Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were efficiently generated by in situ reduction of silver ions via butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), in poly(methyl methacrylate). The characterization of Ag/PMMA by TEM, SEM, XRD, and FTIR indicated that Ag NPs with a face center cubic (fcc) crystal structure and a mean diameter of about 30 nm were dispersed in PMMA matrix with a relatively uniform distribution. In addition, the results of UV-Vis spectroscopy indicated that optical properties of the nanocomposite appeared mainly dependent on the reaction time and temperature. Increasing the reaction time and temperature make higher yield of Ag NPs. A provisional reduction mechanism was also proposed for the formation of the Ag NPs.
Background
There is growing evidence of microtubule dynamics in memory formation and learning. Dynamic microtubules are involved in dendritic spine changes, synaptic plasticity, axonal transportation, and cell polarity. Besides, one of the well-studied effects of cannabis on human behavior is memory disability. As Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) is the most crucial ingredient of cannabis, we investigated the effect of ∆9-THC on memory function by treating rats and conveying a behavioral study.
Results
Our results show the poor performance of THC-treated animals in T-maze compared to the control group. Results of the turbidity assay demonstrate that ∆9-THC reduces microtubule polymerization in a concentration-dependent manner. Circular Dichroism spectroscopy also studied structural changes of purified tubulin, which revealed the significant changes in the secondary structure of tubulin. Furthermore, in silico studies predicted one binding site for ∆9-THC on β-tubulin.
Conclusions
We concluded that ∆9-THC can reduce the stability of the microtubule, and this may conversely affect synaptic plasticity, thus learning and memory. We proposed that brain function is affected by microtubule dynamic changes caused by the secondary structural changes of tubulin and preventing tubulin-tubulin interaction.
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