Cannabidiol Modulates Neuroinflammatory Markers in a PTSD Model Conducted on Female Rats.

Biomolecules

School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel.

Published: October 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • PTSD is a serious condition often characterized by neuroinflammation, and its prevalence is notably higher in women, with studies suggesting that CBD might be a viable treatment option.
  • In an experiment involving female rats, those subjected to severe stress experienced PTSD-like symptoms; however, daily CBD injections significantly reversed these impairments and improved overall behavior.
  • Analysis of brain tissues revealed that CBD not only reduced anxiety and fear responses but also diminished neuroinflammation in specific brain areas, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic for PTSD.

Article Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating neuropsychiatric condition closely linked to neuroinflammation, with a higher prevalence in women. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, has shown promise as a potential treatment for PTSD. In this study, we used a PTSD model in which female rats were subjected to a severe foot shock followed by contextual situational reminders (SRs). Testing was conducted one month after exposure. The rats received daily CBD injections for three weeks during the SRs, from days 7 to 28. Two days after the final SR, the rats underwent five extinction trials, followed by the forced swim test (FST). After a five-day rest period, the rats were sacrificed, and brain tissues from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ventral subiculum (vSUB) were analyzed for inflammatory markers. Chronic CBD treatment reversed impairments in fear extinction caused by shock and SR. It also reduced learned helplessness in the FST and decreased the upregulation of mPFC- induced by shock and SRs. Additionally, exposure to shock and SRs downregulated mPFC- while upregulating vSUB- CBD treatment further downregulated expression in the vSUB compared to the vehicle groups. Our findings show that CBD effectively inhibited the development of PTSD-like behaviors and suppressed neuroinflammation in the mPFC.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11591736PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biom14111384DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

ptsd model
8
female rats
8
cbd treatment
8
shock srs
8
rats
5
cbd
5
cannabidiol modulates
4
modulates neuroinflammatory
4
neuroinflammatory markers
4
ptsd
4

Similar Publications

The effect of eye movement desensitization on neurocognitive functioning compared to retrieval-only in PTSD patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BMC Psychiatry

December 2024

Department of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Background: There is robust evidence that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with neurocognitive deficits, such as executive dysfunction or memory dysfunction. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD, in which eye movements (EMs) are performed during traumatic memory retrieval. We examined whether Eye Movement Desensitization (EMD) improves neurocognitive functioning in PTSD patients, in comparison with a retrieval-only control condition without EMs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rat Models in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Research: Strengths, Limitations, and Implications for Translational Studies.

Pathophysiology

December 2024

Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a multifaceted psychiatric disorder triggered by traumatic events, leading to prolonged psychological distress and varied symptoms. Rat models have been extensively used to explore the biological, behavioral, and neurochemical underpinnings of PTSD. This review critically examines the strengths and limitations of commonly used rat models, such as single prolonged stress (SPS), stress-re-stress (S-R), and predator-based paradigms, in replicating human PTSD pathology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Self-narratives about traumatic experiences and symptoms are informative for early identification of potential patients; however, their use in clinical screening is limited. This study aimed to develop an automated screening method that analyzes self-narratives of early adolescent earthquake survivors to screen for PTSD in a timely and effective manner.

Methods: An inquiry-based questionnaire consisting of a series of open-ended questions about trauma history and psychological symptoms, was designed to simulate the clinical structured interviews based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, and was used to collect self-narratives from 430 survivors who experienced the Ya'an earthquake in Sichuan Province, China.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a ground-breaking tool in neuroscience, revolutionizing our understanding of neuroplasticity and its implications for neurological rehabilitation. By immersing individuals in simulated environments, VR induces profound neurobiological transformations, affecting neuronal connectivity, sensory feedback mechanisms, motor learning processes, and cognitive functions. These changes highlight the dynamic interplay between molecular events, synaptic adaptations, and neural reorganization, emphasizing the potential of VR as a therapeutic intervention in various neurological disorders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are common after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), but their biological drivers are uncertain. We therefore explored whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) derived for PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD) are associated with the development of cognate TBI-related phenotypes.

Methods: Meta-analyses were conducted using data from two multicenter, prospective observational cohort studies of patients with mTBI: the CENTER-TBI study (ClinicalTrials.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!