Prenatal amphetamine exposure alters behavioral reactivity to amphetamine in rats

In utero exposure to psychostimulants produces neurobehavioral alterations in the offspring of laboratory animals. Most amphetamine-related behavioral changes have been related to changes in the monoamine transmission levels, where monoamines may act as developmental regulatory substances for matura...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neurotoxicology and teratology 2003-09, Vol.25 (5), p.579-585
Main Author: Tan, Soon-Eng
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustic startle response
Amphetamine - toxicity
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Biological and medical sciences
Body Constitution
Body Weight
Central Nervous System Stimulants - toxicity
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Drug addictions
Eating
Female
Male
Medical sciences
Neural Inhibition - drug effects
Pregnancy
Prenatal amphetamine exposure
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Reflex, Acoustic - drug effects
Stereotyped behavior
Stereotyped Behavior - drug effects
Time Factors
Toxicology
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Summary:In utero exposure to psychostimulants produces neurobehavioral alterations in the offspring of laboratory animals. Most amphetamine-related behavioral changes have been related to changes in the monoamine transmission levels, where monoamines may act as developmental regulatory substances for maturation of neuronal population. This study investigates the effect of prenatal-amphetamine exposure on the offspring's behavioral responses under amphetamine conditioning settings. Pregnant female rats were injected (subcutaneous) with amphetamine or saline during the pregnancy [gestation day (GD) 8 until parturition day]. The prenatal amphetamine exposure resulted in significantly decreased birth weights. The offspring from the saline group displayed a significantly lower number of stereotyped behaviors across the four challenge doses of amphetamine injections. Offspring from the amphetamine-treated prenatal group displayed significantly increased average startle amplitude compared to the controlled offspring. Moreover, offspring from amphetamine-treated prenatal group showed significantly less inhibition for the prepulse startle trials compared to those of the offspring from saline group. These results, taken together, indicate that the prenatally exposed rats displayed a significantly different profile of behavioral reactivity upon amphetamine challenges.
ISSN:0892-0362
1872-9738
DOI:10.1016/S0892-0362(03)00047-3