Prenatal exposure to cocaine. I: Effects on gestation, development, and activity in Sprague-Dawley rats

Sperm-positive Sprague-Dawley rats received one of four treatments for 20 days beginning within 24 hours of conception. One group received subcutaneous injections of 15 mg/kg cocaine twice daily (Cocaine-D); a second group received 15 mg/kg cocaine twice daily for two consecutive days at 5-day intervals (Cocaine-I); a third group received normal saline twice daily (Saline); and a fourth group received 1.5 mg/kg amfonelic acid (AFA), a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, once daily. Cocaine-D, Cocaine-I, and AFA dams were fed ad lib. An attempt was made to pair-feed the Saline dams with the Cocaine-D dams; however, the Saline dams did not eat as much as the Cocaine-D dams which resulted in dams in all groups essentially eating ad lib. The Cocaine-D pups showed a slightly delayed righting behavior and neophobia at 30 days of age, as evidenced by hypoactivity during the first 15 min of a 6-h activity test. The Cocaine-I pups were hypoactive during the 3-h dark phase of the 6-h activity test when tested at 30 days of age. These effects did not occur in the offspring exposed to AFA, a potent dopamine uptake inhibitor and CNS stimulant which indicate that one or more other sites for cocaine action may combine for its effects on the developing fetus.