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Behavioural alterations in rats induced by single prenatal exposure of haloperidol
K P Singh1, A K Jaiswal, M Singh
1Department of Anatomy, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to high-dose haloperidol during critical developmental periods in rats can lead to lasting emotional and behavioral abnormalities in offspring, including increased anxiety and depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Haloperidol is an antipsychotic medication.
- Prenatal exposure to certain substances can impact neurodevelopment.
- Gestational days 9 and 14 represent critical windows for neural development in rats.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term behavioral effects of prenatal haloperidol exposure in rat offspring.
- To determine if exposure timing during critical neurodevelopmental periods influences outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant rats received a single dose of haloperidol (50 mg/kg) on gestational day 9 or 14.
- Control groups received a vehicle treatment.
- Offspring were assessed at 9 weeks of age using open-field, elevated plus-maze, and learned helplessness tests.
Main Results:
- Prenatal haloperidol exposure on gestational day 14 increased ambulation and fecal droppings.
- Exposure on gestational day 9 decreased rearing.
- Both exposure timings resulted in increased anxiety-like behavior and depression-like behavior (learned helplessness).
- Effects were more pronounced with gestational day 14 exposure.
Conclusions:
- Single high-dose prenatal haloperidol exposure during critical neurodevelopmental periods can induce persistent behavioral alterations in rat offspring.
- These alterations include abnormal emotional states, suggesting a lasting neurodevelopmental imprint.
Abstract:
Haloperidol (50 mg/kg, i.p.) treatment was given once to two different groups of pregnant Charles Foster rats on gestational day 9 and 14, these being respectively the critical periods of neural morphogenesis and rapid neural cell proliferation in this species. Pregnant control rats were similarly treated with equal volume of vehicle. The pups born were subjected to open-field exploratory behaviour and elevated plus-maze behaviour tests of anxiety and learned helplessness test of depression at 9 weeks of age. The results indicate that prenatal haloperidol treatment on gestational day 14 induces a significant increase in open-field ambulation and faecal droppings whereas haloperidol treatment on gestational day 9 caused significantly decreased rearing and unaltered ambulation in rat offsprings. Rat offsprings treated with haloperidol on gestational day 9 and 14 also displayed significant anxiogenic behaviour pattern on elevated plus-maze. Significantly increased number of escape failures were observed in learned helplessness tests indicating presence of depression in haloperidol treated rat offsprings. These behavioural alterations were found to be more marked in rat offsprings treated with haloperidol on gestational day 14. The results suggest that prenatal single exposure of high dose of haloperidol during critical period of neural cell proliferation leaves a lasting imprint on offsprings resulting in abnormal emotional state.