Chronic prenatal exposure to carbamazepine and behavior effects on mice offspring.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of chronic prenatal exposure to a therapeutic dose of carbamazepine on the behavior of mice offspring in a randomized, placebo-controlled manner.


METHODS
Twenty-eight C3H/He mice were assigned randomly to treatment groups that were given food that contained either carbamazepine (25 mg in 10 g food) or a placebo for 1 week before mating and throughout gestation. Adult offspring from eight litters of each group were evaluated for standard tasks for motor, arousal/motivation, anxiety, and cognition. Statistical comparisons included analysis of variance and the Fisher exact test.


RESULTS
Compared with the placebo group, there were no significant differences among the carbamazepine offspring in the duration of gestation, litter size, and birth weights. Fewer locomotor chamber movements were recorded in the carbamazepine group than in the placebo-exposed group at postnatal day 21 (469 vs 555 counts for 60 minutes, P<.03) and as adults (510 vs 688 counts for 60 minutes, P<.03) Coordination, balance, and exploratory behavior did not differ between exposure groups. A startle response from auditory arousal was decreased in carbamazepine-exposed adults (1.4% vs 21.9%, P<.03). Performances on anxiety/motivation tasks and on learning/memory tasks revealed no significant differences between exposure groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Although prenatal exposure induced subtle arousal effects and slower locomotor activity, carbamazepine did not have an impact on coordination, cognition, or responses to anxiety-provoking conditions. Correlation in humans is recommended.
Rayburn
William F
WF
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. wrayburn@salud.unm.edu
Gonzalez
Christina L
CL
Parker
K Michael
KM
Christensen
H Dix
HD
D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine