Is perinatal picrotoxin anxiogenic?
Female Wistar rats were exposed to a subconvulsant dose of picrotoxin (0.75 mg/kg, sc) on day 18 of pregnancy, immediately after parturition and daily during the first 5 days of lactation. In adulthood, the offspring were tested in an open-field, in an elevated plus maze and for social interaction. Results showed increased locomotor activity (75 days of age) and decreased social interaction (90 days of age) in experimental male rats compared to control male rats. No effects on behaviors related to anxiety were observed in males or females tested in the plus maze apparatus. An additional comparison of the activity of male and female animals perinatally treated with picrotoxin showed a lack of the classical sexual dimorphic responses in the open-field (control male = 68.7 +/- 6.31; control female = 98.4 +/- 6.31; experimental male = 89.6 +/- 6.32; experimental female = 113.2 +/- 4.74). We suggest that perinatal picrotoxin exposure may interfere with normal male masculinization rather than increasing anxiety in male rats.
Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
M R
MR
Silva
L F
LF
Felicio
A G
AG
Nasello
M M
MM
Bernardi
D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D010852:Picrotoxin