Journal
NEUROREPORT
Volume 16, Issue 11, Pages 1217-1221Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200508010-00017
Keywords
electron paramagnetic resonance; in-utero cocaine exposure; lipid peroxidation; nitric oxide; rat hippocampus; water-maze learning
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We examined whether significant oxidative stress is induced in the brain of juvenile rats exposed in utero to cocaine, and contributes to their mnesic difficulties. We measured nitric oxide generation, using electron paramagnetic resonance, and the thiobarbituric acid reactive species as specific indexes of lipid peroxidation. Both nitric oxide and lipid peroxidation were elevated in the hippocampus of in-utero cocaine-exposed rats as compared with control animals. In-utero cocaine-exposed rats developed significant learning impairments in the water-maze, shown by probe test retrieval deficits. In parallel, behavioural sessions resulted in increases of thiobarbituric acid reactive species levels only in control animals. Therefore, in-utero cocaine exposure resulted in a significant oxidative stress in basal conditions, which may be related to impaired learning ability.
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