Who's your daddy? Behavioral and epigenetic consequences of paternal drug exposure.

Who's your daddy? Behavioral and epigenetic consequences of paternal drug exposure. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2019 Jul 10;: Authors: Nieto SJ, Kosten TA Abstract Substance use disorders (SUDs) reflect genetic and environmental factors. While identifying reliable genetic variants that predispose individuals to developing SUDs has been challenging, epigenetic factors may also contribute to the heritability of SUDs. Familial drug use associates with a wide range of problems in children, including an increased risk for developing a SUD. The implications of maternal drug use on offspring development are a well-studied area; however, paternal drug use prior to conception has received relatively little attention. Paternal exposure to several environmental stimuli (i.e. stress or diet manipulations) results in behavioral and epigenetic changes in offspring. The purpose of this review is to determine the state of the preclinical literature on the behavioral and epigenetic consequences of paternal drug exposure. Drug-sired offspring show several developmental and physiological abnormalities. These offspring also show deficits in cognitive and emotional domains. Examining sensitivity to drugs in offspring is a growing area of research. Drug-sired offspring are resistant to the rewarding and reinforcing properties of drugs. However, greater paternal motivation for the drug, combined with high drug intake, can result in addiction-like behaviors in offs...
Source: International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Int J Dev Neurosci Source Type: research