Microanatomy in 21 day rat brains exposed prenatally to cocaine.
We examined cell minicolumns, apical dendrite bundles, and inhibitory interneurons, in prefrontal and somatosensory cortex of 21-day-old rat brains exposed to cocaine during fetal development. Cell columns and apical dendrite bundles were found to be narrower, or closer together, in all three areas following in utero cocaine exposure. The inter-rater reliability among different observers was R(2)=0.89. The number of cells stained for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) was not significantly different in the prenatal cocaine exposed group compared to saline controls. The present data suggests that recreational doses of cocaine administered intravenously in early pregnancy, have the capacity to modify the maturation of the ontogenetic cell column.
Buxhoeveden
Daniel P
DP
Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29803, USA. buxhoevede@gwm.sc.edu
Hasselrot
Ulla
U
Buxhoeveden
Nicole E
NE
Booze
Rosemarie M
RM
Mactutus
Charles F
CF
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009421:Nervous System Malformations / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; D003042:Cocaine