PubMed: Acute effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on neuromuscular transmission and locomotive behaviours in larval zebrafish

J Neurophysiol. 2023 Mar 8. doi: 10.1152/jn.00438.2022. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Given the increasing trend of cannabis use for recreational and therapeutic purposes, a comprehensive examination of cannabis effects is warranted. The principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is a potent disrupter of neurodevelopment. Nevertheless, the impact of acute exposure to THC on developing motor systems is not well-investigated. In this study, using a neurophysiological whole-cell patch clamp approach we demonstrated that a 30 min exposure to THC can alter spontaneous synaptic activities at neuromuscular junctions of 5-day post-fertilized zebrafish. An increased frequency of synaptic activity and altered decay kinetic properties were documented in the THC-treated larvae. Locomotive behaviours, including swimming activity rate and C-start escape response to sound were also affected by THC. While the THC-treated larvae displayed hyperactivity of their basal swimming levels, their escape response rate to sound stimuli was reduced. These findings suggest that the acute exposure to THC can disrupt neuromuscular transmission and locomotor-driven responses in developing zebrafish.

PMID:36883767 | DOI:10.1152/jn.00438.2022