Gestational Cocaine's Effects on Olfactory Preference and Neuronal Activation (2010)

Undergraduates: Brittany Ross, Sarah Williams

Faculty Advisor: Josephine Johns
Department: Biology

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Often perpetuated generationally, gestational cocaine use is associated with increased maternal neglect and abuse in both humans and animal models. Children of cocaine users are at an increased risk being placed in foster care; experiences which can later affect their own maternal relationships. Deficiencies in maternal behavior may stem from the effects of cocaine on neuroendocrine changes during the post partum period. Additionally, offspring cues are also intimately related to the alterations of maternal behavior. Cocaine treated rodent infants show differences including vocalizations, temperature and olfactory cues (urine). During olfactory test administration on postpartum day five, pup urine evoked a preferable maternal response to cocaine pups from both cocaine and untreated dams. Untreated dams spent more time in pup urine alleys than cocaine treated dams. Urinalysis data show a difference in urine pH between cocaine and untreated rat pups on postnatal day five. Differences in pH are detectable through the olfactory pathway because of the consequences of pH on solubility; as pH changes certain compounds become more or less pungent. In order to determine which regions are active in discriminating between pup cues, separate dams were exposed to either untreated or cocaine urine prior to being sacrificed. Brain tissue was recovered. The tissue is being processed for neuronal activation through c-fos staining. Initial results show activation in the lateral habenula and paraventricular thalamus. While neuronal differences due to cocaine administration effect maternal behavior, biological differences in cocaine treated offspring may expand the explanation for the disruption of mother-infant interactions.