Khadrawy Yasser A, Sawie Hussein G, Abdel-Salam Omar M E, Hosny Eman N
Medical Physiology Department, Medical Division, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
Medical Physiology Department, Medical Division, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
Behav Brain Res. 2017 May 1;324:41-50. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.02.015. Epub 2017 Feb 14.
Cannabis sativa is one of the most widely recreational drugs and its use is more prevalent among depressed patients. Some studies reported that Cannabis has antidepressant effects while others showed increased depressive symptoms in Cannabis users. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the effect of Cannabis extract on the depressive-like rats. Twenty four rats were divided into: control, rat model of depression induced by reserpine and depressive-like rats treated with Cannabis sativa extract (10mg/kg expressed as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The depressive-like rats showed a severe decrease in motor activity as assessed by open field test (OFT). This was accompanied by a decrease in monoamine levels and a significant increase in acetylcholinesterase activity in the cortex and hippocampus. Na,K-ATPase activity increased in the cortex and decreased in the hippocampus of rat model. In addition, a state of oxidative stress was evident in the two brain regions. This was indicated from the significant increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide. No signs of improvement were observed in the behavioral and neurochemical analyses in the depressive-like rats treated with Cannabis extract. Furthermore, Cannabis extract exacerbated the lipid peroxidation in the cortex and hippocampus. According to the present findings, it could be concluded that Cannabis sativa aggravates the motor deficits and neurochemical changes induced in the cortex and hippocampus of rat model of depression. Therefore, the obtained results could explain the reported increase in the depressive symptoms and memory impairment among Cannabis users.
大麻是使用最为广泛的消遣性毒品之一，其在抑郁症患者中的使用更为普遍。一些研究报告称大麻具有抗抑郁作用，而另一些研究则表明大麻使用者的抑郁症状有所增加。因此，本研究旨在探讨大麻提取物对抑郁样大鼠的影响。将24只大鼠分为：对照组、利血平诱导的抑郁大鼠模型组以及用大麻提取物（以Δ9-四氢大麻酚计为10mg/kg）治疗的抑郁样大鼠组。通过旷场试验（OFT）评估发现，抑郁样大鼠的运动活动严重减少。这伴随着单胺水平的降低以及皮质和海马中乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的显著增加。大鼠模型的皮质中钠钾ATP酶活性增加，海马中则降低。此外，在这两个脑区均明显存在氧化应激状态。这表现为脂质过氧化和一氧化氮水平的显著升高。在用大麻提取物治疗的抑郁样大鼠的行为和神经化学分析中未观察到改善迹象。此外，大麻提取物加剧了皮质和海马中的脂质过氧化。根据目前的研究结果，可以得出结论，大麻会加重抑郁大鼠模型皮质和海马中诱导的运动缺陷和神经化学变化。因此，所获得的结果可以解释报告中大麻使用者抑郁症状增加和记忆障碍的现象。
