SCI Rep: risk of marijuana consumption during pregnancy

January 20, 2020 / Biovalley / recently, a new study by researchers from western universities and Queen's University has made it clear that regular exposure to tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, during pregnancy has an important impact on the development of placenta and fetus The study was recently published in the Journal of scientific reports The results of rat model and human placenta cells showed that maternal exposure to tetrahydrocannabinol during pregnancy had a significant effect on the development of fetal organs and the expression of genes necessary for placenta function In a rat model, the researchers demonstrated that regular exposure to low doses of tetrahydrocannabinol resulted in 8% weight loss in newborns and more than 20% reduction in brain and liver growth (image source: www Pixabay Com) Dan Hardy, associate professor of shulichi school, Western University, said: "this data supports the results of clinical studies, suggesting that cannabis use during pregnancy is related to low birth weight infants Clinical data is complex because it is confused with other factors such as socio-economic status This is the first study that explicitly supports the fact that tetrahydrocannabinol alone has a direct impact on placental and fetal growth " The team also revealed how tetrahydrocannabinol prevents oxygen and nutrients from entering the developing fetus through the placenta By studying human placental cells, the researchers found that exposure to tetrahydrocannabinol resulted in a reduction in the glucose transporter known as GLUT-1 This suggests that THC is preventing the transfer of placental glucose, a key nutrient, from the mother to the fetus They also found a decrease in placental blood vessels in the rat model, indicating a decrease in blood flow from the mother to the fetus Both factors could lead to the growth restriction they observed in future generations, the researchers said Sources of information: real risks associated with cannabis exposure during prediction Original sources: bryony v Natale, Katarina n Gustin, Kendrick Lee, Alison C Holloway, Steven R LaViolette, David R C Natale, Daniel B Hardy Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during rat prediction leads to strategic capital growth restriction and laboratory specific vascular defects in the placenta Scientific Reports, 2020; 10 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57318-6