Event Title
From the Dinner Pot to Smoking Pot; How a Better Understanding of Cannabidiol could Alleviate Anxiety and Modulate Hunger
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
PURPOSE: Anxiety affects approximately 1/3 of the US population. One treatment is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) which allow for increased activation of serotonin (5-HT) receptors. SSRIs come with an extensive list of side effects, which can fail to maintain quality of life. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabis-derived compound which has been shown to decrease anxiety by activation of multiple subtype 5-HT amine receptors. CBD has few side effects, is not psychoactive, and exhibits anti-psychotic properties. The goals are to evaluate the effects that CBD has on the 5-HT receptor family in crayfish via changes in functional motility, temporal mechanics of paired fights, amount of food consumed after a specific time, and variations of action potential frequencies within the tail neural tissue. SUBJECTS: Decapod crustaceans, specifically crayfish, have emerged as a novel organism to approach to studying drugs of abuse. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Crayfish are isolated for one week to abolish social standings and food deprived for two days prior to testing. Crayfish are anesthetized with ice before injections near the heart through the tail muscle tissue. Drugs used include CBD at 2ug/mg, 5ug/mg, and 10ug/mg, 5-HT at 5ug/mg, and an isotonic vehicle solution. Motility and paired fight trials are video recorded, while the food orientation trials are completed using tilapia fillets as an odor stimulant. Action potential (AP) recordings will be conducted via electrophysiological recording device that digitalizes the frequency of signals from the nerve as crayfish are tethered to the recording pad and injected with the drugs. ANALYSES: Fight videos are analyzed via the temporal mechanics of a behavioral ethogram on fight intensity, as well as time spent engaged in combat. For motility, the time spent resting is compared against time spent moving. Hunger trials will also include a comparison of grams of tilapia consumed. Finally, the AP frequencies will be analyzed for variations in individual crayfish before and after injections and compared against each injection type. RESULTS: At this time experiments partially completed for motility, fights, and hunger trials. Additional trails are being conducted to ensure the proper number for subjections for statistical certainty. CONCLUSIONS: Within the neural structures of the crayfish tails are 5-HT receptors that control tail-flips, a withdraw reflex when placed into a fight. 5-HT has also been linked to aggression and decision making for engaging in fights with other crayfish. CBD is also believed to interact with 5-HT receptor subtypes, so we anticipate an alteration in aggression and food seeking behavior.
From the Dinner Pot to Smoking Pot; How a Better Understanding of Cannabidiol could Alleviate Anxiety and Modulate Hunger
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
PURPOSE: Anxiety affects approximately 1/3 of the US population. One treatment is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) which allow for increased activation of serotonin (5-HT) receptors. SSRIs come with an extensive list of side effects, which can fail to maintain quality of life. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabis-derived compound which has been shown to decrease anxiety by activation of multiple subtype 5-HT amine receptors. CBD has few side effects, is not psychoactive, and exhibits anti-psychotic properties. The goals are to evaluate the effects that CBD has on the 5-HT receptor family in crayfish via changes in functional motility, temporal mechanics of paired fights, amount of food consumed after a specific time, and variations of action potential frequencies within the tail neural tissue. SUBJECTS: Decapod crustaceans, specifically crayfish, have emerged as a novel organism to approach to studying drugs of abuse. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Crayfish are isolated for one week to abolish social standings and food deprived for two days prior to testing. Crayfish are anesthetized with ice before injections near the heart through the tail muscle tissue. Drugs used include CBD at 2ug/mg, 5ug/mg, and 10ug/mg, 5-HT at 5ug/mg, and an isotonic vehicle solution. Motility and paired fight trials are video recorded, while the food orientation trials are completed using tilapia fillets as an odor stimulant. Action potential (AP) recordings will be conducted via electrophysiological recording device that digitalizes the frequency of signals from the nerve as crayfish are tethered to the recording pad and injected with the drugs. ANALYSES: Fight videos are analyzed via the temporal mechanics of a behavioral ethogram on fight intensity, as well as time spent engaged in combat. For motility, the time spent resting is compared against time spent moving. Hunger trials will also include a comparison of grams of tilapia consumed. Finally, the AP frequencies will be analyzed for variations in individual crayfish before and after injections and compared against each injection type. RESULTS: At this time experiments partially completed for motility, fights, and hunger trials. Additional trails are being conducted to ensure the proper number for subjections for statistical certainty. CONCLUSIONS: Within the neural structures of the crayfish tails are 5-HT receptors that control tail-flips, a withdraw reflex when placed into a fight. 5-HT has also been linked to aggression and decision making for engaging in fights with other crayfish. CBD is also believed to interact with 5-HT receptor subtypes, so we anticipate an alteration in aggression and food seeking behavior.