Effects of the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the early postnatal period in endocannabinoid system of mice

• Grant number: 14/03951-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2014
• End date: January 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Toxicology
• Principal Investigator: Larissa Helena Lobo Torres Pacheco
• Grantee: Natália Novo Monteiro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Several substances, such as ethanol, lead and nicotine, are neurotoxic to early postnatal brain development and may influence the cascade of events that characterizes this phase. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in early brain development and the possible consequences in adolescence and adulthood. The focus of this work is the endocannabinoid system, which has been described as being involved in main stages of neural development and activity. Mice C57/BL will be exposed to a mixture of mainstream (10%) and sidestream (90%) smoke generated from 3R4F reference research cigarettes since 3rd (P3) to the 14th (P14) day of life, twice a day (one hour each exposure at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.). Animals (n=7) will be euthanized in P15 (childhood), P35 (adolescence) and P65 (adulthood). It will be quantified enzymes and receptors of the endocannabinoid system, as CB1, CB2, NAPE-PLD, FAAH, and DAGL MAGL, in the hippocampus, cerebellum and striatum by immunoblotting.