Cerebral blood flow regulation in neonatal rabbits is altered by chronic cocaine administration

Pamela Feuer, Alex Loeb, Constance L. Monitto, Maureen O'Rourke, C. Dean Kurth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Maternal cocaine abuse has several deleterious effects in the newborn, including perinatal asphyxia, hypoxia, and hypercapnia. We hypothesized that chronic cocaine exposure during development may alter cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation. We studied 16 neonatal rabbits that had received cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p. b.i.d.) or saline since birth. Changes in CBF were measured by laser Doppler flowmetry before (baseline), and during hypercapnia (FiCO2 = 7.5%), hypoxia O2 = 12%), and asphyxia (apnea for 1 min). During hypercapnia, CBF increased less in cocaine than in control animals (28 ± 3% vs. 69 ± 10%, P < 0.05). During hypoxia, CBF increased similarly in both groups. During reventilation after asphyxia, CBF increased more in cocaine than in control animals (391 ± 52% vs. 225 ± 43%, P < 0.05). Chronic cocaine exposure during brain development appears to alter CBF regulation to hypercapnia and asphyxia, which may put the drug exposed newborn at risk for neurologic injury around birth.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)142-145
Number of pages4
JournalBrain research
Volume755
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 25 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • asphyxia
  • carbon dioxide
  • cerebral blood flow
  • cocaine
  • hypoxia
  • newborn

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Developmental Biology

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