P. Mailleux et al., DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL REGULATES GENE-EXPRESSION OF THE GROWTH-FACTOR PLEIOTROPHIN IN THE FOREBRAIN, Neuroscience letters, 175(1-2), 1994, pp. 25-27
Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a major psychoactive component o
f cannabis. We here studied, by quantitative in situ hybridization at
the macroscopic level, the possible modulatory effects of acute THC (5
mg/kg/i.p.) on gene expression of the growth factor pleiotrophin (PTN
) in the adult rat forebrain. We found, 30 min after a single injectio
n of THC, a significant increase of PTN mRNA concentrations in the cin
gulate cortex (38%), fronto-parietal cortex (31%) and caudate-putamen
(27%). In conclusion, this is the first report on THC regulation of gr
owth factor gene expression in the brain.