Dose-Related Effects of Preconception Male Cocaine Use on Post-Weaning Voluntary Activity and Exploratory Behavioral Profiles of Offspring of Congenic, Naive Lean LA/Ntul//-cp Rats

Cocaine abuse has become a major public health problem in Western society, where it currently affects over 20 million adults and adolescents aged 12 and above. Previous studies indicate that mammalian spermatozoa contain opioid binding sites located on the head of the spermatozoaandupon direct exposure to genomic materials following fertilization and beyond, may induce epigenetic strand breaks in DNA.Thus, when exposed to opiates during spermatogenesis the opioid effects may become transmitted and incorporated into the female gamete during fertilization. Cocaine has been found to contribute to DNA strand breaks imposing epigenetic damageandthe early-stage immature developing zygote would likely be more susceptible prior to development of DNA repair mechanisms to genomic damage as occurs in more mature cells.