EVALUATING PREVENTIVE AND SIDE EFFECTS OF PUBERTAL CANNABIDIOL ADMINISTRATION IN AN ANIMAL MODEL OF SCHIZOPHRENIA: THE MATERNAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION BY POLY I:C

• Grant number: 13/01421-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Vanessa Costhek Abílio
• Grantee: Fernanda Fiel Peres
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that reaches about 0.7% of world population and whose pharmacological approaches remain unsatisfactory. Its onset occurs between late adolescence and early adulthood and it is believed that, in addition to the influence of genetic and environmental factors, alterations in neurodevelopmental processes are closely related to schizophrenia pathophysiology. Moreover, it is known that schizophrenia outset is preceded by a prodromal phase characterized by attenuated schizophrenia symptoms, as mild social dullness and cognitive impairments. Recently, it has been suggested that pharmacological treatment during prodromal stage might retard or even detain the emergence of full blown psychosis. Accordingly, investigating potential preventive pharmacological strategies for schizophrenia is paramount.In this sense, the aim of this project is to develop in our lab a neurodevelopmental animal model of schizophrenia commonly used in preventive studies - the maternal immune activation by Poly I:C. Moreover, this project aims to evaluate potential preventive and side effects of cannabidiol (a non-psychotomimetic component of Cannabis sativa) pubertal administration upon behavioral abnormalities presented by this animal model.