Fetal development in rhesus monkeys exposed prenatally to cocaine

Howell, Leonard L.; Schama, Kevin F.; Ellis, Jane; Grimley, Paul J; Kitchens, Adria J; Byrd, Larry D.

doi:10.1016/s0892-0362(01)00121-0

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 34 publications

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“…Several investigators have examined the physiological consequences of cocaine use throughout gestation in nonhuman primate models and have reported differences in fetal brain development (e.g., Fang et al 1997) as well as brain weight (Lidow 1998, 2003) and survival rates of offspring (Howell et al 2001). The present study utilized prenatal cocaine exposure in rhesus monkeys in order to evaluate the behavioral and neurochemical consequences of in utero drug exposure in adults.…”

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Behavioral characterization of adult male and female rhesus monkeys exposed to cocaine throughout gestation

2010

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Rationale-In utero cocaine exposure has been associated with alterations in the dopamine (DA) system in monkeys. However, the behavioral outcomes of prenatal cocaine exposure in adulthood are poorly understood.Objectives-To assess several behavioral measures in 14-year-old rhesus monkeys exposed to cocaine in utero and controls (n=10 per group).Materials and methods-For these studies, two unconditioned behavioral tasks, novel object reactivity and locomotor activity, and two conditioned behavioral tasks, response extinction and delay discounting, were examined. In addition, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were analyzed for concentrations of the monoamine metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA).Results-No differences in CSF concentrations of 5-HIAA and HVA, latencies to touch a novel object or locomotor activity measures were observed between groups or sexes. However, prenatally cocaine-exposed monkeys required a significantly greater number of sessions to reach criteria for extinction of food-reinforced behavior than control monkeys. On the delay-discounting task, male prenatally cocaine-exposed monkeys switched preference from the larger reinforcer to the smaller one at shorter delay values than male control monkeys; no differences were observed in females.Conclusions-These findings suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure results in long-term neurobehavioral deficits that are influenced by sex of the individual. KeywordsAnimal model; Dopamine; Drug abuse; Serotonin; Sex differences; Prenatal cocaine; Impulsivity; Delay discounting; Rhesus monkey NIH Public AccessAuthor Manuscript Psychopharmacology (Berl). Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 February 1. However, the long-term consequences of chronic drug exposure to the fetus are not well understood. Animal models have been used to better understand the neural and behavioral consequences of in utero cocaine exposure (e.g., Lidow 1998). Nonhuman primate models offer several advantages, including a complex frontal cortex, similar hormonal fluctuations, and a long gestational period for prenatal drug exposure (Jewitt and Dukelow 1972;Lidow 2003). Nonhuman primates have approximately 95% gene homology to humans (Hacia et al. 1998) and greater homology in dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and norepinephrine systems than rodents (Weerts et al. 2007). Additionally, nonhuman primates have similar in utero development as humans over a long (24-26 weeks) gestation period (Silk et al. 1993), making them especially valuable for prenatal cocaine exposure studies.Several investigators have examined the physiological consequences of cocaine use throughout gestation in nonhuman primate models and have reported differences in fetal brain development (e.g., Fang et al. 1997) as well as brain weight (Lidow 1998(Lidow , 2003 and survival rates of offspring (Howell et al. 2001). The present study utilized prenatal cocaine exposure in rhesus monkeys in order to evaluate the behavioral and neurochemical consequences of in utero drug ...

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confidence: 99%