Prenatal versus postnatal effects on offspring weight gain of rats exposed to diphenhydramine: a critical evaluation of fostering procedures in rats.
1. In order to evaluate the relative contribution of fostering procedures in the analysis of the development of rats prenatally exposed to diphenhydramine (20 mg/kg/day, sc) the weight gain of litters fostered or not by their biological mothers were examined from 2-21 days of age. 2. Maternal behavior and milk production were also assessed. 3. The results showed a decreased weight gain only in offspring fostered by mothers from different prenatal treatments and a lack of effects on maternal behavior and milk production. 4. It was concluded that the reduced weight of cross-fostered litters was mediated through an interference with postnatal mother-offspring interaction, which was not herein identified.
Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
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Chiavegatto
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MM
Bernardi
D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D004155:Diphenhydramine / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
D004155:Diphenhydramine