Effects on offspring of chronic maternal methamphetamine exposure

Twenty-five Sprague-Dawley derived rats were administered 1.0, 3.0 or 5.0 mg/kg of methamphetamine HC1 or saline twice daily throughout gestation beginning on Day 1 of pregnancy. Rats were allowed to deliver normally; offspring were culled to 8 and sexed on Day 7, and weaned on Day 21. All females had viable litters except at the 5.0 mg/kg dose where 4 of 7 failed to deliver. The rats given methamphetamine delivered earlier than did controls. Weight gain over gestation decreased as a function of increasing drug dose. No gross anomalies were visible in the offspring. Litter size decreased as a function of increased dose and eye opening was delayed in the drug groups; the 5.0 mg/kg offspring made more conditioned avoidance responses than did the 3.0 mg/kg and saline offspring.