Effects of fluprazine hydrochloride on maternal behaviour in mice

Fluprazine hydrochloride treatment disrupted both retrieval and nursing components of maternal behaviour when dam and pups were separated for a 30 min post-infection interval. Subsequent experiments revealed that pup contact during this interval, even when restricted to visual/auditory stimulation, abolished the drug's effect on nursing but not retrieval. Fluprazine appears to strongly and consistently disrupt retrieval while its effects on nursing appear more indirectly mediated. The data clearly reveal that the drug's effects extend to maternal behaviour as well as aggression, male copulation, play and various fear-motivated behaviours. This range of behavioural effects may limit its usefulness in the reduction of aggression.