Cocaine induces cell death within the primate fetal cerebral wall

Transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) analysis was used to compare the occurrence of cell death in the cerebral wall of cocaine-exposed and drug-naïve monkey fetuses. The rhesus monkeys providing the drug-exposed fetuses received 10 mg/kg of cocaine orally (in fruit treats) in the morning and in the evening between pregnancy days 50 and 65. The control pregnant animals received fruit treats only. The fetuses were removed for analysis by Caesarean section 10 h after the last cocaine treatment. The sections of the cerebral wall from the cocaine-exposed fetuses contained significantly higher numbers of TUNEL-positive nuclei (counted either per section area or per 1000 unlabeled nuclei) than the matching sections from the drug-naïve fetuses. This elevation in the number of TUNEL-positive cells was observed through the entire depth of the fetal cerebral wall including its proliferative and intermediate zones, cortical plate and the marginal zone. The present study demonstrates that consumption of cocaine during pregnancy can result in increased occurrence of cell death in the developing cerebrum.