Postnatal development of locomotor movements in normal and para-chlorophenylalanine-treated newborn rats

The contribution of the serotonergic system to postnatal development of locomotor movements in newborn Sprague-Dawley rats was studied from PND 1 to PND 15. To deplete serotonin (5-HT), p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) (200 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered at PND 1, 4, 7, 10 and 13, and the results obtained from PCPA-treated pups (n = 20) and control pups (n = 20) were compared. Locomotor movements of the pups on the surface of a digitizer table were measured by attaching a miniature coil to the abdomen of the pups. Video-recordings were made to study the locomotor movements. From PND 1 to PND 5, no significant difference in body weights and locomotor movements was observed across control and PCPA-treated pups. After PND 6, the development of PCPA-treated pups was slightly retarded although both groups of pups opened their eyes at PND 14. Throughout PND 6 to PND 15, the total distance and mean velocity of locomotor movements were significantly lower in PCPA-treated pups than in the control pups. In addition, forelimb and hindlimb movements were not well coordinated in the former. These results suggest that retardation of locomotor movements in the PCPA-treated pups is due to a possible failure in the postnatal development of 5-HT and other neural mechanisms related to postural and locomotor control, and not due to that of general development of the pups themselves.