title: Influence of early testing on postweaning performance in untreated F344 rats, with comparisons to Sprague-Dawley rats, using a standardized battery of tests for behavioral teratogenesis.
abstract: The effects of early postnatal reflex testing on postweaning behavioral performance were evaluated in F344 rats by comparing the postweaning performance of two groups: one having received the preweaning series of tests from the Cincinnati Psychoteratogenicity Screening Test Battery and the other untested prior to weaning. The results of postweaning testing showed that vaginal patency, figure-8 rearing activity and Biel water maze performance were unaffected by early testing experience. Figure-8 ambulation showed a modest, but significant, increase in activity in those litters that were tested prior to weaning. The results suggested that extensive preweaning testing and handling do not pose a substantial risk for interfering with postweaning performance on tests designed to detect behavioral teratogenesis. The data generated with the F344 inbred strain were also compared to data derived from experiments in which the testing was identical, but in which an outbred stock of Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The data did not indicate that the F344 inbred strain offers advantages in terms of reducing group variability and, therefore, do not appear to represent a significant asset in behavioral teratogenicity testing.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013045:Species Specificity; D014116:Toxicology / Q000379:methods*