Gomes-DA-Silva J, Silva M C, Tavares M A
Institute of Anatomy, Medical School of Porto, Porto, PortugalLaboratory of Biometry, Institute for Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Porto, PortugalInstitute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1998 May;844(1):310-313. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb08245.x.
Taking into account that methamphetamine (MA) is a popular recreational drug among young adult women, i.e., in gestational age, the present model aims to assess the effects of its exposure during development. In this experimental model, MA effects are assessed in the rat during the first month of life, regarding both general growth parameters, and gross morphological effects in the retina as part of the evaluation of sensory systems. Experimental animals were obtained from 60-day-old nulliparous females. Litters were culled to 8 pups (4 males and 4 females, whenever possible), individually marked and weighed every two days. Experimental groups received 10 mg (+)methamphetamine hydrochloride kg body weight/day, subcutaneously, twice daily, from postnatal day (PND) 1 to the day before sacrifice; control groups received isovolumetric doses of saline, in the same protocol. Pups were weaned on PND 21. Groups were sacrificed on PND 5, 7 and 30. Animals exposed to MA presented increased percentage of retinal hemorrhages (18, 7 and 11% on PND 5, 7 and 30, respectively) compared to control groups (2% on PND 7, 0% on PND 5 and 30). On PND 30, the mean body weight of males exposed to MA was 75% of the mean weight of male controls, whereas for females, mean body weights were 70% of those of female controls. These findings support the view that developmental parameters in the rat are deleteriously affected by early exposure to MA.
