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Paternal methamphetamine exposure - effect on the development of offspring
Mihalčíková, Lýdia ; Šlamberová, Romana (advisor) ; Cendelín, Jan (referee) ; Riljak, Vladimír (referee)
Introduction: Drug addiction and its effect on the behavior and development of children has become a serious problem in our society. Methamphetamine (MA) is one of the most abused psychostimulants in the Czech Republic, and its abuse is rising worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated the adverse long-term effects of maternal drug abuse on rat offspring. However, the father's contribution as a parent and donor of half the genetic information is unclear. Aim: First, the present study aimed to examine the effect of MA administration on male sexual behavior, locomotor activity, spermatogenesis, and testosterone level. Second, the impact of paternal MA exposure on behavioral development, locomotor activity, and social interaction in rat offspring was examined. Methods: MA was administrated for 30 days at a dose of 5 mg/kg s.c. to adult male rats (PD 90). The control group was exposed to saline (SA). During the experiments, 6-8 individuals from each group were tested. The sensorimotor development of rat pups was examined during PD 1-23. The Social play experiment was conducted with juvenile rats (PD 30). The sexual behavior, spermatogenesis, and locomotor activity of fathers and offspring were tested in adulthood. Prior to testing, adult offspring were exposed to an acute challenge dose of MA (1...
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