Project description:Background: The regular use of cannabis by young men has been associated with an increased incidence of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). TGCT, the most common cancer in young adults, is believed to arise from an alteration of testicular fetal germ cells differentiation during development, with a possible subsequent environmental trigger (eg drugs or other chemicals) during puberty or adulthood leading to cancer. Cannabis consumption by pregnant women is currently increasing worldwide, and legalization for its recreational and therapeutic purposes is debated in numerous countries. In this context, we aimed to determine whether cannabis exposure can affect development of the fetal testis. Methods: Since phytocannabinoids act on an endogenous system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), we first investigated these signaling pathways in the human fetal testis, from 6 to 17 developmental weeks. We next investigated the effects of the two main components of cannabis, (−)-Δ9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), on the human fetal testis ex vivo. Results: We show the presence of two key endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA), albeit with lower levels. The human fetal testis also expressed several enzymes and receptors of this signaling pathway. Human fetal testicular explants collected from first trimester were exposed to CBD, THC or CBD/THC [ratio 1:1] at concentrations ranging from 10-7 to 10-5M during 72h to 14 days. Phytocannabinoids treatments affected fetal testicular cell proliferation and viability, as well as testosterone secretion by Leydig cells and AMH secretion by Sertoli cells. Transcriptomic analysis performed by BRB-seq on exposed versus unexposed fetal testis explants showed 187 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), some of which involved in toxic substances response and steroid synthesis. Conclusions: Our study provides the first evidence of the presence of ECS in human fetal testis and support a potential adverse effect of cannabis consumption in pregnant women on the male reproductive function development.
Project description:Increased availability of cannabis and cannabinoid-containing products necessitates the need for understanding how exposure to these compounds can affect development. Using cannabinoid receptor-null zebrafish (cnr1-/- and cnr2-/-), we conducted experiments to assess the roles of these receptors in ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) developmental and behavioral toxicity. THC increased mortality and deformities (pericardial and yolk sac edemas, a reduction in size) in cnr1-/- and cnr2-/- fish. Conversely, CBD-induced malformations and mortality were significantly reduced in the cnr1-/- and cnr2-/- larvae. THC and CBD exposure caused significantly decreased larval behavior (96 hpf), however, decreased distance travelled was protected in the cnr1-/- and cnr2-/- fish, suggesting these receptors are responsible for mediating behavioral toxicity. Transcriptomic profiling in cnr+/+ embryos developmentally exposed to 4 μM THC or 0.5 μM CBD revealed that a significant portion of differentially expressed genes were targets of PPARγ, a predicted upstream regulator. In Cnr-positive embryos, co-exposure to the PPARγ inhibitor GW9662 and THC or CBD, there was increased toxicity compared to exposure with THC or CBD alone. Co-treatment in the cnr2-/- fish with GW9662 did not alter the CBD-induced decrease in activity. However, co-treatment with GW9662 did remove the protective effect observed in cnr1-/- fish treated to CBD alone. Collectively, these results indicate that PPARγ, Cnr1, and Cnr2 all play crucial roles in the developmental toxicity of THC and CBD.
Project description:Cannabis has been used throughout history for medicinal and recreational purposes. The most notable cannabinoids derived from these plants are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although well studied for their therapeutic effects, and highly debated concerning their recreational use, the underlying mechanisms of their biological effects are poorly defined. Here we used isobaric tag-based sample multiplexed proteome profiling to investigate protein abundance differences in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line treated with CBD and THC. We highlighted significantly regulated proteins by each treatment and performed pathway classification and associated protein-protein interaction analysis. Our data suggest that these treatments may result in mitochondrial dysfunction and induce endoplasmic reticulum stress. This dataset can be mined further to investigate the potential role of CBD and THC in various biological and disease contexts and thus provide a foundation for future studies.
Project description:The human glioma cell lines T98G and U87MG were cultured in media alone, with cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or a combination of CBD and THC at different ratios for 4 hours. Cells were then harvested and RNA isolated by Trizol. Total RNA was labelled and hybridised to Illumina Human HT-12v4 arrays.
Project description:The goal of the experiment is to identify gene expression changes in engineered heart tissues (EHT) composed of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells treatered with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or THC with genistein.
Project description:Cannabis is commonly used in pregnancy for symptoms of nausea and pain, especially in the first trimester. Cannabis remains a federally illicit drug in the United States, but local legalization trends have resulted in increased availability and a decreased perception of harm. Unfortunately, limited scientifically rigorous information exists to inform decisions on use. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis) can cross the placenta and bind to cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) on the fetus. Because CB1 receptors are expressed in cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells, this suggests that THC exposure may impact fetal cardiovascular development. To understand this impact, our group used an established rhesus macaque model of chronic edible THC use during pregnancy. Animals were slowly titrated to a heavy THC dose (2.5mg/7kg/day) for 4 months preconception. Dams continued this daily THC dose throughout pregnancy with c-section delivery near term. Our model showed a decreased heart-to-body weight ratio from THC exposure. We examined the underlying changes in this selective fetal growth restriction of the cardiovascular system through tissue, protein, and gene expression analyses. H istological analysis of coronal sections of the heart and cross sections of the aorta showed no changes in collagen expression or maturity. Western blot analysis of collagen III expression showed no changes in left or right ventricle. Elastin expression was also unchanged in the aorta. To assess transcriptional changes, we performed bulk RNA-sequencing of vascular cells in the fetal aorta, umbilical vein, and umbilical artery, which revealed differentially expressed genes involved in metabolism and inflammation. These results suggest potential cardiovascular harm from in utero THC exposure by altering endothelial metabolism and inflammation.
Project description:From fish to human, FOXL2 is considered one of the most conserved markers of ovarian granulosa cell identity. To determine if the sole expression of FOXL2 can determine ovarian differentiation, we created a mouse model that allows the conditional expression of FOXL2. Rosa26-CAG-LSL-Foxl2 mice were crossed to Sf1-Cre mice to induce the expression of FOXL2 in the SF1+ somatic cells of the fetal gonads.When FOXL2 was induced in the somatic cells of the undifferentiated testis, the Sertoli cells and consequently the other cell lineages composing the fetal gonads were feminized, resulting in a partial testis-to-ovary sex reversal We created a mouse genetic model that conditionaly express FOXL2 in the somatic cells of the fetal gonads. All embryos used in this study resulted from the crossing between Rosa26-CAG-LSL-Foxl2+/f and Sf1-cre+/Tg mice. XX and XY fetal gonads were collected at embryonic day E14.5. This microarray analysis led to the identification of the genes misregulated upon ectopic induction of FOXL2 in the fetal testis, and showed that FOXL2 expression resulted in feminization of both somatic and germ cells of the fetal gonad.
Project description:Cannabinoids are known to exert immunosuppressive activities. However, the mechanisms which contribute to these effects are unknown. Using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to activate BV-2 microglial cells, we examined how Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component of marijuana, and cannabidiol (CBD) the non-psychoactive component, modulate the inflammatory response. Microarray analysis of genome-wide mRNA levels was performed using Illumina platform and the resulting expression patterns analyzed using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to identify functional subsets of genes, and the Ingenuity System Database to denote the gene networks regulated by CBD and THC.