title: Effect of cocaine, 95% oxygen and ellagic acid on the development and antioxidant status of cultured rat embryos.
abstract: Prenatal exposure to cocaine has been associated with adverse developmental effects and current data suggest cocaine induced malformations are caused by ischemic-reperfusion injury. This study was undertaken to assess a new in vitro model which uses a routine rat whole embryo culture system that incorporates a change in oxygen status, and to examine the effects of altered oxygen status and pretreatment with ellagic acid (EA), an anti-oxidant, after cocaine exposure. Embryos were evaluated by determining a developmental score and by measuring tissue reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. Following re-oxygenation with 95% O2 for the last 6 h of culture, embryos treated with cocaine had reduced developmental scores and GSH levels. Embryos treated with cocaine and not re-oxygenated with 95% O2 did not have reduced developmental scores. EA blocked the effects of cocaine on developmental score and GSH level. These data support ischemia-reperfusion injury as the mechanism of cocaine developmental toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bohn
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Forsyth
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Stoner
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D004610:Ellagic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000139:chemically induced; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D004610:Ellagic Acid; D005978:Glutathione; D003042:Cocaine; D010100:Oxygen