Early postpartum pup preference is altered by gestational cocaine treatment: Associations with infant cues and oxytocin expression in the MPOA

Abstract

Cross-fostering studies suggest cocaine-induced deficits in maternal behavior could be associated with altered behavior of offspring following prenatal cocaine-exposure. Neonatal vocalizations are an important offspring cue facilitating early interactions between dam and rodent pup offspring and have been shown to be altered following prenatal cocaine-exposure. It is unclear how variations in acoustic parameters of USVs impact maternal behavior and the mechanism(s) underlying these processes. The present study examined differences in cocaine-exposed and control rodent dam maternal preference of cocaine-exposed or untreated pups in a dual choice apparatus. Relationship of preference-like behavior with pup USVs and dam oxytocin expression was explored. Gestational cocaine-exposure interfered with preference-like behavior of dams on postpartum day 1 with cocaine-exposure associated with decreased time spent on the cocaine-exposed pup side compared to the control pup side, and decreases in preference-like behavior associated in part with decreased number of USVs being emitted by cocaine-exposed pups. On postpartum day 5, decreased oxytocin expression in the medial preoptic area was associated with altered preference-like behavior in cocaine-exposed dams, including frequency and latency to touch/sniff pups. Results indicate cocaine’s effects on the mother-infant relationship is likely synergistic, in that cocaine influences mother and offspring both independently and concertedly and that variations within pup vocalizations and the oxytocin system may be potential mechanism(s) underlying this synergistic relationship during the postpartum period.

Early postpartum resting‐state functional connectivity for mothers receiving buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder: A pilot study

“…Connectivity of PAG with other regions of the care and defence subsystems of the MBN to orchestrate parenting in humans is consistent with task‐based fMRI responses to infant stimuli in the amygdala, insular cortex, OFC and hypothalamus . In rodent studies, oxytocin neurones in the in mPOA of the hypothalamus regulate dopamine function in the ventral tegmental area and mediate the reward salience of pups . In another rat model, disrupted hypothalamus connectivity with PAG was related to impaired maternal care .…”

Use of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to assess phasic dopamine release in rat models of early postpartum maternal behavior and neglect

“…For example, pup urine is a strong stimulus that elicits MB (Londei et al, 1989), and in this study we demonstrate significant differences in the urine composition between cocaine-naïve and exposed pups. Also, ultrasonic vocalizations are altered by prenatal cocaine in rats (Cox et al, 2012, Lippard et al, 2015, McMurray et al, 2013) in ways that are qualitatively similar to exposed human infants (Zeskind et al, 2014). Therefore, it is feasible that stimuli produced by cocaine-exposed pups are less effective to evoke dopamine release in rat mothers.…”

“…The fewer dopamine transients observed in cocaine-exposed mothers could be due to the altered dopamine dynamics we observed in anesthetized rats, perhaps indicating reduced capacity for fast fluctuations in dopamine concentration. Indeed, cocaine-exposed rat mothers exhibit differential maternal response to pup-produced cues (Lippard et al, 2015), which may be due, in part, to deficient dopamine signaling. However, another potential contributor could be differences in the stimuli produced by cocaine-exposed versus unexposed litters.…”

“…The 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 5.4% of pregnant women in the US were using illicit drugs, including cocaine (SAMHSA 2014). Affecting both mother and fetus, prenatal cocaine use has linked to deficits in infant development and maternal care in humans (Burns et al, 1991; Kelley et al, 1991; Murphy et al, 1991; Williams-Petersen et al, 1994; Mayes et al, 1997; Strathearn and Mayes 2010; Rutherford et al, 2011; Cain et al, 2013; Liu et al, 2013; Chiriboga et al, 2014; Grewen et al, 2014) and in rats (Johns et al, 2005; McMurray et al, 2013; Zeskind et al, 2014; McMurray et al, 2015; Lippard et al, 2015). As cocaine targets monoamine transporters, including the dopamine transporter, phasic dopamine transmission in cocaine-exposed mothers may be compromised.…”

Cocaína durante la gestación y conducta materna postparto en ratones

“…Asimismo, Lippard et al (2015) observaron que las dosis de cocaína de 15 mg/kg dos veces al día (b.i.d.) incrementan la latencia para tocar y olfatear a sus crías, talvez porque las madres reducen las vocalizaciones neonatales.…”