Methamphetamine (METH) abuse of women of childbearing age and those who are pregnant is an urgent public health concern. While the harmful effects of METH in adults are well described, there is only limited knowledge on the deleterious effects of METH use during pregnancy on maternal health and the developing child. The goal of this proposal is to investigate the effects of METH use during pregnancy and its consequences on maternal physiology, pregnancy success, offspring development and behavior using a translationally-relevant intravenous self-administration approach in which rat dams self-administer METH prior to and during pregnancy. We will test the hypothesis that METH self-administration before and throughout pregnancy will 1) profoundly affect the maternal cardiovascular system and maternal pup-directed behavior, as well as impair offspring development, affect offspring behavior and physiology. We will assess comprehensively overall health, blood pressure and heart rate in pregnant, METH self-administering females. In comparison to sham control dams, we hypothesize that METH self-administration of dams will lead to increased blood pressure and heart rate, as well as impairments in offspring development and alteration in pup-directed maternal behavior. In addition, we hypothesize that METH-exposed offspring will demonstrate learning and memory deficits, increased anxiety-like behavior and altered physiology compared to controls. The results from the proposed studies will provide needed information regarding the effects of METH on the pregnant female physiology and behavior and on offspring development. Ultimately, our studies will lead to knowledge on the identification of treatment opportunities, especially pre-partum, to benefit outcomes for mothers and children.
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