Effects of benzoylecgonine on the behavior of suckling rats: a preliminary report.

A major metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, causes behavioral activation that progresses to seizures when given intraventricularly to 2-week-old rats. The seizures are characterized by running, hopping, and vocalizing and are mixed with shorter-duration tonic episodes. Pretreatment with haloperidol, at a dose aimed at blocking stereotyped behavior, did not suppress these behaviors. In contrast, seizures were prevented by antiepileptic drugs, with the order of potency being diazepam greater than phenobarbital greater than phenytoin. We hypothesize that the long-lasting cocaine metabolite, benzoylecgonine, contributes to the infant cocaine intoxication syndrome.