Somatostatin receptors increase in the olfactory bulb of developing pups after perinatal exposure to cocaine
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M N Rodríguez-Sánchez1, E Arilla
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical School, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
Insights
Prenatal cocaine exposure alters somatostatin levels in rat pup olfactory bulbs. Both prenatal and nursing exposure affect somatostatin receptors, impacting olfactory bulb development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to substances like cocaine can significantly impact neurodevelopment.
- Somatostatin is a crucial neuropeptide involved in neuronal development and function.
- The olfactory bulb is a primary brain region for processing sensory information and is sensitive to early-life exposures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of chronic prenatal and/or postnatal cocaine exposure on somatostatin concentration and receptors in rat pup olfactory bulbs.
- To determine how different exposure windows (prenatal, postnatal, or combined) influence these neurochemical parameters.
Main Methods:
- Wistar rats were administered daily doses of cocaine hydrochloride (40 mg/kg) during specific gestational and/or postpartum periods.
- Somatostatin concentrations and somatostatin receptor characteristics (number and affinity) were measured in olfactory bulb tissue at birth and at 15 days postpartum.
- Control groups received no cocaine exposure.
Main Results:
- Fetal cocaine exposure reduced somatostatin concentrations in newborns, while combined prenatal-postnatal exposure increased them.
- Cocaine exposure solely during lactation did not alter somatostatin levels.
- Gestational or nursing period exposure increased the total number of somatostatin receptors and decreased their affinity in the olfactory bulb.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal and/or nursing period exposure to cocaine can disrupt the normal development of somatostatin systems in the rat olfactory bulb.
- These alterations in somatostatin concentration and receptors may have long-term implications for olfactory system development and function.
- The timing of cocaine exposure is critical in determining the specific effects on neurochemical development.
Abstract:
The effects of chronic prenatal and/or postnatal exposure to cocaine on somatostatin concentration and receptors were studied in the olfactory bulbs of rat pups at birth and at 15 days old. Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously with single daily doses of 40 mg cocaine hydrochloride/kg from days 7 to 19 of gestation, from day 7 of gestation to day 15 postpartum or from parturation to day 15 postpartum. Fetal exposure to cocaine decreased SS concentrations in the olfactory bulb of the newborn pups while prenatal-plus-postnatal exposure increased this parameter. Administration of cocaine only during lactation did not induce any change. Exposure during gestation or during nursing induced an increase in the total number of somatostatin receptors and a decrease in the affinity constant in the olfactory bulb of newborn and 15-day-old pups. These results suggest that the development of somatostatin receptors in the olfactory bulb can be altered by prenatal and/or nursing period exposure to cocaine.