Maternal or Paternal Exposure to Cannabinoids Affects Central Neurotransmitter Levels and Reproductive Function in Male Offspring

Abstract

A single prenatal exposure to cannabinol or cannabidiol reduced brain norepinephrine and dopamine and hypothalamic NE concentrations, but increased brain levels of serotonin and its metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. In addition, testicular testosterone concentrations and seminal vesicles weights were reduced in animals exposed to CBN. In contrast, seminal vesicles weights were increased in CBD-exposed males. Prenatal exposure to the major psychoactive component of marihuana, δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on one of the last four days of gestation did not affect these parameters.The F1 male offspring of male mice treated with CBN, CBD, or THC presented evidence of reduced fertility and testicular chromosomal abnormalities. In addition, two of the F1 male offspring of the THC-treated mice sired litters containing pups with severe congenital malformations.These findings indicate that maternal or paternal exposure to cannabinoids can influence developmental and reproductive functions in offspring. Thus, cannabinoids appear to be both mutagenic and teratogenic in mice.KeywordsLuteinizing HormoneMale OffspringGonadal SteroidAdult Male MouseCholesterol EsteraseThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.