Cocaine exposure prebreeding to weaning: maternal and offspring effects

In a model emphasizing prebreeding cocaine administration, rats exposed to cocaine (50 mg/kg) daily were compared to saline-injected and noninjected controls with respect to weight changes, food and water intake, maternal behavior, offspring weight, and activity. During the first 21 days cocaine-treated dams lost weight, while the control dams gained. Throughout gestation and the first 14 days of lactation all groups gained weight, but the cocaine-exposed dams never completely recovered from the initial anorectic effect. Except during the first week of exposure, cocaine dams ate and drank more than the normal controls and drank more than the saline group. During gestation there was no difference in food intake, although the cocaine dams continued to drink more than controls. During lactation there were no differences in food and water consumption across groups. However, the cocaine dams exhibited more nursing behavior. From birth to day 21, the offspring of cocaine-treated dams were smaller than those of either control group. By 51 days of age, group differences had disappeared. Cocaine-exposed pups and saline offspring tested at days 28 and 85 were more active than those of noninjected controls. The results indicate that administration of cocaine for a period prior to breeding and during gestation and lactation, a protocol which closely resembles human drug abuse patterns, is more devastating than the administration during gestation.