Decreased sensitivity in adolescent versus adult rats to the antidepressant-like effects of cannabidiol

Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid with great therapeutic potential in diverse psychiatric disorders; however, its antidepressant potential has been mainly ascertained in adult rats. To compare the antidepressant-like response induced by cannabidiol in adolescent and adult rats and t...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Bis-Humbert, Cristian, García-Cabrerizo, Rubén, García-Fuster, M Julia
Format: article
Publication Date:2020
Country:España
Institution:Conselleria de Salut i Consum del Govern de les Illes Balears
Repository:Docusalut
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:docusalut.com:20.500.13003/21635
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13003/21635
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Neurogenesis
Male
Age Factors
Rats
Animals
Antidepressive Agents
Hippocampus
Swimming
Depression
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Cannabidiol
Natación
Animales
Antidepresivos
Ratas
Ratas Sprague-Dawley
Hipocampo
Factores de Edad
Depresión
Neurogénesis
Masculino
Description
Summary:Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid with great therapeutic potential in diverse psychiatric disorders; however, its antidepressant potential has been mainly ascertained in adult rats. To compare the antidepressant-like response induced by cannabidiol in adolescent and adult rats and the possible parallel modulation of hippocampal neurogenesis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were repeatedly treated with cannabidiol (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg) or vehicle (1 mL/kg) during adolescence (postnatal days, PND 27-33) or adulthood (PND 141-147) and exposed to 3 consecutive tests (forced swim, open field, two-bottle choice) that quantified behavioral despair, anxiety, and sucrose intake respectively. Cannabidiol induced differential effects depending on the age and dose administered, with a decreased sensitivity observed in adolescent rats: (1) cannabidiol (30 mg/kg) decreased body weight only in adult rats; (2) cannabidiol ameliorated behavioral despair in adolescent and adult rats, but with a different dose sensitivity (10 vs. 30 mg/kg), and with a different extent (2 vs. 21 days post-treatment); (3) cannabidiol did not modulate anxiety-like behavior at any dose tested in adolescent or adult rats; and (4) cannabidiol increased sucrose intake in adult rats. Our findings support the notion that cannabidiol exerts antidepressant- and anorexigenic-like effects in adult rats and demonstrate a decreased potential when administered in adolescent rats. Moreover, since cannabidiol did not modulate hippocampal neurogenesis (cell proliferation and early neuronal survival) in adolescent or adult rats, the results revealed potential antidepressant-like effects induced by cannabidiol without the need of regulating hippocampal neurogenesis.