MSGID: 1:317/3 64a79511   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    THC use during pregnancy linked to changes in fetal development    
      
     Date:   
         July 6, 2023   
     Source:   
         Oregon Health & Science University   
     Summary:   
         Researchers showed that consuming THC while pregnant could   
         potentially affect development of the fetus and lead to life-long   
         health impacts for offspring.   
      
      
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   Oregon Health & Science University researchers showed that consuming   
   THC while pregnant could potentially affect development of the fetus   
   and lead to life- long health impacts for offspring.   
      
   The preclinical study was published today in the journal Clinical   
   Epigenetics.   
      
   Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the main psychoactive ingredient   
   in cannabis, a substance growing in popularity and availability in   
   the United States. The prevalence of cannabis use in pregnancy is also   
   rapidly increasing, especially during the first trimester -- a time when   
   the fetus is most vulnerable to environmental exposures -- to mitigate   
   common symptoms like morning sickness. However, the potential effects   
   of prenatal cannabis use on fetal development remain inconclusive,   
   in part due to a lack of safety data.   
      
   This study aimed to identify the potential long-term health impacts of   
   THC use during pregnancy.   
      
   In a non-human primate model, OHSU researchers found that exposing   
   a pregnant subject to THC altered the placental and fetal epigenome   
   -- including the chemical modifications to DNA responsible for gene   
   regulation and expression, that is telling genes what, where and when   
   to do something. Researchers also found that that these changes to gene   
   regulation and expression are consistent with those seen with many common   
   neurobehavioral conditions, including autism spectrum disorder.   
      
   "Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs and is widely available   
   across the country, so there is a common perception that its completely   
   safe to use," said the study's lead author Lyndsey Shorey-Kendrick,   
   Ph.D., a computational biologist in the Division of Neurosciences at   
   OHSU's Oregon National Primate Research Center, or ONPRC. "The reality   
   is that cannabis still carries many health risks for certain populations,   
   including those who are pregnant. If we're able to better understand the   
   impacts, we can more effectively communicate the risks to patients and   
   support safer habits during the vulnerable prenatal period."  In a model   
   using nonhuman primates, researchers administered THC in a daily edible   
   and compared its effects to a group receiving a placebo. Specifically,   
   researchers evaluated the epigenetic changes in several key areas that   
   indicate healthy prenatal development: the placenta -- the disc of   
   tissue that connects the umbilical cord and uterus -- and fetal lung,   
   brain and heart.   
      
   When looking at these areas, analyses showed that THC exposure altered   
   the epigenome, meaning a process in which the information encoded in   
   a gene is turned into a function or observable trait. Genes -- the   
   segments which make up DNA -- are all specifically coded to contribute   
   to different functions of the body and brain, so any impact on epigenetic   
   processes due to drug exposure is concerning, especially during a critical   
   developmental window such as pregnancy.   
      
   Researchers found that significant changes involved genes associated with   
   common neurobehavioral disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and   
   attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These conditions are linked   
   to adverse health outcomes in childhood and adolescence, including   
   poorer memory and verbal reasoning skills, and increased hyperactivity,   
   impulsivity and inattention.   
      
   The research team, which includes Eliot Spindel, M.D., Ph.D., Elinor   
   Sullivan, Ph.D., Owen McCarty, Ph.D., and Jason Hedges, M.D., Ph.D., hopes   
   findings from this study will add to the limited existing literature on   
   THC use during pregnancy, and help guide patient counseling and public   
   health polices focused on cannabis in the future.   
      
   "It's not common practice for providers to discuss cannabis use with   
   patients who are pregnant or trying to conceive," said the study's   
   corresponding author, Jamie Lo, M.D., M.C.R., associate professor of   
   obstetrics and gynecology (maternal-fetal medicine), OHSU School of   
   Medicine, and Division of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences at   
   the ONPRC. "I hope our work can help open up a broader dialogue about   
   the risks of cannabis use in the preconception and prenatal period,   
   so we can improve children's health in the long run."   
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Lyndsey E. Shorey-Kendrick, Victoria H. J. Roberts, Rahul   
      J. D'Mello,   
         Elinor L. Sullivan, Susan K. Murphy, Owen J. T. Mccarty,   
         Danny J. Schust, Jason C. Hedges, A. J. Mitchell, Jose Juanito   
         D. Terrobias, Charles A.   
      
         Easley, Eliot R. Spindel, Jamie O. Lo. Prenatal delta-9-   
         tetrahydrocannabinol exposure is associated with changes in   
         rhesus macaque DNA methylation enriched for autism genes. Clinical   
         Epigenetics, 2023; 15 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01519-4   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230706160116.htm   
      
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