Prenatal exposure to cocaine II: Effects on open-field activity and cognitive behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats

Johns, Josephine M.; Means, Michael J.; Anderson, Deborah R.; Means, Larry W.; McMillen, Brian A.

doi:10.1016/0892-0362(92)90041-8

Cited by 75 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Rodent studies suggest that offspring exposed prenatally to cocaine exhibit signs of behavioral abnormalities including increased "emotionality" and neophobia (5,8), and aggression towards an intruder (9). Though these studies employed cross-fostered Copyright © 1995 offspring, another recent study found that untreated offspring fostered to cocaine-treated mothers also displayed higher levels of shock-elicited aggression (6), suggesting a possible postnatal environmental influence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the previous findings of abnormal behavioral responses of fear and aggression in male rats upon reaching puberty or adulthood, respectively (8,9), the present study was undertaken to determine if these kinds of behaviors changes were task or sex related. We hypothesized that the appearance of the behaviors would be age related and that females as well as males would show abnormal behavioral development following exposure to prenatal cocaine.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Prenatal cocaine exposure affects social behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats

Johns

Noonan

1995

Neurotoxicology and Teratology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Children prenatally exposed to cocaine are reported to exhibit inappropriate social behavior, including aggression. We have recently observed a similar phenomenon in rats prenatally exposed to cocaine. Pregnant females were injected twice daily with 15 mg/kg cocaine hydrochloride or saline on gestation days l-20. Offspring were tested for social behavior towards two unfamiliar, untreated rats of the same age and sex. Cocaine-treated males (90 PND) took longer to reciprocate contact and cocaine-treated females (60 PND) spent more time rough grooming unfamiliar females. Male cocaine offspring (180 PND) tested for aggression exhibited an increased frequency and duration and decreased latency to chase an intruder. ACTH was lower in cocaine-treated males (150-180 PND) following plus-maze exposure or exposure to an unfamiliar male. Our data indicate that prenatal cocaine treatment in rats increases fear or aggression responses, dependent on sex and stimulus situation. KeywordsCocaine; Prenatal; Development; Social behavior; Aggression; ACTH; HPA axisThe Alarming rise of cocaine abuse among pregnant women has promoted much concern over the potential behavioral effects on prenatally exposed neonates and infants (4,20). Offspring of mothers that have abused cocaine during pregnancy have exhibited signs of increased irritability and altered state lability as newborns (2,3). Research has also shown that young children prenatally exposed to cocaine are somewhat aggressive, show poor social attachment, and display abnormal play behavior in unstructured environments (7,18). These data are suggestive of a cocaine-induced, abnormal development of socioemotional behavior. However, mothers who have abused cocaine during pregnancy have been shown to bond poorly to their infants (1), making it difficult to determine if the origin of these deficits occur as a direct result of cocaine acting on the developing fetus, being raised in an unstable or abusive environment in which parental drug abuse may be prevalent, or a combination thereof.Recent animal research on the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure has begun to focus on behaviors that appear to be similar to the behaviors exhibited by human offspring prenatally exposed to cocaine. Rodent studies suggest that offspring exposed prenatally to cocaine exhibit signs of behavioral abnormalities including increased "emotionality" and neophobia (5,8), and aggression towards an intruder (9). Though these studies employed cross-fostered Copyright © 1995 offspring, another recent study found that untreated offspring fostered to cocaine-treated mothers also displayed higher levels of shock-elicited aggression (6), suggesting a possible postnatal environmental influence.Based on the previous findings of abnormal behavioral responses of fear and aggression in male rats upon reaching puberty or adulthood, respectively (8,9), the present study was undertaken to determine if these kinds of behaviors changes were task or sex related. We hypothesized that the appearance of the behaviors w...

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal cocaine exposure affects social behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats

Johns

Noonan

1995

Neurotoxicology and Teratology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The success criterion for adults was more stringent as well so comparisons between juvenile and adult rates are tentative at best. We chose to test PND 60 males at an age that has not been extensively studied with regard to pup-induced maternal behavior in young adults [24] but is an age with strong evidence of various social and behavioral differences following cocaine exposure or rearing by cocaine treated dams [8,[17][18][19]21,33]. Had we chosen ages and paradigms more typical of the general postpartum maternal behavior literature, perhaps we would have seen different effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Intermittent saline-treated dams received normal saline (0.9%) on the same injection schedule as the IC dams. The intermittent schedule was modeled after a previous study examining behavioral effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on offspring [19] and is designed to model intermittent usage patterns in humans. The IC treatment regimen was employed in addition to the CC treatment as previous research indicated differences in maternal behavior following either acute or intermittent cocaine treatment in dams [20,23,25,50,55] accompanied by differences in oxytocin (OT) system dynamics following the different treatment regimens [7,22].…”

Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cocaine disrupts pup-induced maternal behavior in juvenile and adult rats

Johns

McMurray

Hofler

et al. 2007

Neurotoxicology and Teratology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Impaired onset of maternal behavior in first generation rat dams was previously correlated with rearing by cocaine-treated dams and prenatal cocaine exposure. Pup-induced maternal behavior in non-lactating rats has not been examined with regard to cocaine exposure and rearing conditions. First generation male and female juveniles and young adult males reared by cocaine-treated or control dams and prenatally exposed to either cocaine or control conditions were tested for pup-induced maternal behavior at postnatal days 28 and 60. We now report disruptions in pup-induced maternal behavior in both 28 and 60 day old first generation offspring attributable to rearing condition and prenatal cocaine exposure.

show abstract

“…Prenatal cocaine exposure disrupts many social/aggressive behaviors across development, and effects seem to manifest during stressful conditions (Johns et al, 1992b;Johns et al, 1992a;Johns and Noonan, 1995;Overstreet et al, 2000). If the stress response were a trigger for oxytocin mRNA changes, it would be extremely important to find a mechanism underlying abnormal stress responses in offspring prenatally exposed to cocaine.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of gestational cocaine treatment or prenatal cocaine exposure on early postpartum oxytocin mRNA levels and receptor binding in the rat

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Prior research reported decreased oxytocin levels in specific brain regions correlated with disruptions in maternal care following gestational cocaine treatment in rats. Similarly, prenatal exposure to cocaine impaired subsequent maternal behavior in adulthood, but behavioral alterations were not associated with decreases in oxytocin levels in the same brain regions as were found in their cocainetreated rat dams. To determine if other aspects of the oxytocin system are disrupted by cocaine treatment or prenatal exposure to cocaine during critical time points associated with maternal care, oxytocin mRNA transcription and receptor binding were examined on postpartum day two in relevant brain regions following gestational treatment with, or prenatal exposure to, either cocaine or saline. We hypothesized that oxytocin mRNA levels and receptor binding would be differentially affected by cocaine in the early postpartum period of dams and their offspring. Our findings indicate that gestational cocaine treatment resulted in significant increases in oxytocin mRNA levels in only the paraventricular nucleus of cocaine-treated dams, with almost significant increases in both generations in the supraoptic nucleus, but no significant effects of cocaine on receptor binding in either generation of dams. These findings indicate that in addition to oxytocin levels, cocaine treatment or prenatal exposure primarily affects oxytocin mRNA synthesis, with little effect on receptor binding in specific brain regions associated with maternal behavior in the early postpartum period of the rat.

show abstract

Prenatal exposure to cocaine II: Effects on open-field activity and cognitive behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats

Cited by 75 publications

References 28 publications

Prenatal cocaine exposure affects social behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats

Prenatal cocaine exposure affects social behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats

Cocaine disrupts pup-induced maternal behavior in juvenile and adult rats

Impact of gestational cocaine treatment or prenatal cocaine exposure on early postpartum oxytocin mRNA levels and receptor binding in the rat

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About