Effect of oral corticosterone administration on locomotor development of neonatal and juvenile rats.
In order to simulate the elevated corticosteroid levels to which offspring of stressed women may be subjected, rat pups were treated daily with two levels of oral corticosterone from the 2nd to the 15th postnatal day. The rat pups were subjected to swimming tests from their 8th postnatal day to examine their neuromuscular development and learning abilities. The locomotor performance of corticosterone-treated groups was similar to that of controls but its development was delayed, which demonstrates that even relatively low levels of corticosterone have a significant negative influence on the maturation and learning ability of neonatal rat pups. This indicates that the glucocorticoid levels to which suckling neonates (for example, children of women suffering from stress) might be exposed could modify the complex integrated neuromuscular adaptive mechanisms involved in normal locomotor development.
Pavlovska-Teglia
G
G
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK.
Stodulski
G
G
Svendsen
L
L
Dalton
K
K
Hau
J
J
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013550:Swimming
D003345:Corticosterone