title: Effect of methamphetamine exposure and cross-fostering on cognitive function in adult male rats.
abstract: The aim of our study was to examine the effect of prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure and cross-fostering on cognitive functions of adult male rats tested in Morris water maze (MWM). Rat mothers were exposed daily to injection of MA (5mg/kg) or saline for 9 weeks: prior to impregnation, throughout gestation and lactation periods. Females without any injections were used as an absolute control. On postnatal day 1, pups were cross-fostered so that each mother raised 4 pups of her own and 8 pups from the mothers with the other two treatments. Four types of tests were used: (1) Place navigation test (Learning), (2) Probe test (Probe), (3) Retention memory test (Memory) and (4) Visible platform task. Our results demonstrate that the prenatal exposure to MA does not impact learning and memory, while postnatal exposure to MA shows impairments in cognition. In the test of learning, all animals fostered to MA-treated dams had longer latencies, bigger search error and used lower spatial strategies than the animals fostered to control or saline-treated mother, regardless of prenatal exposure. Regardless of postnatal exposure, the animals prenatally exposed to saline swam faster in all the tests than the animals prenatally exposed to MA and controls, respectively. This study indicates that postnatal but not prenatal exposure to MA affects learning in adult male rats. However, it is still not clear whether these impairments are due to a direct effect of MA on neuronal structure or due to an indirect effect of MA mediated by impaired maternal care.
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Third Faculty of Medicine, Department of Normal, Pathological and Clinical Physiology, Ke Karlovu 4, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hrubá
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schutová
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pometlová
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rokyta
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slamberová
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine