Alterations in dendritic spine density following prenatal cocaine exposure were examined in the present study. Timed pregnant rats were injected daily with 30 mg/kg cocaine or saline during gestation. At postnatal day 21, male and female animals were separated and spine density was assessed following Golgi impregnation. In prenatal cocaine-exposed rats, significant increases in dendritic spine density were observed on pyramidal cells in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, basal dendrites of layer II/III of the medial prefrontal cortex, medium spiny neurons of the striatum and the core of the nucleus accumbens, as well as in neurons of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus. No differences were observed in either apical or basal dendrites of pyramidal cells in layer III of the sensory cortex or layer V of the medial prefrontal cortex, or in apical dendrites of layer II/III pyramidal cells of the medial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, there were no sex differences in any region examined. These results demonstrate that prenatal cocaine exposure increases spine density in many brain regions at postnatal day 21, and this effect is independent of sex.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000207495DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

spine density
20
prenatal cocaine
12
dendritic spine
12
pyramidal cells
12
medial prefrontal
12
prefrontal cortex
12
increases dendritic
8
brain regions
8
cocaine exposure
8
postnatal day
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!