Enhanced susceptibility to cocaine- and pentylenetetrazol-induced seizuresin prenatally cocaine-treated rats

We previously reported that prenatal cocaine exposure increased susceptibil ity to cocaine-induced seizures later in life. Here we examine whether this enhanced susceptibility to seizures generalizes to other chemoconvulsants, and whether postnatal cocaine treatment similarly increases susceptibility . Following prenatal cocaine treatment (40 mg/kg; E10-20), both male and fe male rats were more likely to seize to a dose of 30 mg/kg pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) at 2 months of age, although the severity of the seizures observed w as increased only in females, Daily cocaine injections (10-20 mg/kg SC) dur ing the first 10 days after birth also produced effects that were dependent on the sex of the animal. Postnatally cocaine-treated female rats showed n o greater incidence of seizures in response to an acute high dose of cocain e, but did exhibit an increased susceptibility to cocaine-kindled seizures, Male, but not female, postnatally cocaine-treated rats were more susceptib le to PTZ-induced seizures. The increased susceptibility to seizures induce d by two different chemoconvulsants after prenatal cocaine treatment sugges ts that developmental cocaine exposure, particularly during the second trim ester equivalent, alters the balance between excitation and inhibition in t he brain. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc, All rights reserved.