Chronic low-dose cocaine treatment during adolescence facilitates aggression in hamsters

Cocaine abuse Juring adolescence represents a significant health risk becau se of the potential fur both acute and long-term negative physical and psyc hological sequclae, including increased aggressive behavior. This study exa mined the effects of chronic adolescent cocaine exposure on aggression in a n animal model. It was hypothesized that chronic cocaine exposure during ad olescence predisposes animals to heightened levels of aggressive behavior. To test this hypothesis, adolescent male golden hamsters (Mesocricetus aura tus) were administered cocaine hydrochloride during their entire adolescent development (Postnatal Days 27-54) and then tested for offensive aggressio n using the resident-intruder model. Animals treated with low-dose cocaine during adolescence showed significantly elevated measures of offensive aggr ession (i.e., increased number of bites, attacks, and decreased latencies t o bite), whereas measures of social communication, sexual motivation and mo tor activity remained constant. Cocaine-treated animals did not differ in b ody weight gain from controls, suggesting no dramatic physiological effects of adolescent cocaine exposure on body growth at the doses tested. (C) 200 0 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.