Chronic gestational cocaine treatment decreases oxytocin levels in the medial preoptic area, ventral tegmental area and hippocampus in Sprague-Dawley rats.
We examined the effects of gestational cocaine treatment on oxytocin levels in the whole hippocampus (HIP), ventral tegmental area (VTA), medial preoptic area (MPOA) and amygdala (AMY) in rat dams on postpartum days (PPDs) 1 and 2. Cocaine treatment significantly reduced oxytocin levels in the MPOA within 12-16 h of delivery (PPD 1), but had no significant effect on the other brain areas. Oxytocin was significantly reduced in the HIP and VTA but not in the AMY or MPOA on PPD 2. These data provide the first evidence for the reduction of oxytocin levels in the VTA, HIP and MPOA as a result of gestational cocaine treatment.
Johns
J M
JM
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7096, USA. jjohns@css.unc.edu
Lubin
D A
DA
Walker
C H
CH
Meter
K E
KE
Mason
G A
GA
D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects
D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D010121:Oxytocin; D003042:Cocaine