COCAINE EXPOSURE PREBREEDING TO WEANING - MATERNAL AND OFFSPRING EFFECTS

In a model emphasizing prebreeding cocaine administration, rats expose d to cocaine (50 mg/kg) daily were compared to saline-injected and non injected controls with respect to weight changes, food and water intak e, maternal behavior, offspring weight, and activity. During the first 21 days cocaine-treated dams lost weight, while the control dams gain ed. Throughout gestation and the first 14 days of lactation all groups gained weight, but the cocaine-exposed dams never completely recovere d from the initial anorectic effect. Except during the first week of e xposure, cocaine dams ate and drank more than the normal controls and drank more than the saline group. During gestation there was no differ ence in food intake, although the cocaine darns continued to drink mor e than controls. During lactation there were no differences in food an d 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 d ays of age, group differences had disappeared. Cocaine-exposed pups an d saline offspring tested at days 28 and 85 were more active than thos e of noninjected controls. The results indicate that administration of cocaine for a period prior to breeding and during gestation and lacta tion, a protocol which closely resembles human drug abuse patterns, is more devastating than the administration during gestation.