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Recent studies suggest that calcium influx via L-type calcium channels is necessary for psychostimulant-induced behavioral sensitization. In addition, chronic amphetamine upregulates subtype Cav1.2-containing L-type calcium channels. In the present studies, we assessed the effect of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) on cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and determined whether the functional activity of L-type calcium channels is altered after repeated cocaine administration. Rats were administered daily intraperitoneal injections of either flunarizine (40 mg/kg), diltiazem (40 mg/kg) or cocaine (20 mg/kg) and the combination of the CCBs and cocaine for 30 days. Motor activities were monitored on Day 1, and every 6th day during the 30-day treatment period. Daily cocaine administration produced increased locomotor activity. Maximal augmentation of behavioral response to repeated cocaine administration was observed on Day 18. Flunarizine pretreatment abolished the augmented behavioral response to repeated cocaine administration while diltiazem was less effective. Measurement of tissue monoamine levels on Day 18 revealed cocaine-induced increases in DA and 5-HT in the nucleus accumbens. By contrast to behavioral response, diltiazem was more effective in attenuating increases in monoamine levels than flunarizine. Cocaine administration for 18 days produced increases in calcium uptake in synaptosomes prepared from the nucleus accumbens and frontal cortex. Increases in calcium uptake were abolished by flunarizine and diltiazem pretreatment. Taken together, the augmented cocaine-induced behavioral response on Day 18 may be due to increased calcium uptake in the nucleus accumbens leading to increased dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) release. Flunarizine and diltiazem attenuated the behavioral response by decreasing calcium uptake and decreasing neurochemical release.

Cocaine is a widely used drug of abuse and psychostimulant that acts on the central nervous system by blocking the dopamine reuptake sites. PC12 cells, a rat pheochromocytoma clonal line, in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF), multiply and differentiate into competent neurons that can synthesize, store, and secrete the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA). In the present study, we evaluated the effect of increasing doses of cocaine on the expression of immediate early genes (IEGs), c-fos and c-jun, and closely related transcription factors, SP-1 and NF-kbeta, at 24 h after the exposure to cocaine (50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2500 microM) in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells. Cocaine (50-500 microM) resulted in significant induction of the expression of c-fos, c-jun, SP-1, and NF-kbeta. However, higher concentrations of cocaine (1000 and 2500 microM) resulted in the downregulation of these expressions after 24 h. To further understand the role of dose-dependent changes in the mechanisms of cell death, we evaluated the protein expression of apoptotic markers. A concentration-dependent increase in the expression of caspase-9 and -3 was observed up to 500 microM cocaine. However, the higher dose did not show any expression. We also evaluated the effect of increasing doses of cocaine on DA concentration and the expression of dopamine transporter (DAT). A significant dose-dependent decrease in the concentration of DA as well as the expression of DAT was observed 24 h after the exposure of PC12 cells to cocaine. Therefore, in the present study, we reported that cocaine has both upstream and downstream regulatory actions on some IEGs and transcription factors that can regulate the mechanism of cell death, and these effects on gene expression are independent of its action on the dopaminergic system.

Amphetamine analogs such as p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) cause serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotoxicity. The behavioral consequences and the responsiveness to psychostimulants following the neurotoxic insult are unclear. The present study was undertaken to investigate the outcome of neurotoxic and non-neurotoxic PCA pre-treatments on the sensitivity of Swiss Webster mice to the psychomotor stimulating effects of PCA, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and cocaine. PCA (15 mg/kg x 2; i.p.) caused 37-70% depletion of dopaminergic and serotonergic markers in mouse brain. Saline and PCA (15 mg/kg x 2) mice were challenged on days 5, 12, 40 and 74 with one of the following drugs: PCA (5 mg/kg), MDMA (10 mg/kg) and cocaine (20 mg/kg). The PCA pre-exposed mice showed marked locomotor sensitization from days 5-74 to all three drugs tested. The time course of the sensitized response coincided with the time course of the neurotoxic insult as determined by reduced densities of striatal dopamine transporter and frontal cortex serotonin transporter binding sites. A single injection of PCA (5 mg/kg) caused neither neurotoxicity nor sensitization to the locomotor stimulating effects of PCA, MDMA and cocaine. Repeated administration of a low non-neurotoxic dose of PCA (5 mg/kg/day; 6 days) caused a transient locomotor sensitization to PCA that dissipated after one month. Results of the present study suggest that PCA-induced serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotoxicity coincides with long-lasting locomotor sensitization to psychostimulants. These findings may be relevant to the psychopathology of amphetamines-induced neurotoxicity.

Acute cocaine can inhibit catecholamine biosynthesis by regulating the enzymatic activity of tyrosine hydroxylase via alterations in the phosphorylation state of the enzyme. The mechanisms underlying acute cocaine-dependent regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation have not been determined. In this study, 0, 15 or 30 mg/kg cocaine was administered intraperitoneally to rats and the phosphorylation state of tyrosine hydroxylase in the brain was examined using antibodies specific for the phosphorylated forms of serine-19, -31 and -40 in tyrosine hydroxylase. In the caudate and nucleus accumbens, cocaine dose-dependently decreased the levels of phosphorylated serine-19, -31 and -40. In the ventral tegmental area, the levels of phosphorylated serine-19, but not serine-31 and -40, were decreased by 15 and 30 mg/kg cocaine. In the amygdala, the levels of phosphorylated serine-19, but not serine-31 or -40, were decreased. The functional effects of these alterations in phosphorylation state were assessed by measuring tyrosine hydroxylase activity in vivo (accumulation of DOPA after administration of the decarboxylase inhibitor NSD-1015). Acute administration of 30 mg/kg cocaine significantly decreased l-DOPA production in caudate and accumbens but not in amygdala. These data suggest that the phosphorylation of serine-31 or -40, but not serine-19, is involved in the regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity by acute cocaine.

Quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) studies in cocaine-dependent human patients show deficits in slow-wave brain activity, reflected in diminished EEG power in the delta and theta frequency bands. In the present study, electrophysiological measures were monitored in 10 nonanesthetized, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats via bipolar, epidural electrodes implanted over the somatosensory cortex. Control electrocorticograms (ECoG) were recorded twice within a two-week interval to establish a baseline. Rats were subsequently injected daily with cocaine HCl at 15 mg/kg, i.p., for two weeks. The ECoG was recorded during a 1-h session one day after the last injection. Total concentrations of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites were assayed in caudate nucleus (CN) and frontal cortex (FC) using HPLC/EC. Compared with controls, marked increases in DA concentrations were observed in both regions. The DA turnover decreased significantly. The power spectra, obtained by use of a fast Fourier transformation, revealed a significant decrease in slow-wave delta frequency bands following repeated exposure to cocaine. These data are consistent with reported findings in humans that repeated exposures to cocaine result in a decrease in slow-wave brain activity. Further studies are necessary to establish whether regional alterations in blood flow and metabolic activity may underlie such observations.

The psychoactive indole alkaloid, ibogaine (IBO), has been investigated for over a decade concerning its reported anti-addictive properties for opioids as well as psychomotor stimulants. The mechanism for the anti-addictive action of IBO is still unclear. IBO interactions with opioid, NMDA, nicotinic, adrenergic, and serotonergic receptor sites have been suggested. The involvement of the dopaminergic system in IBO action is well documented. Increased or decreased levels of dopamine (DA) in specific brain regions following IBO pretreatment have been seen concomitantly with increased or decreased motor activity after subsequent amphetamine or cocaine administration. In this report, in vivo electrophysiological measures were monitored in awake adult male rats in order to investigate alterations of the electrocorticogram (ECoG) resulting from interactions between IBO and cocaine (COC). Rats were implanted bilaterally with bipolar ECoG electrodes. They were either injected with saline, COC alone (20 mg/kg, i.p.) or IBO (50 mg/kg, i.p.) and COC 1 hr later. The concentrations of DA, 5-HT, and their metabolites DOPAC, HVA, and 5-HIAA were assessed in the caudate nucleus in separate groups of saline-, COC-, and IBO/COC-treated rats. An alpha1 power increase was observed within 10 min after COC injection, which lasted for less than 20 min. A desynchronization over alpha2 and both beta power bands was observed throughout the recording. In IBO/COC-treated rats, a significant increase in delta, theta, and alpha1 power occurred within 20 min after COC injection (p <0.05). This effect lasted for up to an hour. DA levels significantly increased after COC only and decreased after IBO administration. A further decrease in levels of DA was observed in IBO/COC-treated rats. DA turnover increased significantly after IBO alone but was not observed after IBO/COC treatment. The alterations in ECoG and neurotransmitter levels suggest a decreased response to COC following IBO pretreatment.

Play behaviours are exhibited by many mammalian species. The similarity of such behaviour across children, non-human primates and rats makes it an especially appropriate target for the investigation of drug- or toxicant-induced disruption. In this study the acute effects of cocaine on play behaviour in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats was assessed. Same-sex dyads of rats (postnatal day 35-36) were separated 24 h prior to testing. On the following day, one or both rats of the dyad were injected with the same dose of cocaine (0, 2.5, 5.0 or 20.00 mg/kg). Thirty minutes later the rats were placed together and, after 5 min of habituation, the frequency of pins and crawl-overs were measured for each subject. In dyads in which both rats were treated, crawl-overs and pinning behaviour were decreased by 20 mg/kg cocaine. In dyads in which only one rat was treated, there was marginal effect of cocaine treatment on pinning frequency, while crawl-overs were unaffected. Pinning frequency was not sexually dimorphic in either type of dyad; however, crawl-overs were more frequently exhibited by females in dyads in which only one rat was treated. Thus, pinning behaviour in juvenile rats appears somewhat more sensitive to cocaine-induced disruption than crawl-over behaviours. Additionally, the presence of an untreated rat appears to attenuate the play-disrupting effects of cocaine on pinning frequency.

The blockade of dopamine (DA) uptake via the dopamine transporter (DAT) in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and striatum by cocaine has a major role in the reinforcing and psychomotor stimulating effects of the drug. Here we investigated the effect of the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on the expression and induction of sensitization to the locomotor stimulating effect of cocaine. MPTP (20 mg/kg x 4) caused 72 and 76% depletion of DAT sites in the NAC and striatum, respectively, in C57BL/6 mice. The magnitude of this depletion 3 and 19 days after MPTP administration was the same. To determine the effect of MPTP on the expression of the sensitized response to cocaine, cocaine-experienced mice (20 mg/kg for 5 days) received MPTP 3 days before a challenge cocaine injection was given on day 15. Cocaine/MPTP mice were significantly more sensitive to the challenge cocaine injection than the cocaine/saline-pretreated mice. To determine whether depletion of NAC and striatal DAT affects the induction of sensitization to cocaine, mice were pretreated with MPTP 3 days before the administration of cocaine (20 mg/kg for 5 days). The magnitude of the sensitized response of MPTP/cocaine-pretreated mice to cocaine challenge was the same as the sensitized response of mice treated with saline/cocaine, while the number of DAT binding sites in the MPTP/cocaine group was significantly lower than the saline/cocaine group. The present study indicates that MPTP exacerbates the expression of locomotor sensitization to cocaine, but it had no effect on the induction of sensitization. We conclude that the expression, but not the induction, of locomotor sensitization to cocaine may be dependent on the level of DAT binding sites.

In brain, nitric oxide (NO) is considered as a retrograde messenger involved in synaptic plasticity. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether mice lacking the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene are protected from cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization. Mice were administered, IP. either saline or cocaine (15 mg/kg) for 5 days. Sensitization was determined as an increase in cocaine-induced locomotor activity on day 5 compared with day 1 and an amplified response of cocaine-experienced mice to a challenge cocaine injection given after a 10-day drug free period (e.g., on day 15). To investigate the development of a context-dependent locomotion (conditioning), the responses of cocaine- and saline-experienced mice to a saline injection were determined on day 17. Male homozygote nNOS(-/-) mice were sensitive to the acute effect of cocaine (15 mg/kg) on day 1; however, they developed neither a sensitized response to cocaine (on day 5 and 15) nor a conditioned locomotion. Female homozygote nNOS(-/-) mice neither were responsive to 15 mg/kg cocaine on day 1,5 and 15, nor did they develop a conditioned locomotion. In contrast, the same cocaine regimen delivered to male and female heterozygote nNOS(+/-) mice, and wild type mice (B6 J/sv129, C57BL/6 and sv129) resulted in sensitization to cocaine-induced locomotor activity and context-dependent locomotion. Investigation of [3H]cocaine disposition in the striatum and frontal cortex of the mice revealed neither gender nor strain differences in the drug disposition. Also, no major difference in striatal dopaminergic markers between homozygote nNOS(-/-) and wild type mice was observed. The most significant distinction, however, was the finding that nNOS(-/-) mice are completely deficient in striatal nNOS binding sites. Taken together, our results suggest that the resistance of homozygote nNOS(-/-) mice to cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization is primarily due to the deletion of the nNOS gene. Considering the role of NO in synaptic plasticity, it is conceivable that reduced brain NOS activity blunts the processes that underlie the development of sensitization to cocaine.

Cocaine is a widely abused psychomotor stimulant which acts in the central nervous system (CNS) by blocking the reuptake site. It has been estimated that between 30-60 million people have abused cocaine in the United States. Unfortunately, an effective therapy for cocaine abuse is not available. The calcium channel antagonists (CCAs) are commonly used in the therapy of various cardiovascular diseases and are under investigation due to their potential in modulating calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of isradipine on cocaine-induced locomotor and stereotypic activity and correlate the changes in dopamine, serotonin and their metabolites--dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), AND 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)--levels in the rat brain. Animals were pretreated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with vehicle or CCAs. After 30 minutes they were administered cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.). During this period, motor and stereotypic activity was monitored. In a separate experiment, animals were dosed as described above and were sacrificed by decapitation after the 30-minute treatment period. The nucleus accumbens and caudate nucleus were dissected and analyzed for monoamines using a high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD). Isradipine (5mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited cocaine-induced locomotor and stereotypic activity by 49% and 36%, respectively, as compared to controls. In the nucleus accumbens cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) increased extracellular dopamine and serotonin levels in the nucleus accumbens by 8% while decreasing serotonin levels by 9%. Cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) produced increased levels of both extracellular dopamine and serotonin (9% and 4%, respectively) in the caudate nucleus. Isradipine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) pretreatment decreased cocaine (20 mg/kg i.p.)-induced extracellular dopamine and serotonin levels in the caudate nucleus by 18% and 8%, respectively. These experiments suggest that a central mechanism may involved in attenuation of cocaine-induced motor behaviors by isradipine.

Ibogaine may have antiaddiction potential against alcohol, psychostimulant and opiate abuse, but its mechanism of action is unclear. Ibogaine, however, has been demonstrated in numerous studies to have effects in multiple central nervous system (CNS) neurotransmitters systems. We are using in vitro and in vivo systems to study the effects of cocaine and whether these effects can be blocked by ibogaine. For the in vivo studies, we first determined the acute and subacute effects of ibogaine (1-5.0 mg/kg) in mice using the plus-maze test. Acutely increasing doses of ibogaine produced a reduced aversion to the open arms. The subacute administration provoked a variable response which was characterized by fluctuations in aversive and antiaversive behavior of the animals to the open arms of the plus-maze during the 14-day treatment period. A separate group of mice received 1.0 mg/kg cocaine for 14 days, and upon abrupt cessation from cocaine treatment, ibogaine 2.5 mg/kg was administered to a subgroup of these mice. Ibogaine reversed the withdrawal aversions produced by the abrupt cessation from cocaine administration. For the in vitro studies, the expression and activity of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms and Ca2+ levels were examined following the incubation of PC 12 cells with cocaine. This is because PKC plays a key role in a number of cellular and neuronal functions. We report that cocaine disrupts signal transduction in PC 12 cells by altering the expression and activity of PKC isoforms and Ca2+ levels. The data obtained suggest (1) that the PC 12 cells may be useful in studying the neurobiology of abused drugs, like cocaine in vitro, (2) that if anxiety is a factor in drug dependency, then the antiaddictive property of ibogaine in vivo may be associated with modifying the CNS neurotransmission that may be involved in anxiety. It remains to be determined whether the signaling involving PKC is important in the antiaddictive properties of ibogaine.

Gestational cocaine (COC) exposure has been reported to alter behavior and possibly dopamine (DA) receptors. In this paper, we further examined the effects of prenatal COC (40 mg/kg, s.c.) on DA receptor binding and the behavioral response to quinpirole, a DA D2 receptor agonist. In an attempt to elucidate possible mechanisms of such effects, we exposed pregnant dams to specific reuptake blockers; fluoxetine 12.5 mg/kg, a serotonin reuptake blocker; desipramine 10 mg/kg, a norepinephrine reuptake blocker; GBR-12909 10 mg/kg, a DA reuptake blocker; or to a local anesthetic, lidocaine 40 mg/kg. Drugs were administered once daily over gestational days 8-20. Control dams were injected with saline (SAL) or pair-fed to the COC group. Quinpirole challenge was performed in the offspring on post natal day 19. Two pups per litter were injected (s.c.) with 0.03 or 0.09 mg/kg quinpirole-HCl on post-natal day 19. The remaining pups in each litter were sacrificed for analysis of striatal DA receptors. Results showed that only COC exposure altered the behavioral response to the quinpirole challenge by increasing quinpirole-induced stereotypy and motor activity relative to SAL controls. DA receptor analysis showed no alteration in K(D) or B(MAX) for striatal D1 or D2 sites in any group. These results suggest that prenatal COC exposure produces alterations in function of the D2 receptor complex which are not reflected in K(D) or B(MAX) and that these effects are not fully mimicked by exposure to specific monoamine reuptake blockers or a local anesthetic.

The behavioral teratogenic effects of prenatal cocaine administration in Wistar rats were assessed in dams treated throughout gestation via oral gavage with either 0 or 80 mg/kg of cocaine. A pair-fed (PF) cohort group for the 80-mg/kg dose was used to control for an anorexic effect of cocaine. Alterations in the dopaminergic system at maturity were evaluated using pharmacological challenges with amphetamine and cocaine and by measuring D1 and D2 receptor binding in the nucleus accumbens and caudate nucleus. No significant difference among the offspring of the treatment groups was found in amphetamine-induced locomotion. A cocaine-based conditioned taste aversion was established in all offspring, but no significant effect of prenatal cocaine treatment was seen. Dopamine receptor binding was not significantly influenced by prenatal treatment, although a decreased D1 binding in the caudate nucleus of the prenatal cocaine rats approached significance.

There is a growing consensus that the development of the eye is affected by prenatal exposure to cocaine. Considering that the retina is affected by prenatal cocaine exposure, that this drug affects the dopaminergic systems, that the dopaminergic cells in the retina show a well-defined pattern of development and that they can be specifically stained in wholemounts by the antibody anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), this study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of in utero cocaine exposure on the dopaminergic cells of the rat retina. Pregnant Wistar rats were given 60 mg (kg body weight)-1 day-1 of cocaine hydrochloride, subcutaneously, from gestational days 8 to 22. Control groups of pregnant rats were pair-fed. At PND14, 30 and 90, male offspring from different litters were perfused with fixative and the retinas processed as wholemounts and immunostained with the antibody anti-TH. Rats from other groups were decapitated at the same post-natal ages, the retinas dissected and processed by neurochemical techniques to measure the concentrations of dopamine, its metabolites and the turnover of dopamine. There was a significant increase of the retina surface area between PND14-30 in the control group, which was not found in the cocaine group. The density of the immunostained small TH cells was lower in the cocaine groups. No drug-effects were detected in the density of the large TH cells. The densities of the total large and small cells in the superior, inferior and nasal hemiretinas were similar to those found in the whole retinas; however, in the temporal hemiretinas of the cocaine groups, the density of the large TH cells was higher and of the small TH cells was lower than in controls, resulting in an absence of effects on the total density of TH-cells in this hemiretina. A transient increase in the level of dopamine metabolite (DOPAC) and of the turnover of dopamine at PND14 was detected in the cocaine groups. All quantitative parameters reached normal values, in all groups, at PND90. These results show that, during the critical periods in which catecholamines can influence the development of neurons, cocaine transiently affects the pattern of dopaminergic neurons in the retina. This may have functional importance due to the role of this neurotransmitter as a regulatory and/or trophic factor in developing neuronal circuitries.

Ibogaine, an indole containing alkaloid, has been shown to reduce the rate of injection of morphine and cocaine in self-administration protocols. Since morphine- and cocaine-induced modulation of dopamine release is impulse dependent and essential for their reinforcing effects, disruption of dopamine neuronal activity by ibogaine could explain its purported 'antiaddictive' properties. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine: (1) the acute effects of ibogaine on the activity of VTA dopamine neurons, and (2) whether ibogaine pretreatment causes a persistent modification of the dopamine neuronal response to morphine and cocaine. Extracellular recordings in anesthetized animals found that intravenous ibogaine markedly excited VTA dopamine neuronal firing. However, ibogaine pretreatment (6-8 hr and 19 hr before) failed to alter either the spontaneous activity of VTA neurons, or the response of these dopamine neurons to morphine or cocaine. Thus, ibogaine's excitatory effect on VTA neurons is not long-lasting nor does it persistently alter cocaine- or morphine-induced changes in dopamine neuron impulse activity. Therefore, other mechanisms must be explored to account for the proposed antiaddictive properties of ibogaine.

Drugs of abuse, such as phencyclidine (PCP), methamphetamine (METH), and cocaine (COC) are known to affect several behaviors in rats, such as motor activity, stereotypy, and circling. In this study, we evaluated whether these drugs produce circling preferences in the presence or absence of unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced lesions of the caudate nucleus. Adult male CD rats were lesioned with 10 micrograms 6-OHDA/site. Animals were dosed with PCP (15 mg/kg, ip) its congener (+) MK-801 (0.15 mg/kp, ip), METH (2 mg/kg, ip) COC (60 mg/kp, ip), or apomorphine (0.2 mg/kg, ip). Circling preference was recorded in control and lesioned rats for 2 h before animals were sacrificed to determined monoamine levels by HPLC/EC. In control animals, administration of these drugs produced 60-70% left circling. In lesioned animals, these drugs produced 78-90% ipsilateral (toward the lesion) circling, except apomorphine, which produced 60-80% contralateral (away from the lesion) circling. Dopamine (DA) and its metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) concentrations significantly decreased ipsilaterally in lesioned caudate nucleus (CN) and substantia nigra (SN). However, no significant changes were observed in nucleus accumbens (NA) and olfactory tubercles (OT). These data demonstrate that drugs of abuse like PCP, its congener (+) MK-801, METH, and COC produce a greater preference to turn toward the left than the right, a finding similar to that found in human psychosis. Since 6-OHDA lesions enhanced the circling bias and depleted DA and its metabolites DOPAC and HVA, it also suggests that the dopaminergic system may be involved in the circling behavior.

Two experiments were performed to investigate the interactive effects of prenatal coadministration of cocaine hydrochloride (C) and nicotine tartrate (N). Experiment I was designed to determine doses of C and N that could be coadministered without altering maternal gestational parameters and/or fetal viability. Exposure of Sprague-Dawley rats to combined high-dose C (20 mg/kg) and high-dose N (5.0 mg/kg) on gestation days 8-21 was not more toxic to dam or fetus that that of exposure to C alone. Experiment II investigated pregnancy outcome, postnatal development, and behavior of the offspring following drug exposure to either high-dose cocaine (20 mg/kg: CS), high-dose nicotine (5.0 mg/kg: NS), or both (NC) on gestation days 8-21. N was administered by osmotic minipump and C by sc injection. Saline-injected dams, fitted with saline-fitted pumps (SS), and untreated dams, pair-fed (PF) to NC females, served as controls. Alterations in maternal variables were limited to a 10-15% decrease in food consumption in NC and CS groups. Pregnancy outcome and birth statistics were unaffected by prenatal treatment, as was offspring body weight during the first four postnatal weeks. However, the development of surface righting was delayed inC CS pups, and only CS offspring were underresponsive to the stimulatory effects of dopamine agonists on activity and stereotypy. Behavioral responses to N challenge were similar in all groups. In addition, only CS offspring showed altered behavioral responses in a spontaneous alternation task. Treatment effects on dopamine D1 and D2 binding in the caudate nucleus were not observed. The combination of N and C did not exacerbate any of the behavioral changes seen in CS offspring. These results support the hypothesis that C is a behavioral teratogen in rodents, and suggest that in the present model, nicotine can mitigate some of the consequences of in utero exposure to cocaine.

Prenatal exposure to cocaine can result in abnormal neurobehavioral development. This study found an increase in D2 dopamine receptor binding, associated with an increase in ligand affinity, in striatum of weanling rats exposed prenatally to cocaine. There were no changes in D2 receptor binding in nucleus accumbens nor D1 receptor binding in either striatum or nucleus accumbens. Alterations in D2 dopamine receptors may be associated with neurobehavioral alterations following prenatal cocaine exposure.

The pre- and postnatal developmental course of cerebral ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) has been studied in infant rats after treatment of pregnant dams with cocaine. Levels of cocaine attained in brains and serum of embryos were not initially increased over corresponding maternal values, but were more persistent. However, cocaine was not longer detectable in these tissues 4 days after administration. The cerebral ODC level of treated pups was initially depressed and subsequently elevated relative to control values. These changes were apparent at times when cocaine was not detected in the developing brain. Results indicate that a transient exposure to cocaine in utero may lead to prolonged developmental abnormality.