Cannabidiol decreases histological intestinal injury in a neonatal experimental model of necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe inflammatory bowel disease in neonates. Our group has developed an experimental model of NEC, with an effectiveness of 73%. Cannabidiol (CBD) is an innovative treatment for neonatal cerebral hypoxic-ischemic pathologies due to its neuroprotective effect, as a potent anti-inflammatory and reducing oxidative stress substance.

Our aim was to evaluate the effect of CBD on intestinal lesions in an experimental model of NEC.

Mortality and intestinal histological damage was significantly lower in the CBD group compared to the rest (p<0.05), establishing CBD as a protective factor against the development of NEC (OR=0.0255; 95% CI=0.0015-0.4460). At IHQ level (TUNEL technique), a lower cell death rate was also observed in the CBD group compared to the VEH group (p<0.05).

In our experimental model, intraperitoneal CBD acts as a protective factor against NEC, resulting in less histological damage and a lower rate of intestinal cell death.