Cocaine-induced effects on isolation stress in neonatal rats

The effects of cocaine administration on isolation-induced vocalizations and activity levels in 10-day-old rat pups were examined. Day 10 pups given cocaine (1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, & 20 mg/kg ip) vocalized significantly less than their caffeine- (10 mg/kg) and saline-administered siblings during a 5-min isolation period. Cocaine- and caffeine-administered pups also demonstrated a significant increase in overall activity compared with controls. In addition, intraperitoneal administration of the dopamine antagonist haloperidol (0.5 & 1.0 mg/kg) before 1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg cocaine produced a significant elevation in vocalizations compared with saline pretreatment, which indicates a blocking of cocaine's effect on calling behavior. These results suggest that the endogenous dopamine system involved with reinforcement and reward may quell the stress of isolation in the infant rat.