Adult Rat Offspring Exposed to THC during Gestation Exhibit Distinct Biomolecular Changes Identified by X-ray Fluorescence Imaging and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in Cortico-Limbic Circuits.
ACS chemical neuroscience February 18, 2026 Tallan Black, Rhiannon E Boseley, Amanda Quirk et al.
Prenatal exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main intoxicating compound in cannabis, alters brain chemistry in offspring. Using X-ray fluorescence imaging and Fourier transform infrared spectromicroscopy on rat brains, the study found that THC-exposed offspring had decreased copper concentrations in the corpus callosum and changes in lipid structure, including increased methylene, lipid esters, phosphate, protein, and unsaturation levels, particularly in the hippocampus. Biochemical changes were modest, with increased structural lipid changes in the corpus callosum and increased protein in the lateral ventricle. These findings demonstrate that gestational THC induces subtle but measurable biomolecular alterations in the developing brain.