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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Neurodevelopmental Reflex Testing in Neonatal Rat Pups
Published on: April 24, 2017
Neonatal exposure to fenoterol and betamethasone: effects on the behavioral development in the rat
Martina Pitzer1, Martin H Schmidt
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. pitzer@zi-mannheim.de
Abstract:
We investigated longitudinally the behavioral development in the rat following exposure to beta-agonists and glucocorticoids (GC). Neonatal rats received either 1 mg/kg fenoterol (FEN), 0.3 mg/kg betamethasone (BET), or saline (SAL). Weanling and young adult rats were tested in the open field, the elevated-plus maze, and the water maze. FEN-treated as well as BET-treated animals displayed increased anxiety-like behavior. Furthermore, BET-treated adult animals showed a reduced locomotor activity. An enhanced 24-h memory in the water maze in both treatment groups may be facilitated by emotional arousal due to the increased anxiety levels. The possible neurobiological underpinnings are discussed in detail.
