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Howard SL, Beaudin SA, Strupp BJ, Smith DR. Maternal choline supplementation lessens the behavioral dysfunction produced by developmental manganese exposure in a rodent model of ADHD. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 102:107337. [PMID: 38423398 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Studies in children have reported associations between elevated manganese (Mn) exposure and ADHD-related symptoms of inattention, impulsivity/hyperactivity, and psychomotor impairment. Maternal choline supplementation (MCS) during pregnancy/lactation may hold promise as a protective strategy because it has been shown to lessen cognitive dysfunction caused by numerous early insults. Our objectives were to determine whether (1) developmental Mn exposure alters behavioral reactivity/emotion regulation, in addition to impairing learning, attention, impulse control, and sensorimotor function, and (2) MCS protects against these Mn-induced impairments. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were given standard diet, or a diet supplemented with additional choline throughout gestation and lactation (GD 3 - PND 21). Male offspring were exposed orally to 0 or 50 mg Mn/kg/day over PND 1-21. In adulthood, animals were tested in a series of learning, attention, impulse control, and sensorimotor tasks. Mn exposure caused lasting dysfunction in attention, reactivity to errors and reward omission, learning, and sensorimotor function, recapitulating the constellation of symptoms seen in ADHD children. MCS lessened Mn-induced attentional dysfunction and partially normalized reactivity to committing an error or not receiving an expected reward but provided no protection against Mn-induced learning or sensorimotor dysfunction. In the absence of Mn exposure, MCS produces lasting offspring benefits in learning, attention, and reactivity to errors. To conclude, developmental Mn exposure produces a constellation of deficits consistent with ADHD symptomology, and MCS offered some protection against the adverse Mn effects, adding to the evidence that maternal choline supplementation is neuroprotective for offspring and improves offspring cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanna L Howard
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Stephane A Beaudin
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Barbara J Strupp
- Division of Nutritional Sciences and Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Donald R Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
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Howard SL, Beaudin SA, Strupp BJ, Smith DR. Maternal choline supplementation lessens the behavioral dysfunction produced by developmental manganese exposure in a rodent model of ADHD. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.23.546356. [PMID: 37425833 PMCID: PMC10327095 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.23.546356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Studies in children have reported associations between elevated manganese (Mn) exposure and ADHD-related symptoms of inattention, impulsivity/hyperactivity, and psychomotor impairment. Maternal choline supplementation (MCS) during pregnancy/lactation may hold promise as a protective strategy because it has been shown to lessen cognitive dysfunction caused by numerous early insults. Our objectives were to determine whether (1) developmental Mn exposure alters behavioral reactivity/emotion regulation, in addition to impairing learning, attention, impulse control, and sensorimotor function, and (2) MCS protects against these Mn-induced impairments. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were given standard diet, or a diet supplemented with additional choline throughout gestation and lactation (G3 - PND 21). Male offspring were exposed orally to 0 or 50 mg Mn/kg/day over PND 1-21. In adulthood, animals were tested in a series of learning, attention, impulse control, and sensorimotor tasks. Mn exposure caused lasting dysfunction in attention, reactivity to errors and reward omission, learning, and sensorimotor function, recapitulating the constellation of symptoms seen in ADHD children. MCS lessened Mn-induced attentional dysfunction and partially normalized reactivity to committing an error or not receiving an expected reward but provided no protection against Mn-induced learning or sensorimotor dysfunction. In the absence of Mn exposure, MCS produces lasting offspring benefits in learning, attention, and reactivity to errors. To conclude, developmental Mn exposure produces a constellation of deficits consistent with ADHD symptomology, and MCS offered some protection against the adverse Mn effects, adding to the evidence that maternal choline supplementation is neuroprotective for offspring and improves offspring cognitive functioning. Highlights Developmental Mn exposure causes lasting dysfunction consistent with ADHD symptomology.Maternal choline supplementation (MCS) protects against Mn-induced deficits in attention and behavioral reactivity.MCS in control animals produces lasting benefits to offspring in learning, attention, and error reactivity.These data support efforts to increase choline intake during pregnancy, particularly for individuals at risk of neurotoxicant exposure.
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Singer LT, Powers G, Kim JY, Minnes S, Min MO. Cognitive and functional outcomes at age 21 after prenatal cocaine/polydrug exposure and foster/adoptive care. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2023; 96:107151. [PMID: 36623610 PMCID: PMC9992024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has been linked to specific cognitive deficits and behavioral outcomes through early adolescence but there is little information on adult outcomes nor on the relationship of environmental interventions, such as foster/adoptive care, to outcomes. METHODS At 21 years, data were available on 325 young adults, [163 PCE and 162 non-exposed (NCE)], primarily African-American, with low SES, who were followed from birth in a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Participants were administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II) and surveyed regarding high school completion, problematic substance use, and incarceration/probation history. In the PCE group, 32 remained in non-kinship foster/adoptive care (PCE/FA) from early in life (< 4 years) to 17 years. Group differences were examined through t-tests, MANOVA/ MANCOVA with post-hoc analyses, comparing outcomes and environmental correlates of young adults with PCE vs. NCE, as well as outcomes of PCE young adults in non-kinship foster/adoptive care (PCE/ FA) vs. PCE in birth/kinship care and NCE young adults. RESULTS At 21 years, young adults with PCE had lower mean Full Scale (83.7 ± 10.4 vs. 87.3 ± 12.5, p < .01) and Perceptual Reasoning IQs (87.3 ± 11.5 vs. 91.4 ± 13.9, (p < .02), lower high school completion rates (75% vs. 86%, p < .02), and were marginally more likely to have been on probation than NCE young adults, but did not differ in Verbal IQ, self-report of problematic substance use or incarceration. Young adults with PCE in F/A had similar lower IQ scores but had better verbal skills and high school graduation rates that did not differ from NCE young adults (80.6 vs 86.2%, p > .05). They had higher drug exposure at birth and more experiences of maltreatment (p's < 0.05) but their home environment quality was better and lead levels lower (p's < 0.05) than those of young adults with PCE in birth/kinship care. CONCLUSIONS Young adults with PCE had lower Perceptual Reasoning and Full-Scale IQ scores, independent of caregiving placement, compared to non-exposed young adults. Young adults with PCE placed in non-kinship foster/adoptive care had lower lead levels, more stimulating home environments, better vocabulary skills and were more likely to graduate from high school than those in birth/kinship care,but were not different in their self-report of problematic substance use, or experiences of incarceration or probation. Our data suggest that some cognitive deficits observed in young adults with PCE may be biologically based, but that some functional outcomes can be modified through environmental interventions. Our data also reflect the complexity of disentangling the effects of teratologic exposures on long term outcomes across a variety of domains and the need for studies of children in the foster care system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn T Singer
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 1090 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States.
| | - Gregory Powers
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, 11235 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH, United States.
| | - June-Yung Kim
- Department of Social Work, University of North Dakota, Gillette Hall Room 302, 225 Centennial Dr. Stop 7135, Grand Forks, ND 58202-7135, United States.
| | - Sonia Minnes
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, 11235 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH, United States.
| | - Meeyoung O Min
- College of Social Work, University of Utah, 201 Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States.
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Barbosa-Méndez S, Salazar-Juárez A. Prenatal and postnatal cocaine exposure enhances the induction and expression of locomotor sensitization to cocaine in rats. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 93:235-249. [PMID: 32173415 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal and postnatal exposure to cocaine can affect the development and function of the central nervous system in offspring. It also produces changes in cocaine-induced dopamine release and increases cocaine self-administration and cocaine-induced conditioned place preference. Further, prenatal cocaine exposure involves greater risk for development of a substance use disorder in adolescents. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of prenatal and postnatal cocaine exposure on locomotor sensitization in rats. A group of pregnant female Wistar rats were administered daily from day GD0 to GD21 with cocaine (cocaine pre-exposure group) and another group pregnant female rats were administered daily with saline (saline pre-exposure group). During lactation (PND0 to PND21) pregnant rats also received cocaine administration or saline, respectively. Of the litters resulting of the cocaine pre-exposed and saline pre-exposed pregnant female groups, only the male rats were used for the recording of the locomotor activity induced by different doses of cocaine (1, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/Kg/day) during the induction and expression of locomotor sensitization at different postnatal ages (30, 60, 90 and 120 days), representative of adolescence and adult ages. The study found that prenatal and postnatal cocaine exposure enhanced locomotor activity and locomotor sensitization, and such increase was dose- and age-dependent. This suggests that prenatal and postnatal cocaine exposure can result in increased vulnerability to cocaine abuse in young and adult humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Barbosa-Méndez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimenta, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México, 14370, Mexico
| | - Alberto Salazar-Juárez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimenta, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México, 14370, Mexico.
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White MG, Panicker M, Mu C, Carter AM, Roberts BM, Dharmasri PA, Mathur BN. Anterior Cingulate Cortex Input to the Claustrum Is Required for Top-Down Action Control. Cell Rep 2019; 22:84-95. [PMID: 29298436 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities, such as volitional attention, operate under top-down, executive frontal cortical control of hierarchically lower structures. The circuit mechanisms underlying this process are unresolved. The claustrum possesses interconnectivity with many cortical areas and, thus, is hypothesized to orchestrate the cortical mantle for top-down control. Whether the claustrum receives top-down input and how this input may be processed by the claustrum have yet to be formally tested, however. We reveal that a rich anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) input to the claustrum encodes a preparatory top-down information signal on a five-choice response assay that is necessary for optimal task performance. We further show that ACC input monosynaptically targets claustrum inhibitory interneurons and spiny glutamatergic projection neurons, the latter of which amplify ACC input in a manner that is powerfully constrained by claustrum inhibitory microcircuitry. These results demonstrate ACC input to the claustrum is critical for top-down control guiding action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G White
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Matthew Panicker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Chaoqi Mu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Ashley M Carter
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Bradley M Roberts
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Poorna A Dharmasri
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Brian N Mathur
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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Willford JA, Singhabahu D, Herat A, Richardson GA. An examination of the association between prenatal cocaine exposure and brain activation measures of arousal and attention in young adults: An fMRI study using the Attention Network Task. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2018; 69:1-10. [PMID: 29953942 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal drug exposure, including cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco, is associated with deficits in behavioral regulation and attention. Using fMRI, the objective of this study was to characterize the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and the underlying neural substrates associated with behavioral outcomes of attention. Forty-seven young adults were recruited for this study from the ongoing Maternal Health Practices and Child Development (MHPCD) Project, a longitudinal study of the effects of PCE on growth, behavior, and cognitive function. Three groups were compared: 1) prenatal exposure to cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco (CAMT, n = 15), 2) prenatal exposure to alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco (AMT, n = 17), and 3) no prenatal exposure to drugs (Controls, n = 15). Subjects were frequency matched on gender, race, handedness, and 15-year IQ. This study used the theoretical model proposed by Posner and Peterson (1990), which posits three dissociable components of attention: alerting, orienting, and executive attention. Subjects completed a functional MRI (fMRI) scan while performing the Attention Network Task, a validated neuroimaging measure of the 3-network model of attention. Behavioral and fMRI data revealed no associations between PCE and task accuracy, speed of processing, or activation in key brain regions associated with each of the attention networks. The results of this study show that any subtle differences in brain function associated with PCE are not detectable using the ANT task and fMRI. These results should be interpreted in the context of other studies that have found associations between PCE and arousal with emotionally arousing stimuli, compared to this study that found no associations using emotionally neutral stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Willford
- Department of Psychology, Slippery Rock University, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, United States of America.
| | - Dil Singhabahu
- Department of Mathematics, Slippery Rock University, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, United States of America.
| | - Athula Herat
- Department of Physics, Slippery Rock University, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, United States of America.
| | - Gale A Richardson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States of America.
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Gkioka E, Korou LM, Daskalopoulou A, Misitzi A, Batsidis E, Bakoyiannis I, Pergialiotis V. Prenatal cocaine exposure and its impact on cognitive functions of offspring: a pathophysiological insight. Rev Neurosci 2018; 27:523-34. [PMID: 26953708 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2015-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
It is estimated that approximately 0.5%-3% of fetuses are prenatally exposed to cocaine (COC). The neurodevelopmental implications of this exposure are numerous and include motor skill impairments, alterations of social function, predisposition to anxiety, and memory function and attention deficits; these implications are commonly observed in experimental studies and ultimately affect both learning and IQ. According to previous studies, the clinical manifestations of prenatal COC exposure seem to persist at least until adolescence. The pathophysiological cellular processes that underlie these impairments include dysfunctional myelination, disrupted dendritic architecture, and synaptic alterations. On a molecular level, various neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, catecholamines, and γ-aminobutyric acid seem to participate in this process. Finally, prenatal COC abuse has been also associated with functional changes in the hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that mediate neuroendocrine responses. The purpose of this review is to summarize the neurodevelopmental consequences of prenatal COC abuse, to describe the pathophysiological pathways that underlie these consequences, and to provide implications for future research in the field.
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Huang H, Guadagna S, Mereu M, Ciampoli M, Pruzzo G, Ballard T, Papaleo F. A schizophrenia relevant 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task for mice assessing broad monitoring, distractibility and impulsivity. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2047-2062. [PMID: 28378204 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4611-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5-CSRTT) is an automated test for rodents allowing the assessment of multiple cognitive measures. Originally designed to assess cognitive deficits relevant to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it has been widely used in the investigation of neural systems of attention. In the current study, we have set up a modified version, which reduced the training phase to only 8-9 days with minimal food deprivation and without single-housing. Furthermore, based on evidence that patients with schizophrenia are more impaired in broad monitoring abilities than in sustained attention, we successfully developed a protocol replicating the Spatial Attentional Resource Allocation Task (SARAT), used in humans to assess broad monitoring. During this task, when the target appeared at a single pre-cued location, mice selectively responded faster. Instead, increasing the number of validly cued locations proportionately decreased accuracy. We then validated a protocol which is relevant for neuropsychiatric disorders in which additional irrelevant pre-cue lights selectively disrupted attention (distractibility). Finally, we improved previously used protocols changing inter-trial intervals from 5 to 7 s by randomly presenting this shift only in 20% of the trials. This resulted in a selective effect on premature responses (impulsivity), with important implications for schizophrenia as well as for other mental disorders. Therefore, this revised 5-CSRTT reduced training and stress on the animals while selectively measuring different cognitive functions with translational validity to schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiping Huang
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Simone Guadagna
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Maddalena Mereu
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, Largo Meneghetti, 2, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Mariasole Ciampoli
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pruzzo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Theresa Ballard
- Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.
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Martin MM, Graham DL, McCarthy DM, Bhide PG, Stanwood GD. Cocaine-induced neurodevelopmental deficits and underlying mechanisms. BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH. PART C, EMBRYO TODAY : REVIEWS 2016; 108:147-73. [PMID: 27345015 PMCID: PMC5538582 DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.21132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to drugs early in life has complex and long-lasting implications for brain structure and function. This review summarizes work to date on the immediate and long-term effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine. In utero cocaine exposure produces disruptions in brain monoamines, particularly dopamine, during sensitive periods of brain development, and leads to permanent changes in specific brain circuits, molecules, and behavior. Here, we integrate clinical studies and significance with mechanistic preclinical studies, to define our current knowledge base and identify gaps for future investigation. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 108:147-173, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M. Martin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Devon L. Graham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Deirdre M. McCarthy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Pradeep G. Bhide
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Gregg D. Stanwood
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
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Eiden RD, Godleski S, Schuetze P, Colder CR. Prenatal substance exposure and child self-regulation: Pathways to risk and protection. J Exp Child Psychol 2015; 137:12-29. [PMID: 25913650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A conceptual model of the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and child self-regulation via maternal harshness and language development was examined. Specifically, the model tested whether PCE was associated with self-regulation either directly or indirectly via high maternal harshness and poor language development. The role of child sex, autonomic reactivity, and cumulative environmental risk as potential moderators was also explored. The sample was 216 mother-child dyads recruited at birth and assessed at 2, 7, 13, 24, 36, and 48 months of child ages. Participating mothers were primarily African American (72%). Results indicated a significant indirect association between PCE and child effortful control at 36 months via higher maternal harshness. Autonomic reactivity moderated the association between maternal harshness and self-regulation such that among children with poor autonomic reactivity, high maternal harshness was associated with lower conscience at 3 years. Child sex and environmental risk did not moderate the association between PCE and self-regulation. Thus, the quality of caregiving experience played a significant role in the development of self-regulation among PCE children, especially those at higher autonomic risk. In particular, PCE children who also exhibit poor autonomic reactivity may be particularly susceptible to environmental influences such as parenting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rina D Eiden
- Research Institute on Addictions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Stephanie Godleski
- Research Institute on Addictions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Pamela Schuetze
- Department of Psychology, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA
| | - Craig R Colder
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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Schuetze P, Eiden RD, Molnar DS, Colder CD. Empathic responsivity at 3 years of age in a sample of cocaine-exposed children. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2014; 42:1-8. [PMID: 24444666 PMCID: PMC3968185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Revised: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the association between prenatal exposure to cocaine and behavioral and physiological responsivity. Participants were 216 mother-infant dyads (116 cocaine exposed-CE, 100 nonexposed-NCE) recruited at birth. Measures of heart rate (HR) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were obtained during baseline and during a task designed to elicit empathy (exposure to infant crying). When the effects of prenatal cocaine use were examined in the context of polydrug use, results of model testing indicated that lower gestational age, prenatal exposure to cocaine and postnatal exposure to alcohol were each associated with a reduced suppression of RSA during the empathy task. These findings provide additional support for an association between prenatal cocaine exposure and dysregulation during early childhood during affect-eliciting environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Schuetze
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York College at Buffalo, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222-1095, United States; Research Institute on Addictions, SUNY University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, United States; Department of Pediatrics, SUNY University at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, NY, United States.
| | - Rina D Eiden
- Research Institute on Addictions, SUNY University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, United States; Department of Pediatrics, SUNY University at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, NY, United States.
| | - Danielle S Molnar
- Research Institute on Addictions, SUNY University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, United States.
| | - Craig D Colder
- Department of Psychology, SUNY University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States.
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Accornero VH, Anthony JC, Morrow CE, Xue L, Mansoor E, Johnson AL, McCoy CB, Bandstra ES. Estimated effect of prenatal cocaine exposure on examiner-rated behavior at age 7 years. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2011; 33:370-8. [PMID: 21640292 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2011.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2009] [Revised: 02/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2011] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Prenatal cocaine exposure has been linked to increased child behavior difficulties in some studies but not others. OBJECTIVE The primary aim was to estimate the relationship between in utero cocaine exposure and child behavioral functioning at age 7 years with ratings made by blinded examiners during a structured testing session. A second aim was to examine whether caregiver drug use and psychological problems might mediate suspected relationships between prenatal cocaine exposure and aspects of examiner-rated behavior. METHODS 407 children (212 cocaine-exposed, 195 non-exposed) participating in the longitudinal Miami Prenatal Cocaine Study (MPCS) were rated with regard to their behavior during a neuropsychological assessment conducted at age 7 years. Raters were trained research psychometricians blinded to drug exposure status. Individual behavioral items were summarized and the cocaine-behavior relationship was estimated within the context of latent variable modeling, using Mplus software. RESULTS Two latent variables, Behavioral Regulation and Sociability, were derived via exploratory latent structure analysis with promax rotation. Prenatal cocaine exposure, statistically controlling for child sex, test age, and prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, was associated with Behavioral Regulation (estimated slope ß=-0.25; 95% CI=-0.48, -0.02; p=0.04) but not Sociability (estimated slope ß=-0.03; 95% CI=-0.26, 0.20; p=0.79). Neither postnatal drug use by caregivers nor the severity of their psychological problems at age 5 follow-up predicted levels of child Behavioral Regulation or Sociability at age 7 years (p>0.10). CONCLUSIONS Examiner ratings of child behavior at age 7 revealed less optimal behavioral regulation for prenatally cocaine-exposed compared to non-exposed children, in contrast with what had been previously found from parent-report data. This evidence highlights the potential value of trained observers in assessing behavioral outcomes of children exposed in utero to drugs and other toxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica H Accornero
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Miami, FL 33101, United States.
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Williams SK, Lauder JM, Johns JM. Prenatal Cocaine Disrupts Serotonin Signaling-Dependent Behaviors: Implications for Sex Differences, Early Stress and Prenatal SSRI Exposure. Curr Neuropharmacol 2011; 9:478-511. [PMID: 22379462 PMCID: PMC3151602 DOI: 10.2174/157015911796557957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2010] [Revised: 12/31/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine (PC) exposure negatively impacts the developing nervous system, including numerous changes in serotonergic signaling. Cocaine, a competitive antagonist of the serotonin transporter, similar to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), also blocks dopamine and norepinephrine transporters, leaving the direct mechanism through which cocaine disrupts the developing serotonin system unclear. In order to understand the role of the serotonin transporter in cocaine's effect on the serotonergic system, we compare reports concerning PC and prenatal antidepressant exposure and conclude that PC exposure affects many facets of serotonergic signaling (serotonin levels, receptors, transporters) and that these effects differ significantly from what is observed following prenatal SSRI exposure. Alterations in serotonergic signaling are dependent on timing of exposure, test regimens, and sex. Following PC exposure, behavioral disturbances are observed in attention, emotional behavior and stress response, aggression, social behavior, communication, and like changes in serotonergic signaling, these effects depend on sex, age and developmental exposure. Vulnerability to the effects of PC exposure can be mediated by several factors, including allelic variance in serotonergic signaling genes, being male (although fewer studies have investigated female offspring), and experiencing the adverse early environments that are commonly coincident with maternal drug use. Early environmental stress results in disruptions in serotonergic signaling analogous to those observed with PC exposure and these may interact to produce greater behavioral effects observed in children of drug-abusing mothers. We conclude that based on past evidence, future studies should put a greater emphasis on including females and monitoring environmental factors when studying the impact of PC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Williams
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jean M Lauder
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Josephine M Johns
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Mactutus CF, Harrod SB, Hord LL, Moran LM, Booze RM. Prenatal IV Cocaine: Alterations in Auditory Information Processing. Front Psychiatry 2011; 2:38. [PMID: 21747770 PMCID: PMC3128243 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2011.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2011] [Accepted: 06/11/2011] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
One clue regarding the basis of cocaine-induced deficits in attentional processing is provided by the clinical findings of changes in the infants' startle response; observations buttressed by neurophysiological evidence of alterations in brainstem transmission time. Using the IV route of administration and doses that mimic the peak arterial levels of cocaine use in humans, the present study examined the effects of prenatal cocaine on auditory information processing via tests of the auditory startle response (ASR), habituation, and prepulse inhibition (PPI) in the offspring. Nulliparous Long-Evans female rats, implanted with an IV access port prior to breeding, were administered saline, 0.5, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg/injection of cocaine HCL (COC) from gestation day (GD) 8-20 (1×/day-GD8-14, 2×/day-GD15-20). COC had no significant effects on maternal/litter parameters or growth of the offspring. At 18-20 days of age, one male and one female, randomly selected from each litter displayed an increased ASR (>30% for males at 1.0 mg/kg and >30% for females at 3.0 mg/kg). When reassessed in adulthood (D90-100), a linear dose-response increase was noted on response amplitude. At both test ages, within-session habituation was retarded by prenatal cocaine treatment. Testing the females in diestrus vs. estrus did not alter the results. Prenatal cocaine altered the PPI response function across interstimulus interval and induced significant sex-dependent changes in response latency. Idazoxan, an α(2)-adrenergic receptor antagonist, significantly enhanced the ASR, but less enhancement was noted with increasing doses of prenatal cocaine. Thus, in utero exposure to cocaine, when delivered via a protocol designed to capture prominent features of recreational usage, causes persistent, if not permanent, alterations in auditory information processing, and suggests dysfunction of the central noradrenergic circuitry modulating, if not mediating, these responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles F. Mactutus
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC, USA
| | - Steven B. Harrod
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC, USA
| | - Lauren L. Hord
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC, USA
| | - Landhing M. Moran
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC, USA
| | - Rosemarie M. Booze
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC, USA
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15
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Eiden RD, Schuetze P, Veira Y, Cox E, Jarrett TM, Johns JM. Cocaine Exposure and Children's Self-Regulation: Indirect Association via Maternal Harshness. Front Psychiatry 2011; 2:31. [PMID: 21716637 PMCID: PMC3115536 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2011.00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2011] [Accepted: 05/17/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study examined the association between prenatal cocaine exposure and children's self-regulation at 3 years of child age. In addition to direct effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on children's self-regulation, we hypothesized there would be indirect associations between cocaine exposure and self-regulation via higher maternal harshness and poor autonomic regulation in infancy. METHODS The sample consisted of 216 mother-infant dyads recruited at delivery from local area hospitals (116 cocaine-exposed, 100 non-exposed). Infant autonomic regulation was measured at 7 months of age during an anger/frustration task, maternal harshness was coded from observations of mother-toddler interactions at 2 years of age, and children's self-regulation was measured at 3 years of age using several laboratory paradigms. RESULTS Contrary to hypotheses, there were no direct associations between maternal cocaine use during pregnancy and children's self-regulation. However, results from testing our conceptual model including the indirect effects via maternal harshness or infant parasympathetic regulation indicated that this model fit the data well, χ(2) (23) = 34.36, p > 0.05, Comparative Fit Index = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.05. Cocaine using mothers displayed higher intensity of harshness toward their toddlers during lab interactions across a variety of tasks at 2 years of age (β = 0.23, p < 0.05), and higher intensity of harshness at 2 years was predictive of lower self-regulation at 3 years (β = -0.36, p < 0.01). Maternal cocaine use was also predictive of a non-adaptive increase in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) from baseline to the negative affect task, but RSA change in infancy was not predictive of self-regulation at 3 years. CONCLUSION RESULTS are supportive of animal models indicating higher aggression among cocaine treated dams, and indicate that higher maternal harshness among cocaine using mothers is predictive of child self-regulatory outcomes in the preschool period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rina D. Eiden
- Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkBuffalo, NY, USA
| | - Pamela Schuetze
- Psychology Department, Buffalo State College, State University of New YorkBuffalo, NY, USA
| | - Yvette Veira
- Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkBuffalo, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth Cox
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas M. Jarrett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Josephine M. Johns
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, NC, USA
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16
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SIV/macaque model of HIV infection in cocaine users: minimal effects of cocaine on behavior, virus replication, and CNS inflammation. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2011; 7:401-11. [PMID: 21626125 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-011-9281-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2011] [Accepted: 05/04/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the effects of drugs of abuse on HIV immune status, disease progression, and neuroAIDS have produced conflicting data and have not definitively shown whether this combination promotes cognitive impairment or disease progression. Using a consistent SIV-macaque model, we investigated the effects of cocaine on behavior, virologic parameters, and CNS inflammation. Macaques received either vehicle or chronic administration of behaviorally active doses of cocaine (1.7 or 3.2 mg/kg/day). Chronic cocaine administration reduced CD8+ T cell counts during acute and late stage infection but had no effect on CD4+ T cell counts. Low-dose cocaine-treated animals had lower CSF vRNA levels late in infection, but cocaine did not alter plasma viral load or vRNA or protein in brain. There were no differences in CSF CCL-2 or interleukin (IL)-6 levels or severity of encephalitis in cocaine-treated as compared to vehicle-treated macaques. There were no differences in brain inflammation or neurodegeneration markers, as determined by interferon (IFN)-β, MxA, CCL2, IL-6, TNFα, IFNγ, and indolamine 2,3-deoxygenase mRNA levels. APP levels also were not altered. The executive function of inhibitory control was not impaired in cocaine-treated or control animals following SIV infection. However, animals receiving 3.2 mg/kg/day cocaine performed more slowly in a bimanual motor test. Thus, chronic administration of cocaine produced only minor changes in behavior, encephalitis severity, CNS inflammation/neurodegeneration, and virus replication in SIV-infected pigtailed macaques, suggesting that cocaine would have only modest effects on the progression of neuroAIDS in HIV-infected individuals.
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Sobrian SK, Holson RR. Social behavior of offspring following prenatal cocaine exposure in rodents: a comparison with prenatal alcohol. Front Psychiatry 2011; 2:66. [PMID: 22144967 PMCID: PMC3227113 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2011.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2011] [Accepted: 11/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical and experimental reports suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) alters the offsprings' social interactions with caregivers and conspecifics. Children exposed to prenatal cocaine show deficits in caregiver attachment and play behavior. In animal models, a developmental pattern of effects that range from deficits in play and social interaction during adolescence, to aggressive reactions during competition in adulthood is seen. This review will focus primarily on the effects of PCE on social behaviors involving conspecifics in animal models. Social relationships are critical to the developing organism; maternally directed interactions are necessary for initial survival. Juvenile rats deprived of play behavior, one of the earliest forms of non-mother directed social behaviors in rodents, show deficits in learning tasks and sexual competence. Social behavior is inherently complex. Because the emergence of appropriate social skills involves the interplay between various conceptual and biological facets of behavior and social information, it may be a particularly sensitive measure of prenatal insult. The social behavior surveyed include social interactions, play behavior/fighting, scent marking, and aggressive behavior in the offspring, as well as aspects of maternal behavior. The goal is to determine if there is a consensus of results in the literature with respect to PCE and social behaviors, and to discuss discrepant findings in terms of exposure models, the paradigms, and dependent variables, as well as housing conditions, and the sex and age of the offspring at testing. As there is increasing evidence that deficits in social behavior may be sequelae of developmental exposure alcohol, we compare changes in social behaviors reported for prenatal alcohol with those reported for prenatal cocaine. Shortcomings in the both literatures are identified and addressed in an effort to improve the translational value of future experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya K Sobrian
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Howard University Washington, DC, USA
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18
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Carmody DP, Bennett DS, Lewis M. The effects of prenatal cocaine exposure and gender on inhibitory control and attention. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2011; 33:61-8. [PMID: 21256425 PMCID: PMC3052746 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2010.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2009] [Revised: 06/17/2010] [Accepted: 07/29/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Children exposed prenatally to cocaine show deficits in emotion regulation and inhibitory control. While controlling for the measures of medical complication in the perinatal period, environmental risk, and prenatal polydrug exposure (alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana), we examined the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure and gender on attention and inhibitory control in 203 children at ages 6, 9, and 11. Cocaine exposure affected the performance of males, but not females. Heavily exposed males showed deficits in the attention and the inhibition tasks. In addition, a significantly greater proportion of heavily exposed males (21%) than unexposed males (7%) or heavily exposed females (7%) failed to complete the task (p<0.01). Even without those poorest performing subjects, the overall accuracy for heavily exposed males (81%) was significantly reduced (p<0.05) compared to lightly exposed males (87%) and unexposed males (89%). The findings highlight the importance of considering gender specificity in cocaine exposure effects. Processes by which cocaine effects may be specific to males are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis P. Carmody
- Institute for the Study of Child Development, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, United States
| | - David S. Bennett
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19144 United States
| | - Michael Lewis
- Institute for the Study of Child Development, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, United States
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19
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Salas-Ramirez KY, Frankfurt M, Alexander A, Luine VN, Friedman E. Prenatal cocaine exposure increases anxiety, impairs cognitive function and increases dendritic spine density in adult rats: influence of sex. Neuroscience 2010; 169:1287-95. [PMID: 20553818 PMCID: PMC2927197 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.04.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2009] [Revised: 04/16/2010] [Accepted: 04/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine exposure during pregnancy can impact brain development and have long-term behavioral consequences. The present study examined the lasting consequences of prenatal cocaine (PN-COC) exposure on the performance of cognitive tasks and dendritic spine density in adult male and female rats. From gestational day 8 to 20, dams were treated daily with 30 mg/kg (ip) of cocaine HCl or saline. At 62 days of age, offspring were tested consecutively for anxiety, locomotion, visual memory and spatial memory. PN-COC exposure significantly increased anxiety in both sexes. Object recognition (OR) and placement (OP) tasks were used to assess cognitive function. Behavioral tests consisted of an exploration trial (T1) and a recognition trial (T2) that were separated by an inter-trial delay of varying lengths. Male PN-COC subjects displayed significantly less time investigating new objects or object locations during T2 in both OR and OP tasks. By contrast, female PN-COC subjects exhibited impairments only in OR and only at the longest inter-trial delay interval. In addition, gestational cocaine increased dendritic spine density in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens in both genders, but only females had increased spine density in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. These data reveal that in-utero exposure to cocaine results in enduring alterations in anxiety, cognitive function and spine density in adulthood. Moreover, cognitive deficits were more profound in males than in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Y Salas-Ramirez
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sophie Davis School for Biomedical Education at City College of New York of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA.
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20
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Methylphenidate response in prenatal cocaine-exposed rats: A behavioral and brain functional study. Brain Res 2010; 1337:74-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.03.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2009] [Revised: 03/09/2010] [Accepted: 03/31/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Hurt H, Betancourt LM, Malmud EK, Shera DM, Giannetta JM, Brodsky NL, Farah MJ. Children with and without gestational cocaine exposure: a neurocognitive systems analysis. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2009; 31:334-41. [PMID: 19686843 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2009.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2008] [Revised: 08/04/2009] [Accepted: 08/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concern for effects of gestational cocaine exposure (GCE) on human neurocognitive (NC) development is based on effects of cocaine on blood flow to the fetus and impact of cocaine on developing monoaminergic systems. GCE has been shown to affect language, attention and perceptual reasoning skills. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to investigate effects of GCE on 7 NC systems, assessed behaviorally in middle school-aged, low socioeconomic status subjects followed prospectively since birth. METHODS 55 GCE and 65 non-exposed Control subjects were tested with a battery of 14 tasks adapted from neuroimaging and lesion literature designed to tap 3 frontal systems (Cognitive Control, Working Memory, and Reward Processing) and 4 non-frontal systems (Language, Memory, Spatial Cognition, and Visual Cognition). Using multivariate analysis of covariance, we assessed the relation between NC functioning and GCE status with the following covariates: age at testing; gender; gestational exposure to cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana; foster care placement; caregiver current cocaine use; and two indices of childhood environment. RESULTS None of the analyses showed an effect of GCE on NC function. In contrast, child characteristics, including age at testing and childhood environment, were associated with NC function. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort there is either no effect of GCE on NC function at middle school age, or that effect is less pronounced than the effect of age or childhood environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hallam Hurt
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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22
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Chae SM, Covington CY. Biobehavioral Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine: Evidence From Animal Models. Biol Res Nurs 2009; 10:318-30. [DOI: 10.1177/1099800408330395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine has been a popular illicit drug among drug-using pregnant women over the last three decades. Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has significant effects on children's development throughout early childhood. Very few human studies, however, report the effects of PCE on adolescent or early-adult development. As knowledge about early childhood effects in human children was informed by animal studies, this review considers the effects of PCE on behavioral outcomes in adolescent and young adult animals and provides potential guidance for research in human children. Animal models prenatally exposed to cocaine manifest play deficits, decreased social interaction, and increased aggression during competition in adolescence and young adulthood. Altered behavioral adaptation after stress exposure, including hormonal response change, is also evident. Attention deficits are reported in adult offspring with PCE, not only in a novel environment, but also in a final task session, indicating effects of PCE on transition and maintenance of attention. Animal studies support that PCE effects may extend beyond early childhood and continue to adolescence and adulthood. Additionally, some studies highlight that behavioral changes in offspring with PCE born without teratogenesis remain latent and reveal themselves during adulthood when animals are under stress conditions. Based on the evidence from animal models, well-designed human studies are needed to elucidate the effects of PCE on older human children. Research models that combine behavioral measures with stressful challenges may hold potential in discerning a longer term influence of PCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Mi Chae
- College of Nursing, Ajou University, Suwon, Korea, sunmichae@ajou.
ac.kr
| | - Chandice Y. Covington
- Laura Bush Women's Health Institute, Anita Thigpen Perry
School of Nursing, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock,
Texas
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Ferris MJ, Mactutus CF, Silvers JM, Hasselrot U, Beaudin SA, Strupp BJ, Booze RM. Sex mediates dopamine and adrenergic receptor expression in adult rats exposed prenatally to cocaine. Int J Dev Neurosci 2007; 25:445-54. [PMID: 17933484 PMCID: PMC3184889 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2007.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2007] [Revised: 08/24/2007] [Accepted: 08/27/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent of catecholaminergic receptor and respective behavioral alterations associated with prenatal cocaine exposure varies according to exogenous factors such as the amount, frequency, and route of maternal exposure, as well as endogenous factors such as specific brain regions under consideration and sex of the species. The goal of the current study was to use autoradiography to delineate possible moderators of dopaminergic and adrenergic receptor expression in adult rat offspring exposed to cocaine in utero. The current study demonstrated sex-dependent D1 receptor, alpha2, and noradrenergic transporter binding alterations in prelimbic, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate regions of adult rat brains exposed to cocaine during gestational days 8-21. Of further interest was the lack of alterations in the nucleus accumbens for nearly all receptors/transporters investigated, as well as the lack of alterations in D3 receptor binding in nearly all of the regions investigated (nucleus accumbens, prelimbic region, hippocampus, and cingulate gyrus). Thus, the current investigation demonstrated persistent receptor and transporter alterations that extend well into adulthood as a result of cocaine exposure in utero. Furthermore, the demonstration that sex played a mediating role in prenatal cocaine-induced, aberrant receptor/transporter expression is of primary importance for future studies that seek to control for sex in either design or analysis.
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MESH Headings
- Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
- Animals
- Autoradiography
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Benzazepines
- Brain Chemistry/drug effects
- Clonidine
- Cocaine/pharmacology
- Dopamine Antagonists
- Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism
- Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Female
- Fluoxetine/analogs & derivatives
- Pregnancy
- Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Adrenergic/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Adrenergic/drug effects
- Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Dopamine/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Dopamine/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D3/drug effects
- Sex Characteristics
- Tetrahydronaphthalenes
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Ferris
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States.
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24
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Hester R, Simões-Franklin C, Garavan H. Post-error behavior in active cocaine users: poor awareness of errors in the presence of intact performance adjustments. Neuropsychopharmacology 2007; 32:1974-84. [PMID: 17268406 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Active cocaine abusers have a diminished neural response to errors, particularly in the anterior cingulate cortex thought critical to error processing. The inability to detect, or adjust performance following errors has been linked to clinical symptoms including the loss of insight and perseverative behavior. We investigated the cognitive implications of this diminished error-related activity, using response inhibition tasks that required error awareness and performance adaptation. Twenty-one active cocaine users (six female subjects, mean age=40.3) and 22 non-drug using adults (six female subjects, mean=39.9) participated. The results indicated that cocaine users consistently demonstrated poorer inhibitory control, a deficit accompanied by reduced awareness of errors. Adaptation of post-error reaction times did not differ between groups, although a different measure of adaptive behavior: exerting inhibitory control on the trial immediately after failing to inhibit, was significantly poorer in the cocaine using sample. In summary, cocaine users demonstrated a diminished capacity for monitoring their behavior, but were able to perform post-error adjustment to processes not already suffering an underlying deficit. These difficulties are consistent with previous reports of cocaine-related hypoactivity in the neural system underlying cognitive control, and highlight the potential for cognitive dysfunction to manifest as behavioral deficits that likely contribute to the maintenance of drug dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Hester
- Department of Psychology, School of Behavioural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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25
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Weiss SJ, St Jonn-Seed M, Harris-Muchell C. The contribution of fetal drug exposure to temperament: potential teratogenic effects on neuropsychiatric risk. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2007; 48:773-84. [PMID: 17683449 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01745.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preliminary evidence indicates that fetal drug exposure may be associated with alterations in temperament. However, studies often do not dissociate the potential effects of drug exposure from other perinatal or environmental factors that could influence temperament phenotypes. METHODS High risk children (n = 120) were followed from birth to 6 months of age to determine the effects of fetal drug exposure on temperament, after controlling for the child's gender, gestational age, medical morbidity, ethnicity, and maltreatment as well as the mother's stress, income adequacy, and quality of caregiving. Methods included medical chart review, questionnaires, and videotapes of mother-child interaction. RESULTS Preliminary analyses indicated that fetal drug exposure was associated with both distractibility and intensity of children's responses to the environment at 6 months of age. After adjusting for potentially confounding variables, drug exposure accounted for 12% of the variance in distractibility but was not a significant predictor in the regression model for intensity. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that drug-exposed children may experience difficulty sustaining their focus of attention and be more easily distracted by environmental stimuli than non-drug-exposed children. Results converge with previous research to implicate cortical hyperarousal, stemming from teratogenic effects on the dopaminergic system during fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra J Weiss
- Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0608, USA.
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Accornero VH, Amado AJ, Morrow CE, Xue L, Anthony JC, Bandstra ES. Impact of prenatal cocaine exposure on attention and response inhibition as assessed by continuous performance tests. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2007; 28:195-205. [PMID: 17565286 PMCID: PMC2760335 DOI: 10.1097/01.dbp.0000268560.72580.f9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined the influence of prenatal cocaine exposure on attention and response inhibition measured by continuous performance tests (CPTs) at ages 5 and 7 years. METHODS The baseline sample consisted of 253 cocaine-exposed and 223 non-cocaine-exposed children enrolled prospectively at birth and assessed comprehensively through age 7 years in the longitudinal Miami Prenatal Cocaine Study. This report includes a subsample of 415 children (219 cocaine-exposed, 196 non-cocaine-exposed) who completed at least one CPT assessment at ages 5 and/or 7 years. Prenatal cocaine exposure was measured by maternal self-report and maternal and infant bioassays. Deficits in attention and response inhibition are estimated in relation to prenatal cocaine exposure using generalized estimating equations within the general linear model. RESULTS Results indicate cocaine-associated increases in omission errors at ages 5 and 7 as well as increases in response times for target tasks (i.e., slower reaction times) and decreased consistency in performance at age 7. There were no demonstrable cocaine-associated deficits in commission errors. Estimates did not change markedly with statistical adjustment for selected prenatal and postnatal covariates. CONCLUSION Evidence supports cocaine-associated deficits in attention processing through age 7 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica H Accornero
- Department of Pediatrics, Perinatal CARE Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
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Beaudin SA, Stangle DE, Smith DR, Levitsky DA, Strupp BJ. Succimer chelation normalizes reactivity to reward omission and errors in lead-exposed rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2007; 29:188-202. [PMID: 17196787 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2006.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2006] [Revised: 10/08/2006] [Accepted: 11/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the efficacy of a 3-week course of succimer treatment to alleviate behavioral deficits in rats exposed to lead (Pb) for the first 4 weeks of life. A 3 x 2 factorial design was used: three levels of lead exposure (No Pb, Moderate, and High Pb) and two levels of chelation (succimer or vehicle). Behavioral testing was conducted following chelation therapy, from 2 to 9 months of age; this report presents the results of two of the administered tasks: (1) a conditional olfactory discrimination task (baseline task), and (2) a conditional olfactory discrimination task with periodic reward omission on some correct trials (RO task). In the RO task, the performance disruption produced by committing an error on the previous trial was significantly greater for both unchelated lead-exposed groups than for controls. The High Pb rats were also more sensitive to reward omission than controls, providing converging evidence for impaired regulation of arousal or emotion. Importantly, succimer treatment was effective in normalizing the heightened reactivity of the lead-exposed animals to both errors and reward omission. In addition, non-lead-exposed rats that were treated with succimer tended to be more affected by a prior error than controls in their latency to respond on post-error trials. In sum, these findings provide new evidence that succimer chelation can significantly lessen the lasting neurobehavioral dysfunction produced by early lead exposure, but also suggest that there may be risks of administering the drug to individuals without elevated blood lead levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane A Beaudin
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Savage Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Stangle DE, Smith DR, Beaudin SA, Strawderman MS, Levitsky DA, Strupp BJ. Succimer chelation improves learning, attention, and arousal regulation in lead-exposed rats but produces lasting cognitive impairment in the absence of lead exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2007; 115:201-9. [PMID: 17384765 PMCID: PMC1831518 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.9263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2006] [Accepted: 10/30/2006] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing pressure for clinicians to prescribe chelation therapy at only slightly elevated blood lead levels. However, very few studies have evaluated whether chelation improves cognitive outcomes in Pb-exposed children, or whether these agents have adverse effects that may affect brain development in the absence of Pb exposure. OBJECTIVES The present study was designed to answer these questions, using a rodent model of early childhood Pb exposure and treatment with succimer, a widely used chelating agent for the treatment of Pb poisoning. RESULTS Pb exposure produced lasting impairments in learning, attention, inhibitory control, and arousal regulation, paralleling the areas of dysfunction seen in Pb-exposed children. Succimer treatment of the Pb-exposed rats significantly improved learning, attention, and arousal regulation, although the efficacy of the treatment varied as a function of the Pb exposure level and the specific functional deficit. In contrast, succimer treatment of rats not previously exposed to Pb produced lasting and pervasive cognitive and affective dysfunction comparable in magnitude to that produced by the higher Pb exposure regimen. CONCLUSIONS These are the first data, to our knowledge, to show that treatment with any chelating agent can alleviate cognitive deficits due to Pb exposure. These findings suggest that it may be possible to identify a succimer treatment protocol that improves cognitive outcomes in Pb-exposed children. However, they also suggest that succimer treatment should be strongly discouraged for children who do not have elevated tissue levels of Pb or other heavy metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane E. Stangle
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Donald R. Smith
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | | | | | - David A. Levitsky
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Barbara J. Strupp
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Stanwood GD, Levitt P. Prenatal exposure to cocaine produces unique developmental and long-term adaptive changes in dopamine D1 receptor activity and subcellular distribution. J Neurosci 2007; 27:152-7. [PMID: 17202482 PMCID: PMC6672298 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4591-06.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-dose intravenous cocaine administration to pregnant rabbits causes permanent structural alterations in dopamine-rich cerebral cortical areas, substantially reduced dopamine D1 receptor coupling to G(s)-protein, and deficits in cognitive function. The developmental influences of reduced D1-G(s) coupling and the underlying cellular basis are unknown. Using primary neuronal cultures derived from the medial frontal cortex and striatum of in utero saline- and cocaine-exposed embryos, spontaneous neurite outgrowth of in utero-exposed cortical neurons was greater than in control neurons. In contrast, striatal neurons exposed to cocaine in utero exhibited an entirely opposite adaptive response, with diminished spontaneous neurite outgrowth compared with saline-exposed controls. Control neurons isolated from the two structures also exhibited opposite regulatory responses to the D1 receptor agonist SKF38393 (1-phenyl-2,3,4-5-tetrahydro-(1H)-3-benzazepine-7,8-diol hydrochloride), inhibiting outgrowth in cortical cultures and stimulating outgrowth in striatal cultures. The agonist was ineffective in modulating neurite outgrowth of neurons from either structure isolated from cocaine-exposed fetuses, reflecting the reduced D1-Gs coupling. Total D1 receptor number was indistinguishable in neurons from the cocaine- and saline-exposed animals, but cell imaging and receptor binding of differentially isolated membranes showed that the lack of responsiveness was because of greatly reduced cell-surface localization of D1 receptors. These data suggest that prenatal exposure to cocaine causes a novel, long-lasting adaptive response in the subcellular distribution of D1 receptors, resulting in alterations in signaling capacity that have developmental and behavioral consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg D Stanwood
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development and Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
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Dey S, Mactutus CF, Booze RM, Snow DM. Cocaine exposure in vitro induces apoptosis in fetal locus coeruleus neurons by altering the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and through caspase-3 apoptotic signaling. Neuroscience 2007; 144:509-21. [PMID: 17084983 PMCID: PMC2562674 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2006] [Accepted: 09/19/2006] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine inhibits survival and growth of rat locus coeruleus (LC) neurons, which may mediate alterations in attention, following in utero exposure to cocaine. These effects are most severe in early gestation during peak neuritogenesis. Prenatal cocaine exposure may specifically decrease LC survival through an apoptotic pathway involving caspases. Dissociated fetal LC neurons or substantia nigra (SN) neurons (control) were exposed in vitro to a pharmacologically active dose of cocaine hydrochloride (500 ng/ml) and assayed for apoptosis using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated DNA nick end labeling and Hoechst methodologies. Cocaine exposure decreased survival and induced apoptosis in LC neurons, with no changes in survival of SN neurons. Activation of apoptotic signal transduction proteins was determined using enzyme assays and immunoblotting at 30 min, 1 h, 4 h and 24 h. In LC neurons, Bax levels were induced at 30 min and 1 h, following cocaine treatment, and Bcl-2 levels remained unchanged at all time points, altering the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The ratio was reversed for SN neurons (elevated Bcl-2 levels and transient reduction of Bax levels). Further, cocaine exposure significantly increased caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities at all time points, without changes in caspase-8 activity in LC neurons. In addition, cleavage of caspase-3 target proteins, alpha-fodrin and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were observed following cocaine treatment. In contrast, SN neurons showed either significant reductions, or no significant changes, in caspase-3, -8 or -9 activities or caspase-3 target proteins, alpha-fodrin and PARP. Thus, cocaine exposure in vitro may preferentially induce apoptosis in fetal LC neurons putatively regulated by Bax, via activation of caspases and their downstream target proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Dey
- Graduate Center for Toxicology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA.
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Booze RM, Wallace DR, Silvers JM, Strupp BJ, Snow DM, Mactutus CF. Prenatal cocaine exposure alters alpha2 receptor expression in adolescent rats. BMC Neurosci 2006; 7:33. [PMID: 16620392 PMCID: PMC1513240 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-7-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2005] [Accepted: 04/18/2006] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal cocaine exposure produces attentional deficits which to persist through early childhood. Given the role of norepinephrine (NE) in attentional processes, we examined the forebrain NE systems from prenatal cocaine exposed rats. Cocaine was administered during pregnancy via the clinically relevant intravenous route of administration. Specifically, we measured alpha2-adrenergic receptor (alpha2-AR) density in adolescent (35-days-old) rats, using [3H]RX821002 (5 nM). RESULTS Sex-specific alterations of alpha2-AR were found in the hippocampus and amygdala of the cocaine-exposed animals, as well as an upregulation of alpha2-AR in parietal cortex. CONCLUSION These data suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure results in a persistent alteration in forebrain NE systems as indicated by alterations in receptor density. These neurochemical changes may underlie behavioral abnormalities observed in offspring attentional processes following prenatal exposure to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie M Booze
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - David R Wallace
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine Tulsa, OK 74017-1898, USA
| | - Janelle M Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Barbara J Strupp
- Division of Nutritional Sciences and Department of Psychology, Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853-6301, USA
| | - Diane M Snow
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA
| | - Charles F Mactutus
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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Silvers JM, Wallace DR, Harrod SB, Mactutus CF, Booze RM. Prenatal cocaine alters dopamine and sigma receptor binding in nucleus accumbens and striatum in dams and adolescent offspring. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2006; 28:173-80. [PMID: 16529908 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2006.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2005] [Revised: 01/05/2006] [Accepted: 01/09/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Maternal cocaine abuse is a societal problem with serious impact on both mother and child. Few studies exist that study the mother/offspring dyad of neurological effects of maternal cocaine abuse. The present study was designed to study alterations in D2, D3 and sigma receptor density in nucleus accumbens and striatum of dams and male and female offspring following gestational cocaine. Long-Evans female rats were implanted with an intravenous (i.v.) access port prior to breeding and were administered saline or 3.0 mg/kg of cocaine from gestational day (GD) GD8-20 (1 injection/day-GD8-14, 2 injections/day-GD15-20). Offspring were raised by maternal dams and allowed to mature until postnatal days 31-35, at which time dams and offspring were sacrificed for assay of radioligand binding. In dams, decreased D2 (24.6%) and D3 (36.9%) binding was observed in striatum. Female offspring displayed no differences in receptor binding in either region. Male offspring displayed decreased D2 receptor binding (27.1%) in nucleus accumbens and increased D3 (75.2% and 33.5%) and sigma receptor binding (73.4% and 53.1%) in accumbens and striatum, respectively. Collectively, these data clearly demonstrate that male offspring exhibit significant alterations in D2, D3 and sigma receptor binding. These results suggest that dams and offspring display long-lasting alterations (5 weeks) in dopamine receptor binding. These alterations in dopamine and sigma receptor binding in offspring following prenatal cocaine and rearing by maternal dams are sex specific and could have profound effects on the development of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Silvers
- University of South Carolina, Department of Psychology, Physiology and Pharmacology, Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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Torres-Reveron A, Dow-Edwards DL. Prenatal cocaine dampened behavioral responses to methylphenidate in male and female adolescent rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2006; 28:165-72. [PMID: 16472971 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2005.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2005] [Revised: 11/30/2005] [Accepted: 12/05/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Clinical and animal data point toward deficits in attention and arousal after prenatal cocaine exposure. Since methylphenidate (MPD) is widely used to treat attention disorders, we wanted to determine whether prenatal cocaine (PC) exposure affects the behavioral response to MPD in young rats of both sexes. Pregnant dams received 60 mg/kg of cocaine or vehicle from gestational days 8-22 by intragastric intubations. After delivery, litters were culled to 10 (5 males, 5 females) and fostered. On a single day between PND 41-44 locomotion was recorded in a Plexiglas box within an Accuscan activity monitor after receiving a single injection of 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally of MPD or saline. Rats were also videotaped for analysis of stereotyped behavior. Results showed that MPD administration enhanced locomotion compared to saline injected groups. PC exposure in male rats did not have any effect on the locomotor response to MPD compared to prenatal controls. However, PC-exposed males showed a lower amount of time spent in low intensity stereotypy compared to prenatal control males and both groups of females that received MPD. PC exposure in female rats that received MPD dampened the locomotor response compared to prenatal control females that also received MPD. In conclusion PC exposure dampens the behavioral response to MPD differentially in males and females with an apparent selectivity of locomotion in females and stereotyped behavior in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelyn Torres-Reveron
- Program in Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
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He F, Lidow IA, Lidow MS. Inhalational model of cocaine exposure in mice: neuroteratological effects. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2006; 28:181-97. [PMID: 16414242 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2005.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2005] [Accepted: 11/26/2005] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
We developed a novel inhalation-based mouse model of prenatal cocaine exposure. This model approximates cocaine abuse via smoking, the preferred route of cocaine administration by heavy drug users. The model is also characterized by (i) absence of procedural stress from drug administration, (ii) long-term drug exposure starting weeks before pregnancy and continuing throughout the entire gestation, and (iii) self-administration of cocaine in multi-hour daily sessions reminiscent of drug binges, which allows animals to set up the levels of their own drug consumption. The offspring of female mice inhaling cocaine in our model displayed no gross alterations in their cortical cytoarchitecture. These offspring, however, showed significant impairments in sustained attention and spatial working memory. We hope that the introduction of the present model will lead to a significant increase in our understanding of outcomes of prenatal cocaine exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang He
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program of Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 5-A-12, HHH, 666 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Thompson BL, Levitt P, Stanwood GD. Prenatal cocaine exposure specifically alters spontaneous alternation behavior. Behav Brain Res 2005; 164:107-16. [PMID: 16054247 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2005.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2005] [Revised: 06/03/2005] [Accepted: 06/06/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Our laboratory has previously characterized a rabbit model of gestational cocaine exposure in which permanent alterations in neuronal morphology, cell signaling and psychostimulant-induced behavior are observed. The cellular and molecular neuroadaptations produced by prenatal cocaine occur in brain regions involved in executive function and attention, such as the anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortices. Therefore, in the present study, we have measured the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on specific behavioral tasks in adult offspring whose mothers were treated with cocaine (3mg/kg, twice a day, E16-E25). We assessed non-spatial, short-term memory in a two-object recognition task and found no deficits in memory or exploratory behaviors in cocaine-exposed offspring in this paradigm. We also evaluated a different memory task with a more robust attentional component, using spontaneous alternation in a Y maze. In this task, young adult rabbits exposed to cocaine prenatally exhibited a significant deficit in performance. Deficits in spontaneous alternation can be induced by a wide variety of behavioral and cognitive dysfunctions, but taken together with previous findings in this and other animal models, we hypothesize that prenatal exposure to cocaine alters highly specific aspects of cognitive and emotional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara L Thompson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-8548, USA
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Mayes LC, Molfese DL, Key APF, Hunter NC. Event-related potentials in cocaine-exposed children during a Stroop task. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2005; 27:797-813. [PMID: 16111858 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2005.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2004] [Revised: 05/22/2005] [Accepted: 05/23/2005] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prenatal cocaine-exposure may interfere with the ontogeny of prefrontal cortical executive functions due to cocaine's effect on the developing monoaminergic system. This study presents findings regarding cortical functioning in 29 prenatally cocaine-exposed (CE) and non-drug-exposed (NDE) 7- to 9-year-old children participating in event related potential (ERP) studies. METHODS ERPs were recorded using 128-electrode high-density arrays while children responded to a standard Stroop paradigm. RESULTS In the Stroop paradigm, CE children generated prolonged responses to the words while the NDE children produced briefer responses. Effects were noted in the region of the initial positive peak (P1), the second negative peak (N2) and the later positive peak (P3). CONCLUSIONS Early cocaine exposure may inhibit the specialization and streamlining of brain region involvement during cognitive processing such that task processing is slower to begin, requires more diverse cortical involvement, and requires more time to complete. ERP methodology has considerable potential for studying frontal maturation and may provide additional information to clarify generally the specific effects of prenatal CE on cortical functioning and the developmental course of cognitive functions.
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Noland JS, Singer LT, Short EJ, Minnes S, Arendt RE, Kirchner HL, Bearer C. Prenatal drug exposure and selective attention in preschoolers. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2005; 27:429-38. [PMID: 15939203 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2005.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2004] [Revised: 02/10/2005] [Accepted: 02/14/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in sustained attention and impulsivity have previously been demonstrated in preschoolers prenatally exposed to cocaine. We assessed an additional component of attention, selective attention, in a large, poly-substance cocaine-exposed cohort of 4 year olds and their at-risk comparison group. Employing postpartum maternal report and biological assay, we assigned children to overlapping exposed and complementary control groups for maternal use of cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes. Maternal pregnancy use of cocaine and use of cigarettes were both associated with increased commission errors, indicative of inferior selective attention. Severity of maternal use of marijuana during pregnancy was positively correlated with omission errors, suggesting impaired sustained attention. Substance exposure effects were independent of maternal postpartum psychological distress, birth mother cognitive functioning, current caregiver functioning, other substance exposures and child concurrent verbal IQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Noland
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College #512, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203-5701, USA.
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