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Prenatal cocaine exposure: effects on play behavior in the juvenile rat
R D Wood1, M D Bannoura, I B Johanson
1Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton 33431.
Insights
Prenatal cocaine exposure in rats significantly reduced social play behavior, specifically "pinning," in young offspring. This developmental effect was observed in both male and female rats, indicating lasting impacts on social interaction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to substances, including cocaine, is a significant public health concern.
- Cocaine's teratogenic effects can impact neurodevelopment and subsequent behavior.
- Understanding the long-term consequences of gestational cocaine exposure is crucial for intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on social play behavior in juvenile rats.
- To assess whether gestational cocaine exposure alters specific social interaction measures like pinning.
Main Methods:
- Sprague-Dawley rat dams were exposed to cocaine hydrochloride (40 mg/kg) or saline during gestation (days 8-20).
- Offspring were pair-fed to control for nutritional effects.
- Social play behavior, measured by instances of pinning, was assessed in pups at 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36 days of age.
Main Results:
- Cocaine-exposed offspring exhibited significantly reduced instances of pinning compared to saline controls.
- Cocaine-exposed rats were more frequently pinned by their littermates, suggesting altered social dynamics.
- No significant differences in developmental milestones like body weight or eye-opening age were observed.
Conclusions:
- Gestational cocaine exposure leads to deficits in social play behavior in juvenile rats.
- These play deficits manifest as reduced active participation (pinning) and increased passive reception (being pinned).
- The findings suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure has lasting neurobehavioral consequences on social interaction.
Abstract:
Prenatal exposure to cocaine has become a growing problem in the United States. This study examined the effects of such exposure on social behavior in young rats. The subjects were offspring of Sprague-Dawley dams exposed to 40 mg/kg cocaine HCl (SC) daily on gestational days 8-20, pair-fed dams injected daily with 0.9% saline, and saline-injected controls. The pups were tested at 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36 days of age for instances of pinning, a reliable measure of play behavior. Although showing no differences on such developmental indices as body weight or age of eye opening, offspring prenatally exposed to cocaine showed significantly less pinning than saline controls and were more likely to be pinned. Although males pinned more than females across the treatment groups, cocaine-exposed rats of both sexes showed play deficits. Gestational cocaine exposure thus appears to result in suppressed levels of play in juvenile rats.
