Anti-Inflammatory Effects of ∆9 Tetrahydrocannabinol in Adipose Tissue of an Obese Rat Model

Subject Areas : Journal of Chemical Health Risks

Seyyede Fahimeh Mirseyyed ¹ , Saeed Zavareh ^{2 *} , Meysam Nasiri ³ , Hamid Hashemi Moghadam ⁴

1 - Department of Biology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran
2 - School of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
3 - School of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
4 - Department of Chemistry, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran

Received: 2022-12-21 Accepted : 2023-11-07 Published : 2025-01-19

Keywords: Inflammation, Rat, Obesity, THC,

Abstract :

This study sought to investigate how ∆9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) affects inflammation within the adipose tissue of an obese rat model. Female Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 4 weeks (total: 15 rats), were divided into four groups: Control, which received a standard diet; Obese, which were fed a high-fat diet (HFD); and THC, which received both THC treatment and an HFD. After a 16-week period, we measured their body weight and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Adipose tissue samples were collected to analyze the expression levels of Mcp, Tnf-α, and Il-1β mRNA. The obese rats showed a significant increase in body weight compared to the other groups, while the THC-treated group exhibited significantly lower weights than the obese rats. CRP levels were notably higher in the obese group than in the other groups, but CRP levels in the THC group were significantly lower than in the obese group. Expression levels of Mcp, Tnf-α, and Il-1β mRNA were markedly higher in the obese group compared to the control. In contrast, the THC group displayed significantly lower mRNA expression levels than the obese group. Treatment with a low dose of THC resulted in a reduction of inflammation markers in the adipose tissue of obese rats.

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