Acute cocaine alters oxytocin levels in the medial preoptic area and amygdala in lactating rat dams: implications for cocaine-induced changes in maternal behavior and maternal aggression

• Published in: Neuropeptides (Edinburgh) Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 127 - 134
• Main Authors: Elliott, J.C., Lubin, D.A., Walker, C.H., Johns, J.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aggression - drug effects; Amygdala - drug effects; Amygdala - metabolism; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Chemistry - drug effects; Cocaine - pharmacology; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors - pharmacology; Female; Lactation - physiology; Male; Maternal Behavior - drug effects; Medical sciences; Oxytocin - metabolism; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Postpartum Period; Preoptic Area - drug effects; Preoptic Area - metabolism; Rats; Respiratory system; ventral tegmental area; Amygdala; Oxytocin; Rat; CNS stimulant; Psychotropic; Toxicity; Acute; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Basal ganglion; Hypothalamus; Breast feeding; Medial preoptic area; Maternal behavior; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Cocaine; Drug of abuse; Mechanism of action; Brain (vertebrata); Aggressiveness
• ISSN: 0143-4179; 1532-2785
• DOI: 10.1054/npep.2001.0854

Acute cocaine administration has been correlated with disruptions in the onset and maintenance of maternal behavior as well as decreases in maternal aggressive behavior in rat dams. A growing body of evidence suggests that cocaine may alter oxytocin levels leading to impairments in maternal behavior and aggression. The current study assessed whether acute cocaine injections alter oxytocin (OT) levels in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), ventral tegmental area (VTA), amygdala (AMY), and hippocampus (HIP) on postpartum day (PPD) 1 or PPD 6. On PPD 1, 30mg/kg cocaine reduced OT levels by approximately 26.9% (picograms/milligram) in the MPOA (t (18) = 3.44, P<.01) compared to saline. On PPD 6, 30mg/kg cocaine significantly increased OT levels by approximately 20.9% (picograms/brain area) in the AMY (F (2,25) = 3.44, P= .05) relative to saline. These findings suggest that acute cocaine may disrupt maternal behavior and maternal aggression at least in part through its action on the oxytocinergic system.