FIG. 4.

Regional brain changes in expression of neurotrophic factors BDNF, GDNF, G-CSF, and the endocannabinoid 2-AG. CCI triggered increases in BDNF protein (A) and GDNF protein expression (B) compared with normal control mice in the 3 brain regions on days 7 and 14. Treatment with THC further increased expression of BDNF and GDNF compared with vehicle-treated mice in all 3 brain regions on days 7 and 14. (C) G-CSF protein was increased in all 3 brain regions in THC-treated mice compared with vehicle-treated mice on day 14. The increase in G-CSF expression was observed on day 7 only in the cortex. (D) Levels of 2-AG were significantly increased in all 3 brain regions in the THC-treated mice compared with vehicle treatment. For each brain region in the four panels, two-way ANOVA revealed that both treatment and time each contributed significantly to total variance in the specific neurotrophic factor and cannabinoid 2-AG; p<0.05. Sidak's correction for multiple comparisons revealed that THC treatment compared with vehicle treatment increased expression of BDNF, GDNF, and 2-AG in all 3 brain regions on day 7 and 14 (*p<0.05). In the case of G-CSF, the increase did not reach statistical significance on day 7 in HP and striatum. 2-AG, 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol.