Dynamic overrepresentation of accumbal cues in food- and opioid-seeking rats after prenatal THC exposure.

ABSTRACT: The increasing prevalence of cannabis use during pregnancy has raised medical concerns, primarily related to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which readily crosses the placenta and affects fetal brain development. Previous research has identified dopaminergic alterations related to maternal THC consumption. However, the consequences that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) has on striatum-based processing during reward pursuit have not been determined. Here, we characterize PCE rats during food or opioid-maintained reward seeking. We find that the supramotivational phenotype of PCE rats is independent of value-based processing and is instead related to augmented reinforcing efficiency of opioid rewards. Our findings reveal that prenatal THC exposure leads to increased cue-evoked dopamine respon

SUBMITTER: Lujan MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11546747 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature