Researchers from Suleyman Demirel University in Türkiye have published a study in the journal Reproductive Toxicology examining the potential of cannabidiol (CBD) to mitigate neuroinflammation and enhance neurogenesis in the offspring of pregnant rats subjected to systemic inflammation.
The findings, available through the U.S. National Institute of Health, highlight the therapeutic potential of CBD during pregnancy under certain inflammatory conditions.
The study involved 30 pregnant rats divided into five groups: a control group, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-only group, and three LPS groups treated with varying CBD doses (5, 10, and 30 mg/kg). Following LPS injections to induce systemic inflammation, researchers collected blood, fetuses, and placentas for analysis, performing histopathological assessments, immunohistochemical staining, ELISA, and immunoblotting.
Results showed that CBD significantly suppressed inflammatory markers in the fetal brain, including interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), while reducing nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation. CBD also counteracted LPS-induced elevations in proteins associated with neuroinflammation, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100B, and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB).
“These results suggest that CBD usage in pregnancy with inflammation conditions may be an effective therapeutic option for preventing conditions that may cause neuroinflammation in the fetal brain and adversely affect neurogenesis”, concludes the study.
For the full text of the study, click here.
