Effects of Cocaine-Induced Seizures During Pregnancy in the Rabbit

Murphy, E. H., J. Chon, F. Darvish-Sefat, K. Diven, M. Schumann and J. S. Shumsky. Effects of cocaine-induced seizures during pregnancy in the rabbit. Physiol Behav 62(3) 597–604, 1997.—The effects of chronic administration of cocaine to pregnant rabbits on maternal seizures and on pregnancy outcome...

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Published in:Physiology & behavior 1997-09, Vol.62 (3), p.597-604
Main Authors: Murphy, E.Hazel, Chon, Jun, Darvish-Sefat, Faryal, Diven, Kelly, Schumann, Monica, Shumsky, Jed S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cocaine
Cocaine - pharmacology
Cortex
Development
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Drug addictions
Epilepsy - chemically induced
Female
Male
Medical sciences
Narcotics - pharmacology
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Outcome
Pregnancy, Animal - drug effects
Rabbit
Rabbits
Seizures
Toxicology
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Summary:Murphy, E. H., J. Chon, F. Darvish-Sefat, K. Diven, M. Schumann and J. S. Shumsky. Effects of cocaine-induced seizures during pregnancy in the rabbit. Physiol Behav 62(3) 597–604, 1997.—The effects of chronic administration of cocaine to pregnant rabbits on maternal seizures and on pregnancy outcome were studied. Cocaine (2, 3 or 4 mg/kg/injection) or saline was administered, IV, twice daily, from gestation Day 8 (G8) to G29. There were no significant differences in maternal weight gain or pregnancy outcome between saline control animals and animals given a cocaine dose of 2, 3 or 4 mg/kg/injection. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCSs) were occasionally elicited by the highest dose (4 mg/kg). There were significant individual differences in vulnerability to cocaine-elicited GTCSs in animals given 4 mg/kg/injection. Of this group, 18% were classified as having high vulnerability to seizures, and they experienced a range from 3 to 27 GTCSs. Postnatal mortality of their offspring was significantly increased. The incidence and temporal patterns of GTCSs elicited by chronic, IV cocaine in rabbits, at the doses used, are similar to those reported in human cocaine use. These GTCSs may involve different mechanisms from seizures elicited in other animal studies, in which high doses of cocaine are administered IP or SC. Nevertheless, in our animal model, the GTCSs elicited by prenatal cocaine exposure had no detectable effects on pregnancy outcome (except in the highly vulnerable subgroup).
ISSN:0031-9384
1873-507X
DOI:10.1016/S0031-9384(97)00170-4