Repetitive cocaine administration decreases neurogenesis in adult rat hippocampus

Cocaine HCl (20 mg/kg) was administered to adult male rats to investigate the effects of cocaine on neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Proliferation of granule cells in the dentate gyrus was measured by in vivo labeling with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). Rats that received repetitive cocaine treatment for 14 days showed 26% fewer BrdU-positive cells relative to control rats, while no difference was observed in the rats that received a single injection of cocaine. Differentiation of newly born cells was not influenced. The present experiment is the first to demonstrate the influence of cocaine on hippocampal neurogenesis. These data suggest that the regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis may be involved in the emergence of certain symptoms of cocaine addiction, such as cognitive impairment and behavioral sensitization.