PRENATAL COCAINE EXPOSURE PRODUCES GENDER-SPECIFIC MOTOR EFFECTS IN AGED RATS

Citation
Vp. Markowski et al., PRENATAL COCAINE EXPOSURE PRODUCES GENDER-SPECIFIC MOTOR EFFECTS IN AGED RATS, Neurotoxicology and teratology, 20(1), 1998, pp. 43-53
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences,Toxicology
ISSN journal
08920362
Volume
20
Issue
1
Year of publication
1998
Pages
43 - 53
Database
ISI
SICI code
0892-0362(1998)20:1<43:PCEPGM>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
This investigation employed a longitudinal analysis of a complex motor skill in rats that were exposed prenatally to cocaine. Offspring were derived from four maternal treatment groups: 50 mg/kg cocaine, their pair-fed controls, 25 mg/kg cocaine, and freely fed controls. Cocaine was administered via gavage from gestation day 6-20. A maternal foster ing procedure was used. Pairs of male and female littermates began tra ining when 9, 13, or 19 months old. The behavioral procedure involved fixed-ratio (FR) lever pressing to obtain brief periods of wheel runni ng. The oldest males from the 50 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, and pair-fed groups performed significantly fewer wheel revolutions per opportunity than f emales or freely fed males. In general, animals earned fewer opportuni ties to run as the FR requirement was increased over sessions. However , within each age-by-gender group, subjects from the four treatment gr oups performed equivalent amounts of lever pressing. The specific effe ct on the motor aspect of the procedure may have resulted from a reduc tion of motor coordination, balance, or strength, or a diminished capa city of wheel running to serve as a reinforcing stimulus in a cocaine- sensitive subgroup. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.