Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kir6.2

Title: Effects of diazepam, tofizopam or phenytoin during foetal development on subsequent behaviour and benzodiazepine receptor characteristics in rats.

Authors: K Laitinen, E MacDonald, V Saano

Journal, date & volume: Arch. Toxicol. Suppl., 1986 , 9, 51-4

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3028330

Abstract
The development of rats was studied for 3 postnatal weeks after prenatal medication with diazepam (10 mg/kg/day), phenytoin (50 mg/kg/day), or tofizopam (50 mg/kg twice daily) given by gastric intubation from day 7 to 21 of pregnancy. The treatments had no effect on the litter size. There were also no differences between the groups in a battery of tests for development (negative geotaxis, righting reflex, cliff avoidance, rotarod, passive avoidance), but the activity spurt seen at postnatal days 18-21 was missing in pups of diazepam-treated mothers. The number of benzodiazepine receptors and their affinity for tritiated flunitrazepam developed similarly in all of the rat groups. Thus, the transient changes in motor development seen 2-3 weeks after birth of rats whose mothers received diazepam during pregnancy do not seem to be related to changes in ontogenesis of benzodiazepine receptors.