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Published on: August 25, 2014
Effects of prenatal cocaine on behavioral responses to a cocaine challenge on postnatal day 11
J S Meyer1, J D Sherlock, N R Macdonald
1Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003.
Insights
Prenatal cocaine exposure reduced pup sensitivity to postnatal cocaine's effects on wall climbing. Cocaine-exposed offspring also showed increased mortality, suggesting developmental impairments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to substances of abuse can lead to long-term neurodevelopmental consequences.
- Cocaine use during pregnancy is a significant public health concern, impacting fetal development.
- Understanding the behavioral effects of prenatal cocaine exposure is crucial for intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of prenatal cocaine treatment on behavioral responses to a postnatal cocaine challenge.
- To assess alterations in dopaminergic and/or noradrenergic systems following prenatal cocaine exposure.
- To investigate the effects on behaviors such as ultrasonic vocalizations and motor activity.
Main Methods:
- Timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received daily cocaine injections from gestational day 11 to 20.
- Offspring were tested on postnatal day 11 with saline or varying doses of cocaine.
- Behavioral assessments included isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations and locomotor activity (wall climbing).
Main Results:
- Prenatal cocaine exposure significantly reduced the behavioral response to postnatal cocaine challenge, specifically in wall climbing.
- This diminished responsivity may indicate alterations in central dopaminergic and/or noradrenergic systems.
- Increased postnatal mortality was observed in cocaine-exposed pups, while most other behaviors remained unaffected.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal cocaine exposure can lead to reduced behavioral sensitivity to cocaine in early postnatal life.
- Altered maternal-offspring interactions and impaired development may result from prenatal cocaine exposure.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the long-term neurodevelopmental consequences.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prenatal cocaine treatment on behavioral responsivity to a cocaine challenge on postnatal day (PD) 11. Timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected s.c. with 40 mg/kg/day of cocaine (20 mg/kg twice daily) from gestational day 11 to 20. Saline-control females received saline injections and were pair-fed to the cocaine-treated females, whereas untreated-control females were undisturbed and were fed ad lib. Litters were culled to eight pups on PD1 and fostered to normal lactating dams. On PD 11, subjects were given either saline or cocaine (1.25, 2.5, or 5.0 mg/kg s.c.) and then tested 15 min later for isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations and other behaviors. Prenatal cocaine-treated pups showed a reduced sensitivity to the stimulating effect of postnatal cocaine on wall climbing, which may reflect an underlying alteration in central dopaminergic and/or noradrenergic systems. Most of the other behaviors studied, including ultrasonic vocalizations, were unaffected by prenatal cocaine administration. However, one other notable finding was an increase in postnatal mortality among the cocaine-exposed pups. We hypothesize that prenatal cocaine treatment may alter pup behavior so as to produce abnormal maternal-offspring interactions and impaired development in some individuals.
