Prenatal amphetamine exposure alters behavioral reactivity to amphetamine in rats

In utero exposure to psychostimulants produces neurobehavioral alterations in the offspring of laboratory animals. Most amphetamine-related behavioral changes have been related to changes in the monoamine transmission levels, where monoamines may act as developmental regulatory substances for maturation of neuronal population. This study investigates the effect of prenatal-amphetamine exposure on the offspring's behavioral responses under amphetamine conditioning settings. Pregnant female rats were injected (subcutaneous) with amphetamine or saline during the pregnancy [gestation day (GD) 8 until parturition day]. The prenatal amphetamine exposure resulted in significantly decreased birth weights. The offspring from the saline group displayed a significantly lower number of stereotyped behaviors across the four challenge doses of amphetamine injections. Offspring from the amphetamine-treated prenatal group displayed significantly increased average startle amplitude compared to the controlled offspring. Moreover, offspring from amphetamine-treated prenatal group showed significantly less inhibition for the prepulse startle trials compared to those of the offspring from saline group. These results, taken together, indicate that the prenatally exposed rats displayed a significantly different profile of behavioral reactivity upon amphetamine challenges.