Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2020
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery
First Advisor
Nicole Ashpole
Second Advisor
Kristie Willett
Third Advisor
Jason Paris
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Exposure to cannabinoids during critical development periods has increased with epileptic children being commonly prescribed CBD for seizures and pregnant women taking it recreationally. Many studies have been done on the possible benefits and drawbacks of cannabinoid exposure on the human brain, but not much is known about how it can affect the developing brain long-term. To see the potential adverse effects of cannabinoid exposure during critical stages of development and discover potential developmental origins of disease in consuming cannabinoids during embryogenesis, zebrafish embryos (6-96 hours post fertilization) were exposed to varying concentrations of CBD (0.02, 0.1, 0.5 µM), THC (0.08, 0.4, 2 µM) and a control (0.05% DMSO). Exposed parents (F0) were bred to produce an F1 generation to see if effects were cross-generational. Effects of aging were assessed 30 months after exposure. As zebrafish age, increased incidents of kyphosis are observed as well as decreased physical activity. The aged male fish exposed to 0.1 µM CBD during embryogenesis rotated significantly more times than the aged control male fish, demonstrating a significant deviation from the expected age-related change. These changes were not observed in the female fish or at any other experimental concentration of CBD or THC. Furthermore, the aged male fish treated with 0.4 µM THC swam with significantly more mobility than the aged control male fish, showing a significant deviation in mobility from the expected age-related change in aged fish. This was not observed in the female fish or at any other experimental concentration of CBD or THC. Exposure to THC and CBD during embryogenesis did not significantly alter the expected increase in kyphosis in aged males or females, despite a visual trend of reduced curvature as concentrations of both cannabinoids decreased. These findings demonstrate that exposure to cannabinoids during critical development periods can cause significant effects on the long term health of zebrafish.
Recommended Citation
Faruque, Anika, "Impacts of Embryonic Exposure to Cannabidiol or ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Frailty in F0 and F1 Generations" (2020). Honors Theses. 1512.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1512
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