Neurotoxicology and teratology
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Neurotoxicol Teratol · Nov 1998
Comparative StudyHeart rate variability in neonatal rats after perinatal cocaine exposure.
Pregnant rats received saline once daily (Control QD) or twice daily (Control BID), cocaine 2 mg/kg IV daily (COC QD) or twice daily (COC BID) throughout gestation beginning on gestational day 4. The treatment was continued in nursing mothers until postnatal day 7. All studies were performed in their offsprings on postnatal days 1 and 7. ⋯ Our results indicated that there were normal developmental changes in HRV consistent with continued postnatal development of autonomic nervous system. Perinatal cocaine exposure appeared to modify these changes. The specific autonomic mechanism for the cocaine effect may be a decline in parasympathetic activity and a concomitant change in sympathetic activity.