Prenatal inhibition of hypothalamic sex steroid uptake by cocaine: effects on neurobehavioral sexual differentiation in male rats.

摘要: Several adrenergically active drugs have been shown to prevent the masculinizing and/or defeminizing effects of testosterone on brain sexual differentiation. We examined ability neuronal norepinephrine uptake blocker, cocaine, produce similar effects. The cocaine inhibit sex steroid incorporation into hypothalamus during a critical period for differentiation was in females treated at birth with testosterone. Sixty minutes after administration, observed both and estradiol by approximately 50%. Long-term consequences prenatal exposure were studied injecting Sprague-Dawley dams twice daily 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg hydrochloride days 15 through 20 gestation examining offspring. In adulthood, cocaine-exposed males, but not found exhibit significantly less marking behavior than controls. Cocaine-exposed males group tested exhibited demasculinization some aspects behaviors tested. Measurement plasma hormone levels this revealed elevated LH, normal FSH No differences respect organ adrenal weights, thymus 25% smaller compared control 80 age. separate experiment, 3 from 21 half male pups received additional injections day first 5 postnatally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)