Development of sensory motor reflexes in 2 G exposed rats.
During gestation and early postnatal development, the animal's size and weight rapidly increase. Within that period, gravity affects sensory and motor development. We studied age-dependent modifications of several types of motor reflexes in 5 groups of rats conceived, born and reared in hypergravity (HG; 2 g). These rats were transferred to normal gravity (NG; 1 g) at various postnatal days, and their behavioral reflexes were compared with a control group which was constantly kept under NG. HG induced a retarded development of vestibular dependent reflexes. Other types of motor behavior were not delayed.
Wubbels
Réne
R
Vestibular Department ENT, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NL.
Bouët
Valentine
V
de Jong
Herman
H
Gramsbergen
Albert
A
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002498:Centrifugation; D005260:Female; D018471:Hypergravity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000254:growth & development*