3.5. ON cells from cannabis users have a distinct morphology
Taking into account the proteomic results, we evaluated the potential changes in cell morphology by measuring the area and perimeter occupied by microtubules stained with β-III-Tubulin, as well as the cell shape (Fig. 5). After measuring 100 cells in each sample, there was an increase in size of the cells obtained from cannabis users relative to the controls (t=7.804, p<0.0001, Fig. 5B-D). Furthermore, a high percentage of cells had a roundness value between 2 and 4, with significant differences between groups in this parameter (t = 2.804, p = 0.021, Fig. 5E). These changes in cell morphology might be explained by the alterations in the proteomic assay, with an up-regulation of proteins related to actin cytoskeleton signalling (Fig. 3A). Moreover, we observed an increase in the β-Actin in cells derived from cannabis users when measured in western blots (t=3.254, p=0.031, Fig. 5F-G). Together, these data indicate that the cytoskeleton was altered in cells derived from cannabis users, with consequences for cell size and shape.