PRENATAL TOXICITY, MATERNAL DISTRIBUTION AND PLACENTAL TRANSFER OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL

¹ Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana

⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (⁹-THC) was embryo- or fetocidal when administered to pregnant mice. ⁹-THC administered on days 8 and 9 of gestation produced about 70% incidence of in utero deaths. ⁹-THC induced about 30% incidence of in utero deaths when administered on gestational days 10 and 11 or days 12 and 13. ⁹-THC also significantly reduced fetal body weight. Again, there was a gestational period susceptibility. After i.p. administration of ¹⁴C-labeled ⁹-THC, ¹⁴C was measured in maternal plasma. The greater accumulation of ¹⁴C was found in maternal fat and liver tissue. Smaller amounts of ¹⁴C were measured in maternal kidney, muscle and brain tissue. ⁹-THC was transferred across the placenta and was measured in fetal tissue and amnionic fluid. Excretion of ⁹-THC was primarily by feces and at 120 hours after injection about 10% of the dose remained in the animals. Maximum excretion of ⁹-THC in the urine was about 10% of the administered dose. Thus, ⁹-THC is transferred across the placenta and is embryocidal or fetocidal.

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