Administration of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol during pregnancy elicits modifications of maternal behavior and emotional alteration of the offspring in the rat.
Intraperitoneal administration of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (15 microg.kg(-1)) in pregnant rats, every day from day 9 to day 14 of pregnancy, elicited a high percentage of abortions. Quantification of maternal behavior showed that treated dams took better care of their pups than control dams, injected with the vehicle only, did. Postnatal reflexes, which reflect maturational rate, were established more promptly in the offspring of treated dams than in the offspring of control dams. However, when adult, the rats born from treated dams developed anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. All these results are explained by the effects of the exogenous estrogen on the developing brain of the fetuses.
Arabo
A
A
Université de Rouen, Faculté des Sciences, UPRES EA 1780 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France.
Lefebvre
M
M
Fermanel
M
M
Caston
J
J
D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects
D004967:Estrogens; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol