title: Prenatal desvenlafaxine induced behavioural alterations in Swiss albino mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Desvenlafaxine is used as an antidepressant and acts by inhibiting reuptake of serotonin and nor-adrenaline.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The safety profile of desvenlafaxine has not yet been established during pregnancy, so we planned this study to see the behavioral changes in pups of mice who received desvenlafaxine during gestational period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Swiss albino mice were used for the present study. The treated group was given desvenlafaxine orally in the dose of 80 mg/kg from 1(st) to 6(th) day of gestation and other group was given tap water by same route.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Desvenlafaxine treated mice in group 2, i.e. for the gestation period 1-6 showed increased activity and decrease anxiety in open field and elevated plus maze test as compared to control. However, after chronic exposure for the duration of 18 days the offspring showed increased anxiety and fearfulness as compared to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Above findings suggest that desvenlafaxine have a deleterious effect on brain development, thus resulting in abnormal anxiety states, possibly through altering uptake of serotonin and nor-epinephrine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University;
authors.forename: Amrita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University;
authors.forename: Mandavi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA.
authors.forename: Anshuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trigunayat
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University;
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University;
authors.forename: Shamsher
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University;
authors.forename: Uttam
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Shrestha
keywords: Aluminum; Elevated plus maze test; Norepinephrine; Open field test; Serotonin