The Effects of Chronic Prenatal Exposure to Nicotine on the Behavior of Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus)

• Published in: The Journal of general psychology Vol. 120; no. 1; pp. 49 - 63
• Main Authors: Johns, Josephine M., Walters, Paul A., Zimmerman, Laura I.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.1993; Heldref; Journal Press, etc; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Discrimination Learning - drug effects; Female; Guinea Pigs; Male; Medical sciences; Nicotine; Nicotine - administration & dosage; Nicotine - adverse effects; Nicotine - pharmacology; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rodents; Task Performance and Analysis; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology; Toxicity; Rodentia; Exposure; Behavioral ontogeny; Pregnancy; Prenatal; Vertebrata; Chronic; Mammalia; Guinea pig; Animal; Age; Nicotine
• ISSN: 0022-1309; 1940-0888
• DOI: 10.1080/00221309.1993.9917861

Three groups of 15 offspring from guinea pig dams were injected twice daily throughout gestation with one of three doses (0.5, 1.5 or 2.5 mg/kg) of nicotine-hydrogen tartrate. These offspring and 15 saline-exposed offspring were tested on several behavioral measures. Offspring of nicotine-treated dams had significantly lower rates of spontaneous alternation as neonates. The 1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg nicotine-exposed offspring also alternated less at puberty than control offspring and would not enter an unfamiliar stimulus alley that a majority of controls entered. Nicotine offspring, as adults, performed significantly poorer than their controls on errors and trials to criterion on a discrimination and reversal task. Prenatal nicotine treatment resulted in performance deficits on both learned and innate behavioral measures throughout development and adulthood.