Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience

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Alterations in Neurons of the Brainstem Due to Administration of Inhaled Tetrahydrocanabinol: A Quantitative Histopathology Study on Rats

Received: 29 December 2016    Accepted: 07 February 2017    Published: 09 March 2017
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Abstract

A Quantitative Histopathology study on rats’ brainstem was used to analyze morphological alterations in the neurons and glial cells of rats that received inhaled tetrahydrocanabinol for 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Puffing of smoke was performed with the use of a Hamilton syringe delivering 100ml puffs at 20s intervals into the nose only manifold. Smoke was first pumped into a 500ml dilution chamber with the aid of a vacuum pump. The smoke was then displaced from the dilution chamber through the nose-only manifold at 300ml/min; the rats received inhaled THC at 5ml/sec for 5 minutes. After administration for varying durations a selective cell staining of the neurons and glial cells in the rat’s pons, medulla and midbrain was carried out and used to study visible morphological changes in the tissues. Sections from the pons, medulla and midbrain were stained on slides for viewing under the microscope and photographed. Quantitative and qualitative histopathology study of photomicrographs was then used to analyze changes in the morphology and number of neurons. There was an increase in the ratio of neuronal cells comparing between the control and the treated groups with the pons (1:8), medulla (1:3) and the midbrain (1:5) which suggests neurogenesis and on further analysis of the slides show evidence of cell division. These findings can be of great importance in the study of neurodegenerative diseases and in understanding the influence of THC on brain.

DOI 10.11648/j.cnn.20170101.13
Published in Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience (Volume 1, Issue 1, February 2017)
Page(s) 8-13
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Neurons, Glial Cells, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Inhalation Treatment, Pons, Medulla, Midbrain, Photomicrography, Brain Stem

References
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[2] Pertwee RG. Cannabinoid receptors and pain. [Review]. Prog Neurobiol 2001; 63: 569–611.
[3] Iversen LL, Chapman V. Cannabinoids: a real prospect for pain relief? [Review]. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2002; 2: 50–5
[4] Ameri, Angela (1999). The effects of cannabinoids on the brain. Progress in Neurobiology, 58, 315-348.
[5] Grilly, David M. (2006). Drugs and human behavior (5th ed.) Boston: Allyn and Bacon, p. 268.
[6] Abood, M., and Martin, B. (1992). Neurobiology of marijuana abuse. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 13, 201-206.
[7] Sarafian Theodore A, Nancy Habib, Michael Oldham, Navindra Seeram, Ru-Po Lee, Laura Lin, Donald P. Tashkin, and Michael D. Roth.(2006) Inhaled marijuana smoke disrupts mitochondrial energetics in pulmonary epithelial cells in vivo: Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 290: xL1202-L1209, 2006. doi:10.1152/ajplung.00371.2005, 1040-0605/06.
[8] Michael L. Smith, Allan J. Barnes and Marilyn A. (2005) Huestis: Tetrahydrocannabinols in clinical and forensic toxicology. Przegl Lek, 2005.
[9] Meraiyebu Ajibola. B, Odeh Samuel. O; (2012) Evaluation of Total Brain Acetylcholine in rats treated with inhaled Tetrahydrocannabinol. (A Bioassay Study). Journal of Natural science research (JNSR) ISSN: 2224-3186 (Paper), ISSN:2225-0921(Online) Vol 2, No. 9, 2012. Institute for science Technology and Education. www.iiste.org
[10] Deon F., Louw Fang W., Yang and Garnette R., Sutherland, (2000). The effect of δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on forebrain ischemia in rat; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Calgary, Foothills Hospital, 1403-29 St. NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 2T9 doi:10.1016/S0014-2999(01)00967-0
[11] Felder C. C., Nielsen A., Briley E. M., (1996). Isolation and measurement of the endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist, anandamide, in brain and peripheral tissues of human and rat. FEBS Lett; 393: 231–5.
[12] Bisogno T., Berrendero F., Ambrosino G., (1999). Brain regional distribution of endocannabinoids: implications for their biosynthesis and biological function. Biochem Biophys Res Commun; 256: 377–80.
[13] Tashkin DP. (2013) Effects of marijuana smoking on the lung. Annals of the American Thoracic Society 2013;10(3):239-247.
[14] Lauren Cox; (2014) Marijuana: Effects of weed on brain and body. Live Science Contributor. LiveScience. (2014) www.livescience.com March 31, 2014.
Author Information
  • Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Bingham University, Karu, Nigeria

  • Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Bingham University, Karu, Nigeria

  • Department of Histopathology, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

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    Meraiyebu Ajibola B., Odeh, Samuel O., Memudu Adejoke Elizabeth, Raymond Vhriterhire. (2017). Alterations in Neurons of the Brainstem Due to Administration of Inhaled Tetrahydrocanabinol: A Quantitative Histopathology Study on Rats. Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience, 1(1), 8-13. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20170101.13

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    Meraiyebu Ajibola B.; Odeh; Samuel O.; Memudu Adejoke Elizabeth; Raymond Vhriterhire. Alterations in Neurons of the Brainstem Due to Administration of Inhaled Tetrahydrocanabinol: A Quantitative Histopathology Study on Rats. Clin. Neurol. Neurosci. 2017, 1(1), 8-13. doi: 10.11648/j.cnn.20170101.13

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    AMA Style

    Meraiyebu Ajibola B., Odeh, Samuel O., Memudu Adejoke Elizabeth, Raymond Vhriterhire. Alterations in Neurons of the Brainstem Due to Administration of Inhaled Tetrahydrocanabinol: A Quantitative Histopathology Study on Rats. Clin Neurol Neurosci. 2017;1(1):8-13. doi: 10.11648/j.cnn.20170101.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.cnn.20170101.13,
      author = {Meraiyebu Ajibola B. and Odeh and Samuel O. and Memudu Adejoke Elizabeth and Raymond Vhriterhire},
      title = {Alterations in Neurons of the Brainstem Due to Administration of Inhaled Tetrahydrocanabinol: A Quantitative Histopathology Study on Rats},
      journal = {Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience},
      volume = {1},
      number = {1},
      pages = {8-13},
      doi = {10.11648/j.cnn.20170101.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cnn.20170101.13},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cnn.20170101.13},
      abstract = {A Quantitative Histopathology study on rats’ brainstem was used to analyze morphological alterations in the neurons and glial cells of rats that received inhaled tetrahydrocanabinol for 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Puffing of smoke was performed with the use of a Hamilton syringe delivering 100ml puffs at 20s intervals into the nose only manifold. Smoke was first pumped into a 500ml dilution chamber with the aid of a vacuum pump. The smoke was then displaced from the dilution chamber through the nose-only manifold at 300ml/min; the rats received inhaled THC at 5ml/sec for 5 minutes. After administration for varying durations a selective cell staining of the neurons and glial cells in the rat’s pons, medulla and midbrain was carried out and used to study visible morphological changes in the tissues. Sections from the pons, medulla and midbrain were stained on slides for viewing under the microscope and photographed. Quantitative and qualitative histopathology study of photomicrographs was then used to analyze changes in the morphology and number of neurons. There was an increase in the ratio of neuronal cells comparing between the control and the treated groups with the pons (1:8), medulla (1:3) and the midbrain (1:5) which suggests neurogenesis and on further analysis of the slides show evidence of cell division. These findings can be of great importance in the study of neurodegenerative diseases and in understanding the influence of THC on brain.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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    AB  - A Quantitative Histopathology study on rats’ brainstem was used to analyze morphological alterations in the neurons and glial cells of rats that received inhaled tetrahydrocanabinol for 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Puffing of smoke was performed with the use of a Hamilton syringe delivering 100ml puffs at 20s intervals into the nose only manifold. Smoke was first pumped into a 500ml dilution chamber with the aid of a vacuum pump. The smoke was then displaced from the dilution chamber through the nose-only manifold at 300ml/min; the rats received inhaled THC at 5ml/sec for 5 minutes. After administration for varying durations a selective cell staining of the neurons and glial cells in the rat’s pons, medulla and midbrain was carried out and used to study visible morphological changes in the tissues. Sections from the pons, medulla and midbrain were stained on slides for viewing under the microscope and photographed. Quantitative and qualitative histopathology study of photomicrographs was then used to analyze changes in the morphology and number of neurons. There was an increase in the ratio of neuronal cells comparing between the control and the treated groups with the pons (1:8), medulla (1:3) and the midbrain (1:5) which suggests neurogenesis and on further analysis of the slides show evidence of cell division. These findings can be of great importance in the study of neurodegenerative diseases and in understanding the influence of THC on brain.
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