Altered reward sensitivity in female offspring of cocaine-exposed fathers.

TitleAltered reward sensitivity in female offspring of cocaine-exposed fathers.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsFischer DK, Rice RC, Rivera AMartinez, Donohoe M, Rajadhyaksha AM
JournalBehav Brain Res
Volume332
Pagination23-31
Date Published2017 08 14
ISSN1872-7549
KeywordsAmphetamine, Animals, Anxiety, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Cocaine, Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors, Fathers, Female, Male, Maze Learning, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Motor Activity, Phenotype, Reward, Sex Characteristics, Social Behavior
Abstract

Recent rodent studies have demonstrated that parental cocaine exposure can influence offspring behavior, supporting the idea that environmental insults can impact subsequent generations. However, studies on the effects of paternal cocaine exposure are limited and multiple inconsistencies exist. In the current study, we behaviorally characterize the effects of paternal cocaine exposure in a C57BL/6J intergenerational mouse model. Male sires were administered cocaine hydrochloride (20mg/kg) or saline (0.01mL/g) once a day for 75days, and bred with drug naïve females twenty-four hours after the final injection. Offspring, separated by sex, were tested in a battery of behaviors. We found that paternal cocaine exposure altered sensitivity to the rewarding and stimulant effects of psychostimulants and natural reward (sucrose) in female offspring; female cocaine-sired offspring showed blunted cocaine preference using cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) at a low dose (5mg/kg), but displayed similar preference at a higher dose (10mg/kg) compared to saline-sired controls. Additionally, cocaine-sired female offspring exhibited higher psychomotor sensitivity to cocaine (10mg/kg) and amphetamine (2mg/kg) and consumed more sucrose. Cocaine-sired males exhibited increased psychomotor effects of cocaine and amphetamine. Male offspring also displayed an anxiety-like phenotype. No effect of paternal cocaine exposure was observed on depressive-like, learning and memory or social behavior in male or female offspring. Collectively, our findings show that paternal, chronic cocaine exposure induces intergenerational behavioral effects in male and female offspring with greatest impact on sensitivity to psychostimulants and sucrose in females.

DOI10.1016/j.bbr.2017.05.054
Alternate JournalBehav. Brain Res.
PubMed ID28552600
Grant ListR01 DA029122 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States