene regulation and expression are consistent with changes seen in many common neurobehavioral conditions, including autism spectrum disorders.

“Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs and is widely available across the United States, so there’s a common perception that it’s completely safe to use,” said the study’s lead author, Computational Biologist. Academician Dr. Lindsay Shawley Kendrick said: OHSU He received his PhD in Neuroscience from the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC).

“The reality is that cannabis still poses a number of health risks for certain people, including those who are pregnant. Time allows us to support safe habits.”

In a nonhuman primate model, the researchers administered THC in their daily diet and compared its effects to a group that received a placebo. Specifically, the researchers identified several key areas of healthy prenatal development: the placenta (the disc of tissue that connects the umbilical cord to the uterus), and epigenetic activity in the fetal lung, brain, and heart. evaluated changes.

Focusing on these regions, analysis showed that exposure to THC altered the epigenome. This refers to the process by which information encoded in genes is transformed into a function or observable trait. All genes (parts of DNA) are specifically coded to contribute to different functions of the body and brain, thus reducing the exposure to epigenetic processes caused by drug exposure, especially during critical developmental periods such as pregnancy. I am concerned about the impact.

Researchers have found significant alterations in genes associated with common neurobehavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

These conditions are associated with adverse health effects in childhood and adolescence, including decreased memory and verbal reasoning skills, increased hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness.

The research team, which includes Elliott Spindel, MD, Elinor Sullivan, MD, Owen McCarty, MD, and Jason Hedges, MD, hopes the results of this study will tell us more. We draw on the limited existing literature on THC use during pregnancy to help guide future cannabis-focused patient counseling and public health policy.

“It is not common for health care providers to discuss cannabis use with patients who are pregnant or trying to conceive,” said corresponding author of the study and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology (maternal-fetal medicine) at the OHSU School of Medicine. Dr. Jamie Law, MCR said. MD and Division of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, ONPRC.

“We hope our work will spark a broader dialogue about the risks of cannabis use during the pre-pregnancy and prenatal period, and improve children’s health in the long term.”

Funding: Research reported in this publication was supported by the Reproductive Scientist Development Program, March of Dimes, March of Dimes Foundation, and the Silver Family Innovation Award. This research was also supported by the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and the National Institute on Substance Abuse, award numbers P51 OD011092, K12 HD000849, R03 HD097116, DP1 DA056493. The content is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Note: All research involving animal subjects at OHSU must be reviewed and approved by the university’s Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The priority of IACUC is to ensure the health and safety of animal research subjects. The IACUC will also review procedures to ensure the health and safety of those who work with animals.

The IACUC rigorously reviews all animal research proposals to ensure that they have demonstrated scientific value. Justify the use of live animals and selected species. Outline steps to minimize pain and distress. Document appropriate training for all staff involved. and establish that the proposed study does not unnecessarily duplicate previous studies. OHSU cannot work on live animals without IACUC approval.

About this neurodevelopmental research news

author: Nicole Rideout
sauce: Oregon Health & Science University
contact: Nicole Rideout – Oregon Health & Science University
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News

Original research: open access,
“Prenatal exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is associated with altered DNA methylation in autism gene-enriched rhesus monkeysby Lindsay Shawley Kendrick et al. clinical epigenetics

overview

Prenatal exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is associated with altered DNA methylation in autism gene-enriched rhesus monkeys

Background

The prevalence of cannabis use during pregnancy is increasing rapidly due to the increased availability of cannabis and the prevalence of non-smoking routes of cannabis use, including edibles. However, the potential effects of prenatal cannabis use on fetal developmental programming remain unclear.

result

We designed this study to determine whether edible cannabis use during pregnancy is detrimental to the fetal and placental epigenomes. Pregnant rhesus monkeys were fed daily with food containing either delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (2.5 mg/7 kg/day) or placebo. DNA methylation measured in five caesarean tissues (placenta, lung, cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, right ventricle of the heart) using the Illumina MmethylationEPIC platform and filtering of probes previously validated in rhesus monkeys Did. His exposure to THC in utero was associated with differential methylation at 581 CpGs, 573 (98%) of which were identified in the placenta. For autism spectrum disorder (ASD) candidate genes from the Simmons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) database, all tissues were enriched for loci differentially methylated in THC. Placenta showed the greatest enrichment of SFARI genes, including genes differentially methylated within the placenta from prospective ASD studies.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings suggest that prenatal THC exposure alters placental and fetal DNA methylation of genes involved in neurobehavioral development, which may affect long-term offspring outcomes. making it clear. The data from this study add to the limited existing literature and will guide future patient counseling and public health policies focused on prenatal cannabis use.