Proteomic Profile of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles in the Brain after Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Inhalation.
Biomolecules September 10, 2024 Valeria Lallai, TuKiet T Lam, Rolando Garcia-Milian et al.
The psychoactive component of cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), alters protein signaling in extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the brain. In cell cultures, THC activated choroid plexus epithelial cells, increasing cannabinoid 1 receptor and c-fos gene expression and releasing RNA-containing EVs. In male and female rats, acute or chronic exposure to aerosolized THC changed the protein composition of brain EVs in cerebrospinal fluid, with effects differing by sex and exposure duration. These results suggest that THC modulates intercellular communication in the brain through EV signaling, offering new insight into how external substances can influence brain signaling.