Research Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics

Yogita Singh ¹, Arun Kumar Jaiswal ¹

Affiliations
1 Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, Uttar Pradesh, IN

Abstract

Behavioural teratological effects of prenatal fluoxetine exposure were investigated on behavioural despair and learned helplessness parameters of depression in rats. Pregnant rats were administered fluoxetine (5 and 10 mg/kg/day) orally once a day during the gestation days 13 to 20. The pups born were subjected to forced swimming test of behavioural despair and learned helplessness test at 8 weeks of age. The results indicated that prenatal fluoxetine treatment (5 and 10 mg/kg/day) induced significant increase in time of immobility in forced swimming test and number of escape failures in learned helplessness test in rat offspring. Rat offspring treated with 5 and 10 mg/kg fluoxetine during the prenatal period displayed dose dependent significant increase in time of immobility in behavioural despair test and number of escape failures in learned helplessness test in comparison to control rat offspring. The findings highlight that prenatal fluoxetine treatment caused depressive like behavioural alterations in the rat offspring.

Keywords

Fluoxetine, Behavioural Despair, Learned Helplessness, Prenatal, Rat.

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Arun Kumar Jaiswal ¹

Affiliations
1 Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, IN

Abstract

Pregnant rats were administered sodium valproate (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg/day) orally once daily during the gestation days 13 to 20. Maternal sodium valproate treatment produced a dose dependent significant reduction in litter size at birth and reduced body growth during postnatal days. Sodium valproate treatment had no significant effect on maternal weight gain during pregnancy and pups mortality during postnatal period. The pups born were subjected to open-field exploratory behaviour and elevated plus maze tests of anxiety at 8 and 9 weeks of age. Prenatal sodium valproate treatment (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg/day) induced significant increase in open-field ambulation, rearings and self-grooming in rat offspring. Prenatal sodium valproate treated rat offspring displayed significantly increased anxiogenic behaviour on elevated plus maze (spent less time on open arms, more time on enclosed arms and made fewer number of entries on open arms) comparison to control rat offspring. The results suggest that prenatal sodium valproate exposure induces neurobehavioural toxicity and indicate persistent behavioural alterations in the rat offspring.

Keywords

Sodium Valproate, Open-Field, Elevated Plus Maze, Litter Size, Body-Growth, Prenatal, Anxiety, Rats, Teratology.

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Arun Kumar Jaiswal ¹

Affiliations
1 Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, IN

Abstract

Behavioural teratological effects of prenatal clobazam exposure were investigated on anxiety parameters in rats. Pregnant rats were administered clobazam (0.5, 1, 2 and 5 mg/kg/day) orally once a day during the gestation days 13 to 20. The pups born were subjected to open-field exploratory behaviour, elevated plus maze and elevated zero maze tests at 8 weeks of age. The results indicated that prenatal clobazam treatment (0.5, 1, 2 and 5 mg/kg/day) induced significant increase in open-field ambulation, rearings and self-grooming in rat offspring. Rat offspring treated with different doses of clobazam during the prenatal period displayed dose dependent significant increase in anxiogenic behaviour patterns on elevated plus maze and elevated zero maze in comparison to control rat offspring. The findings highlight that prenatal clobazam treatment induced persistent behavioural alterations on anxiety parameters in the rat offspring.

Keywords

Clobazam, Anxiety, Elevated Plus Maze, Elevated Zero Maze, Open-Field, Prenatal, Rat.

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