A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Cannabidiol modulates brain molecular alterations, gut microbiota dysbiosis and alcohol self-administration in a mouse model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Authors: Navarrete F.; Cabrera-Rubio R.; Gasparyan A.; Aarnio R.; López-Picón F.; Helin S.; Rajander J.; Collado M.C.; Manzanares J.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication year: 2025
Journal: Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy
Article number: 118791
Volume: 193
ISSN: 0753-3322
eISSN: 1950-6007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118791
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118791
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/505544266
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a range of neurodevelopmental abnormalities caused by Perinatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE), leading to profound behavioral and molecular disturbances in the offspring. Unraveling the central and peripheral mechanisms involved, including the microbiota-gut-brain axis, is crucial to improving our understanding of the disease and developing new treatment strategies from a sex perspective. In this study, we investigated the impact of PAE on emotional behavior, brain biomarkers, and gut microbiota composition and diversity in a preclinical C57BL/6 J mouse model, as well as the extent of their vulnerability to alcohol consumption. Furthermore, we have also explored the potential modulatory effects of cannabidiol (CBD) administered chronically (30 mg/kg/day, i.p.) from weaning on PAE-induced sex-dependent emotional and brain molecular impairments, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and increased alcohol reinforcing and motivational actions. FASD model mice showed increased anxiety- and depressive-like behavior accompanied by sex-dependent changes in synaptic density, dopamine D2/D3 receptors availability, cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (Cnr1/Cnr2), tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), and serotonin transporter (Slc6a4) gene expression, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Interestingly, CBD sex-dependently improved and/or normalized PAE-induced behavioral and molecular disturbances. In addition, females but not males exposed to the animal model of FASD showed a higher motivation to drink alcohol, which CBD abolished. Our findings provide new insights into the brain and gut microbiota sex-dependent mechanisms involved in FASD pathophysiology and further highlight the therapeutic potential of CBD to improve the management of FASD-induced emotional disturbances and alcohol addiction from a sex-oriented approach.
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Funding information in the publication:
This work was supported by grants funded by the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII) to J. Manzanares (PI21/00488 and RD21/0009/0008), by "Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante" (ISABIAL) to J.M., by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN) to M.C.Collado (MAMI Plus-ref. PID2022–139475OB-I00), by the Generalitat Valenciana (GVA) to R. Cabrera-Rubio (Plan GenT project, CDEIGENT 2020–02), and by the MCIN and the State Research Agency (AEI) to the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC) and the Institute of Neurosciences (IN-UMH/CSIC) as Centers of Excellence Accreditation Severo Ochoa (CEX2021–001189-S and CEX2021–001165-S -funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033-, respectively).