A test battery for screening behavioral teratogens in mice.
The assessment battery was developed for identifying teratogens in mice (CD-1, outbred strain) since many non-behavioral toxicologists prefer working with the mouse and because the mouse is less costly to house and feed. This approach emphasizes the importance of adult toxicity data in the selection of exposure levels for teratologic studies and for interpreting behavioral teratogenic effects. Potential teratogen exposure is both prenatal and postnatal with the goal of identifying the need for more costly and time consuming, cross-fostering and critical period designs. The test battery includes the assessment of multiple behavioral capabilities, including physical landmarks, reflex development, motor capability and passive avoidance learning. We have found the behavioral capabilities of the mouse to be similar to those of the rat in variability and range of response. Our methodology has emphasized drinking water exposure to chemicals since we were involved in the evaluation of drinking water contaminants, but the battery should be amenable to any route of exposure.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*
D013723:Teratogens