Figure 5

Density of α₂-adrenergic receptors in amygdala (central nucleus) as measured by autoradiography. In control animals, the density of α₂-adrenergic receptors was significantly lower [F(1, 52) = 10.9; P < 0.01] in females than the density of α₂-adrenergic receptors observed in male controls. Prenatal cocaine exposure abolished this sex difference in amygdala α₂-adrenergic receptors by increasing binding by 19% in female offspring, whereas α₂-adrenergic receptors did not significantly differ because of cocaine exposure in males. n = 14 per group.