Maternal deprivation and adolescent cannabinoid exposure impact hippocampal astrocytes, CB1 receptors and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in a sexually dimorphic fashion

▶MD increased the number of hippocampal GFAP+ cells of adult males and decreased CB1 expression in both sexes. ▶Several effects of MD were counteracted by adolescent cannabinoid exposure. ▶Adolescent exposure to the cannabinoid agonist, per se, increased the number of GFAP+ cells in the DG of males. ▶Adolescent cannabinoid treatment induced, in males, a decrease in hippocampal CB1 immunoreactivity and the opposite was observed in females. ▶Adolescent exposure to CP tended to reduce BDNF expression in CA1 and CA3 of females, whereas MD counteracted this trend.