Chronic cannabinoid administration to periadolescent rats modulates the metabolic response to acute cocaine in the adult brain.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze brain metabolic response to acute cocaine in male and female Wistar rats with or without a history of cannabinoid exposure during periadolescence.


METHODS
The synthetic cannabinoid agonist CP 55,940 (CP) or its vehicle (VH), were administered to male and female rats during periadolescence. When these animals reached adulthood, saline and cocaine-induced changes in 2-deoxy-2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-D-: glucose (FDG) uptake were studied by positron emission tomography.


RESULTS
The baseline (post-saline) metabolism in the septal nuclei was higher in CP-females than in VH-females, although septal metabolism was lower in CP-females after cocaine, reaching similar values to those of VH-females at baseline. Cocaine did not affect metabolism in VH-females. Periadolescent cannabinoid treatment did not influence baseline metabolism in males although cocaine reduced the FDG uptake in the dorsal striatum of males that received the VH but not CP.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that cannabinoids during periadolescence modify baseline and cocaine-evoked brain metabolism in a sex-dependent manner. In the case of CP-females, the involvement of septal metabolic alterations in their susceptibility to the rewarding effects of cocaine should be further investigated.
Higuera-Matas
Alejandro
A
Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal nº10, 28040, Madrid, Spain. ahigueras@bec.uned.es.|Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain. ahigueras@bec.uned.es.
Soto-Montenegro
Maria Luisa
ML
Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.|CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain.
Montoya
Gonzalo L
GL
Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal nº10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.|Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
García-Vázquez
Verónica
V
CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain.
Pascau
Javier
J
Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
Miguéns
Miguel
M
Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal nº10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
Del Olmo
Nuria
N
Department of Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, School of Pharmacy, CEU University, Madrid, Spain.
Vaquero
Juan José
JJ
Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
García-Lecumberri
Carmen
C
Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal nº10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
Desco
Manuel
M
Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.|CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain.
Ambrosio
Emilio
E
Psychobiology Department, School of Psychology, UNED, C/Juan del Rosal nº10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D002186:Cannabinoids; D003042:Cocaine