TY - JOUR T1 - Influence of morphine exposure during adolescence on the sexual maturation of male rats and the development of their offspring. JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther SP - 1086 LP - 1093 VL - 256 IS - 3 AU - T J Cicero AU - M L Adams AU - A Giordano AU - B T Miller AU - L O'Connor AU - B Nock Y1 - 1991/03/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/256/3/1086.abstract N2 - The effects of adolescent morphine exposure on the sexual maturation of male rats, their reproductive capacity and the development of their progeny were examined. Groups of prepubescent male rates (25-27 days of age) were implanted with morphine- or placebo-pellets (one on Day 1, then two pellets on Days 4, 7 and 10); the pellets were not removed to assure the sustained release of morphine for 3 to 4 weeks and to avoid the confounding effects of a precipitated withdrawal syndrome. Groups of animals were sacrificed at weekly intervals through adulthood for an assessment of reproductive endocrine function. A large group, however, was also bred with drug-naive primiparous females at 85 days of age (8 weeks after morphine or placebo pellet implantation), when the acute and chronic effects of morphine on reproductive endocrine parameters had dissipated; their fertility and the development of the male and female progeny was characterized. Our results indicated that morphine exposure during adolescence led to a pronounced inhibition of a number of indices of sexual maturation (e.g., serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels and reduced weights of the testes and seminal vesicles). Breeding morphine- and placebo-implanted male rats with drug-naive females resulted in smaller liters derived from morphine-treated fathers when compared to controls, but in all other respects the development of the offspring in the two groups were equivalent. However, upon reaching adulthood, a number of selective endocrine differences were detected in morphine-derived offspring when compared to controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) ER -