THE EFFECT OF CANNABIS SATIVA ON UTERINE TISSUE IN EXPERIMENTAL RATS: THE BEHAVIORAL AND HISTOLOGICAL CHANGES

Background and Aim : In recent years, the consumption of cannabis and its products among teenagers and young adults has been noticeable increased. As cannabis effect on uterus is poorly understood, this study was carried out to determine the behavioral and histological changes in uterine tissue following Cannabis sativa use in experimental rats.Methods : To prepare cannabis extract, the whole plant was dried and changed into powder. Using the maceration method of extract, the powder was soaked in 70% ethanol, filtered and using a rotary evaporator, the extract was isolated and kept for experiments. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided to three equal groups of experimental receiving subcutaneous injection of 5 mg/kg of the extract in 5 mL volume daily for three weeks, sham group receiving equal volume of 70% ethanol similarly and control group receiving distilled water identically. Histological evaluation was done after 1, 2 and 3 weeks when the animals were sacrificed. Spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB) test was conducted to measure the spatial working memory. Results : Seven and 14 days after cannabis use, uterine tissue looked normal, while after 21 days, just uterine cyst were visible in the tissue without any other inflammatory signs. Regarding SAB assessing mean percentage of open arm time (OAT), mean percentages of time spent in the closed arm time (CAT), mean number of times rats passing from the center, and the mean number of rats’ peek; no significant difference was noticed between the groups. But 2 and 3 weeks after cannabis use, the anxiety level significantly increased in the experimental group. Conclusion : Cannabis use did not induce any inflammation and tissue changes in the uterus except for uterine cyst. Assessing behavioral alterations, a significant increase of anxiety was noticed 2 and 3 weeks following cannabis use.

Keywords:

Behavior , Histology , Uterus , Cannabis sativa