title: Influence of morphine exposure during adolescence on the sexual maturation of male rats and the development of their offspring.
abstract: The effects of adolescent morphine exposure on the sexual maturation of male rats, their reproductive capacity and the development of their progeny were examined. Groups of prepubescent male rates (25-27 days of age) were implanted with morphine- or placebo-pellets (one on Day 1, then two pellets on Days 4, 7 and 10); the pellets were not removed to assure the sustained release of morphine for 3 to 4 weeks and to avoid the confounding effects of a precipitated withdrawal syndrome. Groups of animals were sacrificed at weekly intervals through adulthood for an assessment of reproductive endocrine function. A large group, however, was also bred with drug-naive primiparous females at 85 days of age (8 weeks after morphine or placebo pellet implantation), when the acute and chronic effects of morphine on reproductive endocrine parameters had dissipated; their fertility and the development of the male and female progeny was characterized. Our results indicated that morphine exposure during adolescence led to a pronounced inhibition of a number of indices of sexual maturation (e.g., serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels and reduced weights of the testes and seminal vesicles). Breeding morphine- and placebo-implanted male rats with drug-naive females resulted in smaller liters derived from morphine-treated fathers when compared to controls, but in all other respects the development of the offspring in the two groups were equivalent. However, upon reaching adulthood, a number of selective endocrine differences were detected in morphine-derived offspring when compared to controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cicero
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008098:Litter Size; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009020:Morphine; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone