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CC BY-ND V4.0, Open Access
Dissertation
CLASSIFICATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC NEURONAL, APPETITIVE BEHAVIORS, AND GENETIC EFFECTS OF CANNABIS USE IN LABORATORY RAT AND MOUSE
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
07/2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006980
Abstract
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance nationwide and continues to become more frequently used. Additionally, it is well established that cannabis promotes appetite, the mechanisms of which are still being uncovered. This dissertation details the appetitive and hypothalamic effects of cannabis usage, both acutely and chronically. A novel vapor chamber apparatus was utilized to passively deliver vaporized cannabis plant matter, both low and high Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), to mice and rats. After acute exposure, rats were monitored for locomotor changes, appetite changes, metabolic changes, and motivated behavior changes, which revealed cannabis significantly increased food intake and altered feeding patterns. Additionally, locomotor behavior was altered in a food-centric fashion in rats housed in their home cage but not in an open field in mice or rats. Separately, in mice, utilization of a higher concentration Δ9-THC and CBD cannabis plant halved the amount needed to produce an increase in food consumption. Interestingly, in cannabis-exposed mice, novel populations of neurons were activated during food anticipation and food consumption in the mediobasal hypothalamus under acute and chronic conditions. Lastly, prolonged cannabis exposure altered differentially expressed alternative polyadenylation sites in the hypothalamus in gene transcripts associated with synaptic organization, glutamate, and opioid signaling. The results of my dissertation indicate short- and long-term changes associated with cannabis use in the hypothalamus that alter food motivated behavior, food consumption, and neuronal signaling. These results provide valuable information on the effects of long-term cannabis use, which is necessary for those using cannabis for medicinal purposes.
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Details
- Title
- CLASSIFICATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC NEURONAL, APPETITIVE BEHAVIORS, AND GENETIC EFFECTS OF CANNABIS USE IN LABORATORY RAT AND MOUSE
- Creators
- Emma C. Wheeler
- Contributors
- Zhihua Jiang (Chair)Jon F Davis (Committee Member)Min Du (Committee Member)Michael Phelps (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Animal Sciences
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 205
- Identifiers
- 99901136941401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation