title: Behavioral alteration in the adult rats prenatally exposed to para-chlorophenylalanine.
abstract: In the present work, effects of maternal administration of para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA), a serotonin synthesis inhibitor, on behavior of adult offspring were studied. Pregnant rats were injected intraperitoneally with PCPA (200/100/100/50 mg/kg) either on the gestational days (GD) 8-11 or 14-17, or with vehicle at the same days. Behavioral parameters, in an open field, the Porsolt forced swim test and the Morris water maze test were evaluated at the age of 3-3.5 months in the male and female offspring. The prenatal PCPA increased activity in an open field in the offspring treated on either GD 8-11 or 14-17. The highest levels of the activity were revealed in the male and female offspring treated on GD 14-17. Besides, the PCPA treatment on GD 8-11 or 14-17 facilitated the intersession habituation of activity to repeated exposures to an open field in the male offspring. Both male and female offspring treated on GD 14-17 showed an increased immobility in the Porsolt forced swim test and a significant learning impairment in the Morris water maze. Thus, it has been shown that administration of PCPA to pregnant rats might cause significant changes in the adult offspring behavior. These results provide further evidence that unfavorable influence may have more adverse effects on the behavioral development of rats when exposed during the final trimester of pregnancy than during the second trimester.
authors: Laboratory of Ontogenesis of the Nervous System, Pavlov Institute of Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Nab. Makarova, 6, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia. vataeva@yandex.ru
authors: Ludmila A
authors: LA
authors: Vataeva
authors: Vladimir S
authors: VS
authors: Kudrin
authors: Elena A
authors: EA
authors: Vershinina
authors: Vjacheslav M
authors: VM
authors: Mosin
authors: Ekaterina I
authors: EI
authors: Tiul'kova
authors: Vladimir A
authors: VA
authors: Otellin
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000172:deficiency; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013995:Time
chemical_list: D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D012701:Serotonin; D010134:Fenclonine