ORIGINAL PAPER Prenatal Amphetamine Exposure Effects on Dopaminergic Receptors and Transporter in Postnatal Rats Gonzalo Flores • Marı ´a de Jesu ´s Go ´mez-Villalobos • Leonardo Rodrı ´guez-Sosa Accepted: 26 April 2011 / Published online: 25 May 2011 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 Abstract We investigated the influence of prenatal amphetamine exposure (PAE) on dopamine (DA) recep- tors, and dopamine transporter (DAT) in various striatal and limbic subregions and locomotor activity induced by novel environmental conditions and amphetamine at two postnatal ages, 35 days old (prepubertal) and 60 days old (postpubertal). Experiments were carried out on pregnant female Sprague–Dawley rats, which were daily injected with either d-amphetamine sulfate (1 mg/kg) or saline solution (0.9%) for 11 days, from gestation day 11–21. In PAE rats compared to control we found the following: at pre-pubertal age, an enhancement of DA D1 in the dorso- lateral area of the caudate-putamen (CPu), CPu-ventral and shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) with a decrement of the DA D3 receptors in NAcc, olfactory tubercle (OT), and the islands of Calleja (IoC); whereas at postpubertal age, an increase in the levels of DAT in the NAcc and fundus of the CPu, and OT along with a decrease in the expression of DA D2 receptors only in the NAcc shell were found in PAE rats compared to control. In addition, amphetamine induces a marked decrease in locomotor activity at post- pubertal age in rats with PAE. These results suggest a differential effect of amphetamines on the DAT mecha- nism of the nervous system during embryonic development of animals with implications in behavior and drug addic- tions at adulthood age. Keywords Amphetamine Á Prenatal Á Dopamine receptors Á Dopamine transporter Á Locomotor activity Á Postnatal Á Prepubertal Á Postpubertal Introduction Amphetamines are psychostimulants with a target in the monoaminergic system. These drugs reverse the action of monoamine transporters and enhanced lifetime of dopa- mine (DA) after release as well as norepinephrine and 5-Hydroxytriptamine (5-HT, serotonin) into the synaptic cleft, increasing their availability to act upon post-synaptic receptors. Re-uptake blocking and degradation of these neurotransmitters increases their concentrations and life- time in the synaptic cleft. Amphetamines are routinely ingested, injected and smoked. The frequency of the use of amphetamine in many regions of the United States has been reported [1]. Studies on the effects of the use of amphetamines during pregnancy, suggest that newborn babies and children between 4 and 8 years of age present persistent behavioral abnormalities; for example, aggres- sive behavior, poor adjustment and low values of weight and length, which correlate with socio-environmental fac- tors [2, 3]. Whereas at peripubertal age, children born to women who used amphetamines during pregnancy showed one grade lower at school with changes in weight and height compared to their peers; for instance, girls are shorter and lighter [4]. Surprisingly, there is no further information at adult age. There is more information about the effects of other psychostimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine in children and pre-pubertal and adult animals exposed to these drugs during prenatal develop- ment. For example, children exposed to methamphetamine G. Flores (&) Á M. de Jesu ´s Go ´mez-Villalobos Instituto de Fisiologı ´a, Universidad Auto ´noma de Puebla, 14 Sur 6301, San Manuel, 72570 Puebla, CP, Me ´xico e-mail: gflores@siu.buap.mx; canitoflores@gmail.com L. Rodrı ´guez-Sosa Departamento de Fisiologı ´a, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Auto ´noma de Me ´xico, Av. Universidad No. 3000. Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Me ´xico, DF, Me ´xico 123 Neurochem Res (2011) 36:1740–1749 DOI 10.1007/s11064-011-0489-z