title: Improved Social Interaction, Recognition and Working Memory with Cannabidiol Treatment in a Prenatal Infection (poly I:C) Rat Model.
abstract: Neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia are associated with cognitive impairment, including learning, memory and attention deficits. Antipsychotic drugs are limited in their efficacy to improve cognition; therefore, new therapeutic agents are required. Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating component of cannabis, has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antipsychotic-like properties; however, its ability to improve the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia remains unclear. Using a prenatal infection model, we examined the effect of chronic CBD treatment on cognition and social interaction. Time-mated pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (n=16) were administered polyinosinic-polycytidilic acid (poly I:C) (POLY; 4 mg/kg) or saline (CONT) at gestation day 15. Male offspring (PN56) were injected twice daily with 10 mg/kg CBD (CONT+CBD, POLY+CBD; n=12 per group) or vehicle (VEH; CONT+VEH, POLY+VEH; n=12 per group) for 3 weeks. Body weight, food and water intake was measured weekly. The Novel Object Recognition and rewarded T-maze alternation tests assessed recognition and working memory, respectively, and the social interaction test assessed sociability. POLY+VEH offspring exhibited impaired recognition and working memory, and reduced social interaction compared to CONT+VEH offspring (p<0.01). CBD treatment significantly improved recognition, working memory and social interaction deficits in the poly I:C model (p<0.01 vs POLY+VEH), did not affect total body weight gain, food or water intake, and had no effect in control animals (all p>0.05). In conclusion, chronic CBD administration can attenuate the social interaction and cognitive deficits induced by prenatal poly I:C infection. These novel findings present interesting implications for potential use of CBD in treating the cognitive deficits and social withdrawal of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.|Centre for Medical and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Ashleigh L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5222-5637
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Solowij
authors.affiliation: Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.|Centre for Medical and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.|Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Ilijana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.affiliation: Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.|Centre for Medical and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Xu-Feng
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5895-2253
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.|Centre for Medical and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weston-Green
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002185:Cannabidiol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D023421:Models, Animal; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002185:Cannabidiol; D011070:Poly I-C