Cocaine does not influence the teratogenic effects of acute ethanol in mice

The teratogenic effects of the coadministration of alcohol (ethanol) and cocaine to pregnant C57BL/6J mice were investigated using an acute treatment model on gestation day 10 (GD10). The day of mating was designated as GD1. Pregnant mice were assigned to treatment groups generated from a 3(0, 4, 6 g/kg alcohol) x 3 (0, 40, 60 mg/kg cocaine) factorial design to explore possible interactive effects of these commonly abused drugs. Females were treated on GD10 (alcohol gavage followed by SC cocaine injection) and their litters were evaluated on GD19 by cesarean delivery. Two additional free-fed groups, as well as a pair-fed group, were employed. Food and water intake was recorded in treated groups. Results indicated that only the high dose alcohol produced a significant decrease in fetal body weight and a significant elevation of the incidence of kidney and limb malformations. These effects could not be attributed to restricted food intake. Cocaine was not found to produce any significant perturbations of development, either alone or in combination with alcohol. These results suggest that acute prenatal cocaine exposure on GD10 does not produce teratogenic effects when administered alone or in combination with acute alcohol in C57BL/6J mice, at least under the present experimental conditions.