Delta8-THC induces up-regulation of glutamatergic pathway genes in differentiated SH-SY5Y: a transcriptomic study

Cannabinoids, natural or synthetic, have antidepressant, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and an-ti-psychotic properties. Cannabidiol (CBD), and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC) are the most studied cannabinoids, but recently attention has turned towards minor cannabinoids. Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta8-THC), an isomer of delta9-THC, is a compound for which, to date, there is no evidence of its role in the modulation of synaptic pathways. The aim of our work was to evaluate the effects of delta8-THC on differentiated SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Using next generation sequencing (NGS), we investigated whether delta8 -THC could modify the transcriptomic profile of genes involved in synapse functions. Our results showed that delta8-THC upregulates the expression of genes involved in the glutamatergic pathway and inhibits gene expression at cho-linergic synapses. Conversely, delta8-THC did not modify the transcriptomic profile of genes in-volved in the GABAergic and dopaminergic pathways.