ICAL Tissue Bank
ICAL maintains a biobank of brain and peripheral organs collected from mice and rats treated in adolescence with D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or vehicle. Both male and female tissues are available.
We provide tissue samples at no cost to researchers in accredited academic institutions in the USA and abroad. Shipment expenses are borne by the requester.
Researchers who lack a Schedule-I DEA license for using THC but are interested in investigating its effects (e.g., to collect preliminary data for a grant application) are especially welcome to apply.
All biomaterials are prepared for molecular and cellular assessments by flash freezing or perfusion/fixation.
Requests are fulfilled in the order we receive them and pending sample availability. We are happy to consider special requests, though we don’t guarantee that we will be able to fulfil them.
Protocols and Available Tissues
The ICAL tissue bank includes: whole brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, white adipose tissue, muscle, testis, ovary, and dorsal skin. Additional organs may be requested. Please note that brain is in high demand and in shorter supply than other organs. Main tissue collection methods are snap-freezing in liquid nitrogen or dry ice, and paraformaldehyde fixation.
Samples are available in the following THC administration protocols
Adolescent THC administration
THC (5 mg/kg) in 5% Tween 80 in saline, once daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection on postnatal day (PND) 30-43. Control animals receive the same volume of vehicle.
Washout
After treatment, animals undergo a 27-day washout period (i.e., until PND70). Also available are animals that do not undergo washout (PND44) and animals that undergo washout periods longer than 27 days (i.e., until PND71, 72, 73 and 110).
Tissue collection
Animals are euthanized under anesthesia and tissues re collected and snap-frozen. In some cases, testing drugs or experimental conditions are applied before tissue collection.