US EPA

2744183 

Journal Article 

Affiliation and neophobia in developing mice prenatally exposed to oxazepam 

Laviola, G; Terranova, ML 

1994 

1 

Neurotoxicology and Teratology
ISSN: 0892-0362
EISSN: 1872-9738 

DART/TER/95004051 

Jun 

3 

English 

We tested the hypothesis that prenatal benzodiazepine exposure can affect the social repertoire and neophobia level in infant mice. Outbred CD-1 mice were exposed to oxazepam (OX; 15 mg/kg PO twice/day on days 12-16 of fetal life), and fostered at birth to untreated dams. Two males plus two females were observed in the home cage, in the presence of a novel object, on postnatal days 16, 20 and 24. As a whole, the expression of social and non-social behaviors increased with age. Prenatal OX exposure reduced sex differences by having a more pronounced effect on males than on females. It also produced fairly specific, though subtle, behavioral changes. In fact, OX mice appeared more involved than prenatal controls in behaviors related to the achievement and maintenance of a and quot;passive and quot; proximity with littermates. By contrast, they were less interested in active investigation and solicitation of littermates, in non-social behaviors such as locomotor-rotational play, cage exploration, and maintenance activities, also showing a reduced frequency to approach and make contact with the novel object. Analysis of social interactions of infant mice seems to represent a sensitive tool for early detection of subtle developmental changes in the CNS.