title: A single low dose of tetrahydrocannabinol induces long-term cognitive deficits.
abstract: Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was shown to exert either neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects. Based on our in vitro studies and on pharmacokinetic considerations, we have recently presented a hypothesis that explains this dual activity of THC. This explanation is based on the assumption that extremely low doses of cannabinoids are neurotoxic. The present study verifies this assumption and shows that a single injection of 0.001 mg/kg THC (3-4 orders of magnitude lower than conventional doses) significantly affected the performance of mice in the Morris water maze test 3 weeks later. The THC-injected mice showed both longer escape latencies and lower scores in the probe tests compared to their matched controls, indicating the induction of cognitive deficits.
authors.affiliation: The Mauerberger Chair in Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tselnicker
authors.forename: Ora
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Keren
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hefetz
authors.forename: Chaim G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Pick
authors.forename: Yosef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sarne
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000633:toxicity*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013759:Dronabinol