title: Effect of phenobarbitone administration to pregnant rats on anxiety in offsprings.
abstract: Adults Charles-Foster rats were prenatally treated to phenobarbitone (10 mg/kg, i.p.) from day 13 to 21 of gestation, this being the critical period of neural development. Pregnant control rats were similarly treated with equal volume of vehicle. Adult rat offsprings at 8-9 weeks of age were subjected to open-field exploratory behaviour, elevated plus-maze and elevated zero-maze tests. The rat offsprings displayed significantly increased ambulation and rearings in an open-field arena when compared to control offsprings whereas self-grooming and faecal droppings remain unchanged. On elevated plus-maze test these prenatally treated rat offsprings spent significantly less time on open arms and more time and more number of entries in enclosed arms as compared to controls. Prenatally exposed rats also showed significant less time on open arms, less number of head dips and stretched attend postures on elevated zero-maze test indicating increased anxiogenic behavioural pattern in these animals. The results suggest that prenatal exposure to phenobarbitone leaves a lasting effect on the anxiety state of the offsprings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jaiswal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D010634:Phenobarbital