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Development of the respiratory system can be affected by the use of drugs during pregnancy, as the prenatal phase is highly sensitive to pharmacological interventions, resulting in long-term consequences. The deleterious effects of external cannabinoids during gestation may be related to negative interference in central nervous system formation, cardiorespiratory system function, and behavioral disorders. Nevertheless, the impact of external cannabinoids on cardiorespiratory network development, chemosensitivity, and its future consequences in adulthood is still unclear. We evaluated the effects of prenatal exposure to a synthetic cannabinoid (WIN 55,212-2, 0.5 mg·kg−1·day−1) on the cardiorespiratory control and panic-like behavior of male and female rats in adulthood. Exogenous cannabinoid exposure during pregnancy resulted in a sex-dependent difference in breathing control. Specifically, males showed increased chemosensitivity to CO2 and O2, whereas females exhibited decreased sensitivity. Altered cardiovascular control was evident, with prenatally treated males and females being more susceptible to hypertension and tachycardia under adverse environmental conditions. Moreover, WIN-treated males exhibited higher fragmentation of sleep episodes, whereas females displayed anxiolytic and panicolytic behavioral responses to CO2. However, no changes were observed in the mechanical component of the respiratory system, and there were no neuroanatomical alterations, such as changes in the expression of CB1 receptors in the brainstem or in the quantification of catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurons. These findings highlight that external interference in cannabinoid signaling during fetal development causes sex-specific, long-lasting effects for the cardiorespiratory system and behavioral responses in adulthood. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: The surge in recreational cannabis use and cannabinoid-based medication prescription among pregnant women has been notable in recent years, fueled by the misconception that natural products are inherently safe. Significant gaps persist regarding the potential risks of maternal consumption of cannabinoids and the long-term effects on the cardiorespiratory system of their offspring, which may be determined by sex. Accordingly, this research aims to diminish this lack of information and raise a note of caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple factors can influence the immune response of ectothermic vertebrates, including body temperature (Tb), gonadal steroids, and seasonality, in ways that are thought to reflect trade-offs between energetic investment in immunity versus reproduction. Hibernating tegu lizards (Salvator merianae) are a unique model to investigate how immunocompetence might be influenced by different factors during their annual cycle. We assessed immunological measures (plasma bacterial killing ability, total and differential leukocyte count), plasma hormone levels (testosterone in males, estradiol and progesterone in females, and corticosterone [CORT] in both sexes), Tb, and body condition from adult tegus during each stage of their annual cycle: reproduction, post-reproduction/preparation for hibernation, and hibernation. Our hypothesis that immune traits present higher values during the reproductive phase, and a sharp decrease during hibernation, was partially supported. Immune variables did not change between life history stages, except for total number of leukocytes, which was higher at the beginning of the reproductive season (September) in both males and females. Average Tb of the week prior to sampling was positively correlated with number of eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, and azurophils, corroborating other studies showing that when animals maintain a high Tb, there is an increase in immune activity. Surprisingly, no clear relationship between immune traits and gonadal steroids or CORT levels was observed, even when including life history stage in the model. When gonadal hormones peaked in males and females, heterophil: lymphocyte ratio (which often elevates during physiological stress) also increased. Additionally, we did not observe any trade-off between reproduction and immunity traits, sex differences in immune traits, or a correlation between body condition and immune response. Our results suggest that variation in patterns of immune response and correlations with body condition and hormone secretion across the year can depend upon the specific hormone and immune trait, and that experienced Tb is an important variable determining immune response in ectotherms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R3587 --> 762.3 --> The CO2exposure has been used to investigate the panicogenic response in patients with panic and other anxiety disorders since these patients are more sensitive to this stimulus, and therefore, more likely to experience the "suffocation false alarm" which, in turn, triggers the panic attack. It is well described that imbalances in the modulation of Locus coeruleus noradrenaline (LC‐NE) neurotransmission are responsible for several psychiatric disorders, including panic disorder and these neurons are sensitive to changes in CO2/pH. Therefore, we investigated the participation of LC‐NE neurons in the CO2‐induced panic like scape response by using C56BL/6 mice with a conditional knockout allele of Dbh (DbhcKO) crossed with En1cre (En1CreDbhcKO ‐ LC‐NE mutants). In addition, an intermediate genotype animal of the same genetic background was used (WT DbhcKO) as well as control animals (WT/WT) of both sexes (10‐12 weeks; 20‐25 g). Mice were placed in chamber where behavioral responses such as escape (jumping/running) and time spent immobile (freezing) were recorded under 20% CO2 during 7 min. CO2‐enriched air evoked an active escape response (jumping behavior) interpreted as escape attempts. En1CreDbhcKO mutants had a blunted jumping response (P=0.001) and spent more time in freezing compared to the other groups (P<0.0001). Furthermore, En1CreDbhcKO animals had fewer racing episodes (P=0.028) compared to WT/WT animals, but not different from WT DbhcKO group, that also presented a long freezing time, little movement, and a small number of jumps. No sex difference was observed among groups. These findings suggest that noradrenaline originating from the LC has an important role in the panic‐like escape response elicited in mice by exposure to CO2 in a sex independent way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]