Fig. 4: Adolescent THC-induced sensory filtering deficits are prevented by NAC. | Translational Psychiatry

Fig. 4: Adolescent THC-induced sensory filtering deficits are prevented by NAC.

From: The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine prevents cortical neuropathological phenotypes caused by adolescent Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure in male rats

Fig. 4

a Schematic representation of startle apparatus. b THC-exposed rats display increased startle reactivity (data presented as mean ± SEM; n: VEH = 9, THC = 9, VEH-NAC = 11; THC-NAC = 12). Two-way repeated measures ANOVA: Within-subjects effects: startle amplitude: F(10, 370) = 121.994, p < 0.001; startle amplitude*IP treatment: F(10, 370) = 2.514, p = 0.006; Startle amplitude*oral treatment: F(10, 370) = 0.57, p = 0.838; startle amplitude*IP*oral treatment: F(10, 370) = 0.609, p = 0.807; between-subjects effects: IP treatment: F(1,37) = 0.002; oral treatment: F(1,37) = 1.258; p = 0.269; IP*oral treatment: F(1,37) = 1.379, p = 0.248; pairwise comparisons: pulse intensity: VEH vs. THC: 65 dB p = 0.026; 90 dB p = 0.025; 100 dB p = 0.007; 105 dB p = 0.009. c Depiction of startle response magnitudes across individual animals (rows within the squares) to startle pulse presentation of increasing intensity (discrete pixels; 65–115, 5 dB increment; lowest intensity at the leftmost position of the squares). The startle magnitude is color coded with inset below the graph. d Schematic depiction of PPI protocol. e Reduced PPI in THC-exposed rats was reversed with NAC. Two-way RM ANOVA: tests of within-subjects effects: startle inhibition: F(2,74) = 50.099; p < 0.001; between-subjects effects: IP treatment: F(1,37) = 1.2, p = 0.28; oral treatment: F(1,37) = 5.698; p = 0.022; IP*oral treatment: F(1,37) = 5.768; p = 0.021; pairwise comparisons for means: VEH vs. THC: p = 0.025; THC vs. THC-NAC: p = 0.002, pairwise comparisons for prepulse intensity: VEH vs. THC at 77 dB: p = 0.017, at 80 dB: p = 0.058, at 83 dB: p = 0.19; THC vs. THC-NAC: at 77 dB: p = 0.005; at 80 dB: p = 0.009; at 83 dB: p = 0.007. f Schematic of short-term startle habituation protocol and example depicting gradual decrease of startle responses. g Paired t-test revealed that median startle amplitude from last ten trials did not differ from first three trials in the THC group (VEH: t(8) = 3.988, p = 0.004; THC: t(8) = −0.329, p = 0.751; VEH-NAC: t(10) = 4.897, p < 0.001; THC-NAC: t(11) = 4.806, p < 0.001). h The habituation score remained high only in THC group. Two-way ANOVA: IP treatment: F(1,37) = 5.586, p = 0.023; oral treatment: F(1,37) = 4.684, p = 0.037; IP*oral treatment: F(1,37) = 6.869, p = 0.013; pairwise comparisons: VEH vs. THC: p = 0.002; THC vs. THC-NAC: p = 0.002. i Radial plot capturing the inverted percentage of animals with impaired startle habituation in the THC group.

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