Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) on Obesity at Different Stages of Life: A Literature Review

Fearby, Nathan L.; Penman, Samantha; Thanos, Panayotis K.

doi:10.3390/ijerph19063174

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 204 publications

(344 reference statements)

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“…However, other studies that investigated the impact of CBD or THC on food intake showed contradictory results. It has been reported that THC increases appetite and subsequent food intake [20]. Studies show that the hyperphagic effects of THC are mostly acute and are absent after a few days of administration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Cannabis Oil on Cannabinoid-Induced Tetrad, Blood Pressure, and Metabolic Parameters in an Experimental Model of Metabolic Syndrome

D’Alessandro,

Degrave,

Berenice Vega Joubert

et al. 2023

JFNM

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Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyse the effects of cannabis oil on cannabinoid-induced tetrad, blood pressure, and metabolic parameters in rats normal fed a sucrose-rich diet (SRD). Methods: Male Wistar rats were fed the following diets for 21 days: Reference Diet (RD): standard commercial laboratory diet, SRD and SRD+Cannabis oil (SRD+Ca): the oral administration of 1 mg/kg of body weight of cannabis oil daily. Cannabis oil present a total cannabinoids CBD:THC 2:1 ratio. During the experimental period, body weight, food intake, blood pressure, body temperature, locomotion, catalepsy and analgesia were evaluated. At the end of the experimental period, levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, uric acid, AST, ALT and AP in serum were evaluated. In liver were determined AST, ALT and AP enzymes and triglycerides and cholesterol content. Results: A cannabis oil administration significantly increased (P<0.05) analgesia, and locomotion was also significantly decreased, which was found to be increased in the SRD group. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased during the experiment. In the SRD+Ca group, serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels significantly decreased, reaching values similar to RD group, without changes in glucose levels. In addition, serum uric acid and AP levels significantly decreased, although did not obtain reference values. AST and ALT levels in serum and liver significantly decreased, reaching reference values. At the liver, the triglycerides and cholesterol content significantly decreased with the administration of cannabis oil, although not reaching to reference values. Conclusions: Our results suggest that cannabis oil could be useful as a therapeutic strategy to prevent some of the alterations present in Metabolic Syndrome, including hypertension, dyslipidemia and liver damage. In addition, the analgesic effect of cannabis oil could be observed in SRD-fed rats.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Cannabis Oil on Cannabinoid-Induced Tetrad, Blood Pressure, and Metabolic Parameters in an Experimental Model of Metabolic Syndrome

D’Alessandro,

Degrave,

Berenice Vega Joubert

et al. 2023

JFNM

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“…Emerging evidence implies that PCE is associated with long-term energy homeostasis and metabolic effects (40,47), although the evidence surrounding this area, and the directional nature of these effects, is equivocal. The overarching aim of this study was to use a cannabis vapor model to investigate if PCE is associated with increased risk for developing obesity, diabetes and/or abnormal eating habits in adulthood, with additional focus on diet and sex.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clinical studies imply that PCE is associated with higher BMI and fat mass during childhood (14, 15, 39) and this abnormal ‘catch-up growth’ is hypothesized to increase the risk for developing obesity later in life (47). In our chow-fed rats, PCE had no effect on bodyweight or weight gain during late adolescence (P50) and early adulthood (P77), as well as no effect on plasma leptin (indirect measurement of adiposity).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal exposure to THC vapor influences feeding, bodyweight and glucose metabolism under both basal conditions and following high fat diet

Hume,

Baglot,

Javorcikova

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract4-20% of people report using cannabis during pregnancy, thereby it is essential to assess the associated risks. There is some evidence that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) may be associated with increased risk for development of obesity and diabetes later in life, however this has not been well explored under controlled conditions. The aim of this study was to use a translational THC vapor model in rodents to characterize the effects of PCE on adiposity, glucose metabolism, and feeding patterns in adulthood, with focus on potential sex differences. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to vaporized THC (100mg/ml) or control (polyethylene glycol vehicle) across the entire gestational period. Adult offspring from PCE or control litters were subjected to measures of adiposity, glucose metabolism and feeding behavior. Rats were then placed onto special diets (60% high-fat diet [HFD] or control 10% low fat diet [LFD]) for 4-months, then re-subjected to adiposity, glucose metabolism and feeding behavior measurements. PCE did not influence maternal weight or food consumption but was associated with transient decreased pup weight. PCE did not initially influence bodyweight or adiposity, but PCE did significantly reduce the rate of bodyweight gain when animals were maintained on special diets (HFD/LFD), regardless of which diet. Further, PCE had complex effects on glucose metabolism and feeding behavior that were both sex and diet dependent. No effects of PCE were found on plasma leptin or insulin, or white adipose tissue mass. Overall, this data enhances current understanding of the potential impacts of PCE.

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“…The effects of cannabis use on metabolic health and obesity risks are speculated to be dependent on several factors including differing patterns of cannabis use, specifically with regards to THC dose, the duration and daily frequency of use, and the length of use (i.e., acute vs chronic) [34]. This highlights the necessity for conducting more appropriately designed, controlled, and highly powered pre-clinical and clinical studies assessing the effects of cannabis use regimens on energy balance in the short and long-term, as well as its potential for alleviating cachexia in the clinic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These cannabis feeding effects have therapeutic potential to stimulate weight gain in patients experiencing wasting associated with anorexia nervosa, chemotherapy, and HIV [32, 33]. Alternatively, in healthy individuals, cannabis driven feeding could be maladaptive, disrupting homeostatic feeding patterns and energy balance [34]. Therefore, further research is essential to assess how cannabis alters feeding behaviours, energy balance and body weight.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterising ‘the munchies’; effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vapour inhalation on feeding patterns, satiety, and macronutrient-specific food preference in male and female rats

Hume

Baglot

Javorcikova

et al. 2022

Preprint

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With approximately 4% of the worlds population using cannabis, there is need to fully understand how cannabis impacts our health. It is universally known that increased food intake is a side effect of cannabis use, also known as the munchies, and it has been established that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, drives these feeding effects. These appetitive effects of cannabis or THC have been modeled in humans and rodents but have not been fully explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to use a translational pre-clinical model to characterise how inhalation of vapour from a THC-dominant cannabis extract alters daily feeding patterns and macronutrient-specific food preferences, with focus on microstructural feeding pattern analysis and potential sex differences. We exposed adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats to THC-dominant cannabis vapour or vehicle vapour daily, then gave rats access to different foods (chow, high-carbohydrate, and/or high-fat food) and post-vapour feeding patterns measured. To study macronutrient-specific food preferences, rats were given a post-vapour choice between a high-carbohydrate and a high-fat food. To assess satiety, rats were given pre-vapour access to a palatable preload in which they readily consume to become satiated. For some animals, blood and brain samples were collected post-vapour to measure phytocannabinoid and metabolite levels using mass spectrometry. We show that THC vapour inhalation increases food intake in the first hour after vapour exposure, an effect that is not dependent on food type, sex or whether animals are satiated or not. These feeding effects were a result of THC vapour decreasing feeding latency and increasing feeding bout frequency. Consistently, these acute feeding effects were compensated for through reductions in subsequent food intake, and THC vapour did not promote weight gain. THC also altered macronutrient-specific food preferences, increasing high-fat food preference in standard conditions, and increasing high-carbohydrate food preference in satiated conditions so that rats no longer significantly preferred one food over the other. Following vapour exposure, female rats had higher THC and metabolite concentrations in plasma and the hypothalamus than males and showed a stronger high-fat food preference following THC vapour compared to males when given a food choice. Overall, this study complements and builds upon previous clinical and pre-clinical data to fully characterise the effects of THC inhalation on feeding patterns and is the first to directly examine how THC alters macronutrient-specific food preferences and assess if appetitive THC-driven sex differences exist. This research sheds light on whether cannabis use can have energy-balance effects, information which is beneficial for recreational and medical cannabis users.

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Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) on Obesity at Different Stages of Life: A Literature Review

Cited by 12 publications

References 204 publications

Effects of Cannabis Oil on Cannabinoid-Induced Tetrad, Blood Pressure, and Metabolic Parameters in an Experimental Model of Metabolic Syndrome

Effects of Cannabis Oil on Cannabinoid-Induced Tetrad, Blood Pressure, and Metabolic Parameters in an Experimental Model of Metabolic Syndrome

Prenatal exposure to THC vapor influences feeding, bodyweight and glucose metabolism under both basal conditions and following high fat diet

Characterising ‘the munchies’; effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vapour inhalation on feeding patterns, satiety, and macronutrient-specific food preference in male and female rats

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