title: Exposure to threshold doses of nicotine in utero: III. Augmentation of the prolactin and ACTH response to 8-OH DPAT by desipramine treatment is compromised in adult male offspring.
abstract: Gravid female rats were injected subcutaneously with saline (SAL) or nicotine (3.0 mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg, bid) from days 14-21 of gestation. Adult 105-day old male offspring from each of the three groups were treated daily with saline or desipramine (DMI) (10 mg/kg, sc) for 14 days. Twenty-four hours after the last injection, animals were challenged with saline or 8-hydroxy-2- (di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH DPAT) (0.1 mg/kg, sc), a serotonin IA(5-HT(IA)) agonist, and plasma prolactin and ACTH concentrations were measured 15 minutes later. DMI treatment augmented both the prolactin and ACTH responses to 8-OH DPAT in the SAL controls. Neither the prolactin nor the ACTH response was augmented significantly in the animals exposed prenatally to either nicotine dosage regimen, although there was a strong trend for the augmentation to occur in the low-dose nicotine exposed animals. The results indicate the capacity of 5-HT systems to adapt normally to DMI administration, as manifested by neuroendocrine responsivity to 8-OH DPAT, was compromised in adult animals exposed to nicotine in utero.
authors.affiliation: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Torrance 90509, USA.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Poland
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lutchmansingh
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McGeoy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Que
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: McCracken
mesh_terms: D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D009538:Nicotine; D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D003891:Desipramine