Cited by 38Cannabis and Cannabinoid ResearchNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsImmunotoxicology and immune responses

Frequent Low-Dose Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Adolescence Disrupts Microglia Homeostasis and Disables Responses to Microbial Infection and Social Stress in Young Adulthood

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Lee, Hye-Lim, Jung, Kwang-Mook, Fotio, Yannick, Squire, Erica, Palese, Francesca, Lin, Lin, Torrens, Alexa, Ahmed, Faizy +10 more·2022·Biological Psychiatry

Abstract

Background During adolescence, microglia are actively involved in neocortical maturation while concomitantly undergoing profound phenotypic changes. Because the teenage years are also a time of experimentation with cannabis, we evaluated whether adolescent exposure to the drug's psychotropic constituent, Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), might persistently alter microglia function. Methods We administered THC (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) once daily to male and female mice from postnatal day (PND) 30 to PND44 and examined the transcriptome of purified microglia in adult animals (PND70 and PND120) under baseline conditions or following either of two interventions known to recruit microglia: lipopolysaccharide injection and repeated social defeat. We used high-dimensional mass cytometry by time-of-flight to map brain immune cell populations after lipopolysaccharide challenge. Results Adolescent THC exposure produced in mice of both sexes a state of microglial dyshomeostasis that persisted until young adulthood (PND70) but receded with further aging (PND120). Key features of this state included broad alterations in genes involved in microglia homeostasis and innate immunity along with marked impairments in the responses to lipopolysaccharide- and repeated social defeat-induced psychosocial stress. The endocannabinoid system was also dysfunctional. The effects of THC were prevented by coadministration of either a global CB 1 receptor inverse agonist or a peripheral CB 1 neutral antagonist and were not replicated when THC was administered in young adulthood (PND70-84). Conclusions Daily low-intensity CB 1 receptor activation by THC during adolescence may disable critical functions served by microglia until young adulthood with potentially wide-ranging consequences for brain and mental health.

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  • Adolescent cannabis exposure is known to activate microglia, which are responsible for much of the synaptic pruning that reduces gray matter volume during adolescence, potentially leading to unhealthy amounts of synaptic pruning and loss of cortical gray matter.

    “Indeed, ACE is known to activate microglia [118, 119], which are responsible for much of the synaptic pruning that reduces GMV during adolescence [120], potentially leading to unhealthy amounts of synaptic pruning and loss of cortical gray matter [117].”

    From Consequences of adolescent drug use (2023) · cites this paper as [118]

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  1. [80]Masuda T, Sankowski R, Staszewski O, Prinz M. (2020): Microglia Heterogeneity in the Single-Cell Era. Cell Rep. 30(5): 1271– 1281. 32023447

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Authors
Lee, H.-L., Jung, K.-M., Fotio, Y., Squire, E., Palese, F., Lin, L., Torrens, A., Ahmed, F., Mabou Tagne, A., Ramirez, J., Su, S., Wong, C. R., Jung, D. H., Scarfone, V. M., Nguyen, P. U., Wood, M., Green, K., & Piomelli, D.
Affiliations
University of California, Irvine (US)
Corresponding author
Piomelli, Daniele
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-12
Volume
92
Issue
11
Pages
845-860
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4229446974
Cited by
38
References
85
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 2
FWCI
4.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (P50DA044118-01)
  • National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immunotoxicology and immune responses
Keywords
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, adolescent cannabis exposure, microglia, microglial homeostasis, CB1 receptor, endocannabinoid system, lipopolysaccharide challenge, social defeat stress, innate immunity, brain immune cells, neuroinflammation, sex differences, mouse model
MeSH terms
Animals, Female, Homeostasis, Lipopolysaccharides, Male, Gonadal Steroid Hormones, Stress, Psychological, Dronabinol, Microglia, Mice

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