title: Prenatal oxazepam affects passive avoidance performance of preweaning mice.
abstract: CD-1 outbred mice were exposed to oxazepam on fetal days 12-16 by maternal administration (per os of 15 mg/kg twice daily at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.) and fostered at birth to untreated dams, while control mice received vehicle solution. Mice were then tested on postnatal day 14 and 15 in a passive avoidance apparatus for their ability to withhold a step-down response from a vibrating platform. The step-down response was punished with a mild footshock. Each animal was subjected to a maximum of 15 trials. Mice prenatally treated with oxazepam showed an impairment in the acquisition of the task as indicated by shorter latencies to step-down throughout the 15 trials in both sessions (days 14 and 15). As control nonreinforced animals prenatally treated with oxazepam did not show a similar alteration in latency to step-down, these data suggest that prenatal exposure to oxazepam influences behavioral performance of preweaning mice in an aversively motivated task.
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Pathophysiology Section, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ricceri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calamandrei
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alleva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010076:Oxazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011930:Reaction Time; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010076:Oxazepam