title: Device for monitoring locomotor activity of 120 animals: motility of offspring of dams exposed to haloperidol.
abstract: A device using four infra-red light photocells per cage which monitor simultaneously the motility of 120 individual rodents, was developed at our institute. The measuring interval can be chosen freely, the starting time may be set freely and the test may last several weeks. The motility of the offspring (day 35-39) of dams exposed to the neuroleptic haloperidol during lactation was investigated, because of the important stage of the brain development in the neonatal age and of the relatively high concentration of haloperidol in the milk. Mice dams were treated sc. with a single dose (1.5 mg/kg) of haloperidol postnatally on day 3 to 6. Compared to the controls the body weight gain of treated (via milk) pups was reduced (controls = 72%, haloperidol = 30%) and the mortality was higher (controls = 10%, haloperidol = 77%) during the treatment period. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the locomotor activity from day 35 to day 39 shows a distinct shift in the kind of motility: the locomotor activity of haloperidol offspring is significantly reduced while the number of activity phases is increased. It appears that there is a persistent alteration in the central nervous system that leads to a higher frequency but a lower efficacy of activity.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Toxikologie and Embryopharmakologie, Freie Universität, Berlin.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chahoud
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwabe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neubert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007774:Lactation; D051379:Mice; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011589:Psychology, Experimental / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D006220:Haloperidol