title: Effects of neonatal pyridostigmine treatment on sexual maturation and adult behaviour in female rats subjected to maternal deprivation.
abstract: The present study deals with the effects on adult behaviour of early postnatal maternal, i.e. psychosocial and/or nutritional deprivation and of altering the brain levels and/or turnover rates of acetylcholine in preweaning deprived rats. The following data were obtained: 1. Female rats separated from their mothers and littermates for 16 hours each day during the first two weeks of life showed a significant delay of puberty onset in comparison with non-separated controls. Furthermore, these animals exhibited significantly reduced emotionality as well as learning capability and memory capacity in adulthood. 2. Administration of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine during the first two weeks of life to the deprived females did not compensate the puberty-delaying effect of separation. However, the neonatally pyridostigminized female rats exhibited an increased emotional reactivity in adult life. 3. Female rats deprived from their mothers and treated with pyridostigmine during the neonatal period displayed increased avoidance learning and memory capacity in adulthood as compared to neonatally deprived but untreated animals. It might be concluded from our results that defects of brain differentiation produced by early postnatal deprivation could be prevented, at least in part, by simultaneous administration of pyridostigmine.
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide