The effects of the GABAA antagonist bicuculline on cocaine self-administration in rats exposed to lead during gestation/lactation

The present investigation examined the effects of perinatal lead exposure on cocaine self-administration following a GABAA antagonist pretreatment. Female rats were exposed to either 0 or 16 mg lead daily for 30 days prior to breeding with unexposed males. Beginning on postnatal day (PND) 75, control (N=10) and lead-exposed (N=8) animals were trained to self-administer 0.50 mg/kg cocaine intravenously (IV). After stable responding was established, animals were tested at 0.03 and 0.06 mg/kg cocaine delivered intravenously (IV), combined with intraperitoneal (IP) administration of either saline, 0.50, 1.00 or 2.00 mg/kg bicuculline (a GABAA antagonist). The results showed that control animals increased self-administration responding at a cocaine dose of 0.06 mg/kg as bicuculline dose increased. Lead-exposed animals exhibited an opposite pattern, i.e., a decrease in active (cocaine) lever responding occurred as the bicuculline dose was increased. Results at the 0.03 mg/kg cocaine dose failed to show group separation, or significant changes consequent to the bicuculline pretreatment. The data suggest that GABA antagonism results in increased reward potency of a low dose of cocaine and further, that this effect is differentially expressed in animals exposed to perinatal lead.