| First Author | Lin L | Year | 2023 |
| Journal | Cell Metab | Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 1227-1241.e7 |
| PubMed ID | 37267956 | Mgi Jnum | J:338034 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:7506151 | Doi | 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.05.002 |
| Citation | Lin L, et al. (2023) Adolescent exposure to low-dose THC disrupts energy balance and adipose organ homeostasis in adulthood. Cell Metab |
| abstractText | One of cannabis' most iconic effects is the stimulation of hedonic high-calorie eating-the "munchies"-yet habitual cannabis users are, on average, leaner than non-users. We asked whether this phenotype might result from lasting changes in energy balance established during adolescence, when use of the drug often begins. We found that daily low-dose administration of cannabis' intoxicating constituent, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), to adolescent male mice causes an adult metabolic phenotype characterized by reduced fat mass, increased lean mass and utilization of fat as fuel, partial resistance to diet-induced obesity and dyslipidemia, enhanced thermogenesis, and impaired cold- and beta-adrenergic receptor-stimulated lipolysis. Further analyses revealed that this phenotype is associated with molecular anomalies in the adipose organ, including ectopic overexpression of muscle-associated proteins and heightened anabolic processing. Thus, adolescent exposure to THC may promote an enduring "pseudo-lean" state that superficially resembles healthy leanness but might in fact be rooted in adipose organ dysfunction. |
