Cannabinoid Extract Protects Against Valproic Acid Induced Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex behavioral disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, and repetitive patterns of behavior. The objective of this study was to create a mouse model of autism and examine how cannabis oil affected these animal models. On gestational day 13 and pup postnatal day 14, valproic acid (600 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) was subcutaneously injected into pregnant mice, resulting in poor behaviour in the offspring that is similar to the characteristics of autistic people. Two groups of valproic acid-exposed mice were used: one group received oral cannabis oil treatment (100 mg/kg), and the other group received oral risperidone (0.5 mg/kg). At the age of eight weeks, behavioural tests including the Y-maze, marble, open field, elevated plus maze, hot plate and social interaction were carried out. To assess the effects of cannabinoid oil, oxidative stress indicators including glutathione (GSH, GST), lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were assessed on PND-58. The findings showed that mice exposed to valproic acid both prenatally and postnatally displayed autistic behaviour, including high levels of anxiety, prolonged latencies for responding to painful stimuli, and reduced social interaction. This study looked at the morphological and neuroanatomical abnormalities in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, as well as the neural tube dysfunction in offspring exposed to VPA. In the autistic mice model, it was determined that therapy with medical cannabis oil considerably (p<0.05) alleviated the behavioural abnormalities and it reduced oxidative stress by acting as an antioxidant.