Acute and short-term administrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol modulate major gut metabolomic regulatory pathways in C57BL6 mice.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive compound in Cannabis, which is studied extensively for its medicinal value. A central gap in the science is the underlying mechanisms surrounding THCs therapeutic effects and the role of gut metabolite profiles. Using a mass-spectrometry based metabolomics, we show here that intraperitoneal injection of THC in C57BL6 mice modulates metabolic profiles that have previously been identified as integral to health. Specifically, we investigated the effects of acute (single THC injection denoted here as 1X) and short -term (five THC injections on alternate days denoted as 5X) THC administration on fecal and intestinal tissue metabolite profiles. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that THC administration alters host metabolism by targeting two prominent lipid metabolism pathways glycerophospholipid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis.