BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF PRENATAL DRUG ADMINISTRATION IN THE WHITE RAT

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Abstract
Pregnant albino rats received daily injections of reserpine, iproniazid, 5-HTP, BAS, or sterile water during the second trimester of pregnancy. Offspring of these animals were evaluated on a battery of behavioral measures. There were no uniform effects of the administration of drugs to pregnant mothers. These drugs did have generally adverse effects on maternal mortality and total resorption of the litter. Iproniazid appeared to be most toxic. Significant neonatal mortality occurred in all experimental groups, with 100% mortality of the offspring of mothers receiving iproniazid. Weight of the experimental offspring was less than that of the control offspring, with differences becoming more apparent as the animals grew older. No effect on motor maturation was observed. Activity on the small open field test yielded inconclusive results. However, activity on the inclined plane revealed that offspring of mothers that had been treated with 5-HTP and BAS were significantly faster than control offspring. Increased activity and increased emotionality was observed in the experimental offspring on the open field test. Greater susceptibility to seizures produced by audiogenic stimuli was also found in the experimental animals. In contrast, there were no defects in learning ability in the experimental offspring in either the maze learning or conditioned avoidance behavior situation.
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