While using cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, may alleviate nausea, body aches, and anxiety for an expectant mother, it may also cause problems for the baby later in life, according to a new study out of Western University.
Researchers examining the effects of CBD during pregnancy have found exposure to cannabis’ non-psychoactive compound may increase the risk of diabetes in offspring. The study, which used rats, determined even moderate exposure to CBD during pregnancy can lead to post-birth glucose intolerance, specifically in male offspring.
“This is a critical finding, given that CBD, unlike cannabis’ psychoactive compound, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is widely marketed and perceived to be a safer option by so many,” said study supervisor Daniel B. Hardy, associate professor in the departments of obstetrics and gynaecology and physiology and pharmacology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “Our study shows that exposure to CBD alone during pregnancy can be detrimental to the metabolic health of the offspring later in life, leading to glucose intolerance. This is a major risk factor for diabetes."
The effects of CBD exposure on rodents did not show any adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes, but by three months of age, male offspring of the exposed rat exhibited glucose intolerance, researchers noted.
A previous study overseen by Hardy showed prenatal exposure to THC in rats led to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in female offspring.
"With the latest study, we now know that gestational exposure to either cannabinoid – THC and CBD – can lead to glucose intolerance in the offspring. However, THC exposure impacts the glucose tolerance of female offspring while CBD exposure impacts the male offspring,” said study lead author and PhD candidate Sebastian R. Vanin.
He went on to explain that male offspring of the exposed rat showed changes in the genes that control body clocks, particularly the circadian rhythm clock, which can adversely impact how the body regulates sugar or glucose. There were also changes to the male rodents' liver development and function, which scientists suggest could harm liver development and health throughout the course of life.
The study was published in the Journal of Endocrinology. It is one of several examining how impaired fetal development can predispose offspring to metabolic deficits in adulthood currently being conducted in Hardy's lab.
"Prenatal exposure to cannabis can also occur through fathers, so we are currently interested in studying how that impacts fetal growth and development as well," said Hardy.
