Prenatal opiate exposure: long-term CNS consequences in the stress system of the offspring

Our data show that prenatal morphine exposure induces long-term alterations in adult brain and behavior in both male and female rats, and these alterations are sex-specific. It is also evident that the alterations are not restricted to a single brain site or to a single neurotransmitter or neuromodulator. Moreover, there are long-term alterations in both the norepinephrine (NE) and opioid systems in several brain regions involved in stress responses and in the maintenance of homeostatic balance between the external environment, the brain and the rest of the body. Thus, this short paper reviews the prenatal morphine exposure data and highlights gaps in stress response to drug vulnerability/predisposition as an adult. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.