Summary
Despite widespread use of marihuana, little is known about its effects on the reproductive system. In the present work a very low dose (1μg/kg b.w./day) of the main psychoactive component of marihuana the delta-9 tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) was administered to pregnant rats i.p. The animals received the drug daily over the first, second and third week of pregnancy.
THC caused severe alterations when injected on the third week of pregnancy. It resulted in a significant prolongation of the gestation period (2 – 4 days). Only 20% of the rats delivered on term. There were 42% stillbirths (v.s. 2% in physiological saline treated rats). No teratological effects were observed. No significant changes in hypothalamic LHRH levels were recorded on the day of parturition. Serum LH, progesterone and prostaglandin contents were decreased. Almost no alterations were recorded when the drug was given over the first or second week of pregnancy.
The results indicate that marihuana causes an inhibition of the synthesis (or release) of prostaglandins which might be responsible for the delay of parturition.
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Wenger, T., Croix, D., Tramu, G. (1988). Marihuana and Pregnancy. In: Pawlikowski, M., Döhler, KD. (eds) Progress in Neuropeptide Research. Birkhäuser Congress Reports Life Sciences. Birkhäuser, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-5692-8_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-5692-8_13
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