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Prenatal nicotine exposure and behavior
V Rossi1, T Messenger, D Peters
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|March 6, 2004
Summary
Prenatal nicotine exposure in hamsters altered the arginine vasopressin (AVP) system. This may explain changes in scent-marking behaviors observed in offspring exposed to nicotine before birth.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Biology
- Developmental Toxicology
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to nicotine is linked to behavioral changes in offspring.
- Flank marking behavior in golden hamsters is a key scent-marking behavior.
- Arginine vasopressin (AVP) neurons in the hypothalamus regulate flank marking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of prenatal nicotine exposure on the vasopressinergic system.
- To determine the relationship between nicotine exposure and flank marking behavior regulation.
Main Methods:
- Golden hamsters were exposed to nicotine prenatally.
- The vasopressinergic system in the hypothalamus was analyzed.
- Flank marking behavior was assessed in the offspring.
Main Results:
- Prenatal nicotine exposure altered the expression and function of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the hypothalamus.
- These neurochemical changes correlated with modifications in flank marking behavior.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal nicotine exposure disrupts the neurobiological underpinnings of scent-marking behavior.
- The vasopressinergic system is a potential target for nicotine-induced behavioral alterations in offspring.