2023/10/20 by María Andrea Arnanz, Samuel Ruiz de Martı́n Esteban, Ana M. Martínez-Relimpio +4 · 1 voice
Medicine · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research #Biochemical effects in animals #GABA and Rice Research
paper · doi:10.1089/can.2023.0101
openalex publication_date 2023/10/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/16
Background: There is an urgent need for novel therapies to treat Alzheimer's disease. Among others, the use of cannabinoids such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) has been proposed as a putative approach based on their anti-inflammatory effects. Methods: The present work was designed to explore the effects of chronic (28 days) treatment with low doses of cannabinoids: CBD (0.273 mg/kg), THC (0.205 mg/kg) or a combination of both (CBD:THC; 0.273 mg/kg:0.205 mg/kg) in the 5xFAD mouse model of AD. Results: Our data revealed that THC-treated 5xFAD mice (but not other treatment groups) exhibited anxiogenic and depressant-like behavior. A significant improvement in spatial memory was observed only in the CBD:THC-treated group. Interestingly, all cannabinoid-treated groups showed significantly increased cortical levels of the insoluble form of beta amyloid 1-42. These effects were not accompanied by changes in molecular parameters of inflammation at the mRNA or protein level. Conclusions: These data reveal differential effects of chronic, low-dose cannabinoids and point to a role of these cannabinoids in the processing of amyloid peptides in the brains of 5xFAD mice.