London: Maternal consumption of cannabinoids for pain relief during pregnancy can cause behavioural and neuronal deficits in males during adulthood, while females remain unaffected, says new research. The study, conducted over rats, revealed that males exposed to cannabinoids while in the uterus were less sociable than normal animals, and spent less time interacting with others. Their sniffing and playing behaviours were impaired, while the number of attacks among males remained unchanged.
In addition, the researchers saw that the exposed males had a heightened excitability of pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex. However, none of these effects were seen in females. “As cannabinoids can cross the placenta, they may interfere with foetal endocannabinoid signalling during neurodevelopment, which is involved in regulating a variety of processes such as pregnancy, appetite, pain sensation, and mediating the pharmacological effects of cannabis,” said Olivier Manzoni, Research Director from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in Paris. “This could in turn lead to some serious long-term deficits,” Manzoni added. (IANS)