Preventive effects of canabidiol in an animal model of schizophrenia in females: pre-natal immune activation by the administration of polyminosinic-polycitidylic acid

• Grant number: 19/13054-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2019
• End date: November 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Vanessa Costhek Abílio
• Grantee: Gabriela Doná Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a highly debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder. Current treatments are not effective to all the symptoms, are associated with sever side-effects and do not benefit all the patients. Therefore, the search for preventive strategies is crucial. Recently, we have verified that cannabidiol prevents the development of schizophrenia-like behavioral alterations in the poly I:C schizophrenia model evaluate in male mice. Nevertheless, male and female subjects present differences in the course of schizophrenia as well as in the development of behavioral alterations in animal models of the disease. The aims of the present study are: 1) to extend the behavioral characterization of the poly I:C model in female mice; 2) to verify a possible preventive effect of CBD on the behavioral alterations in these female mice (as previously seen by us in males).