PMID- 15922060
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20050802
LR  - 20191210
IS  - 0166-4328 (Print)
IS  - 0166-4328 (Linking)
VI  - 161
IP  - 2
DP  - 2005 Jun 20
TI  - Reversal of prenatal diazepam-induced deficit in a spatial-object learning task 
      by brief, periodic maternal separation in adult rats.
PG  - 320-30
AB  - In the rat, prenatal exposure to diazepam (DZ) induces a permanent reduction in 
      GABA/BZ receptor (R) function and behavioural abnormalities. Environmental 
      modifications during early stages of life can influence brain development and 
      induce neurobiological and behavioural changes throughout adulthood. Indeed, a 
      subtle, periodic, postnatal manipulation increases GABA/BZ R activity and 
      produces facilitatory effects on neuroendocrine and behavioural responses. We 
      here investigated the impact of prenatal treatment with DZ on learning 
      performance in adult 3- and 8-month-old male rats and the influence of a brief, 
      periodic maternal separation on the effects exerted by prenatal DZ exposure. 
      Learning performance was examined employing a non-aversive spatial, visual and/or 
      tactile task, the "Can test". Behavioural reactivity, emotional state and 
      fear/anxiety-driven behaviour were also examined using open field (OF), acoustic 
      startle reflex (ASR) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) tests. A single daily injection 
      of DZ (1.5mg/kg, s.c.), over gestational days (GD) 14-20, induced, in an 
      age-independent manner, a severe deficit in learning performance, a decrease in 
      locomotor and explorative activity and an increase in peak amplitude in the ASR. 
      Furthermore, anxiety-driven behaviour in EPM was disrupted. Daily maternal 
      separation for 15 min over postnatal days 2-21 exerted opposite effects in all 
      the paradigms examined. Prenatally DZ-exposed maternal separated rats, in 
      contrast to respective non-separated rats, showed an improvement in learning 
      performance, a decrease in emotionality and a normalization of the exploratory 
      behaviour in EPM. These results suggest that a greater maternal care, induced by 
      separation, can serve as a source for the developing brain to enhance neuronal 
      plasticity and to prevent the behavioural abnormalities induced by prenatal DZ 
      exposure.
FAU - Cannizzaro, E
AU  - Cannizzaro E
AD  - Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche, Universita di Palermo, V. Vespro 129, 
      90127 Palermo, Italy.
FAU - Martire, M
AU  - Martire M
FAU - Gagliano, M
AU  - Gagliano M
FAU - Plescia, F
AU  - Plescia F
FAU - La Barbera, M
AU  - La Barbera M
FAU - Mantia, G
AU  - Mantia G
FAU - Mineo, A
AU  - Mineo A
FAU - Cannizzaro, G
AU  - Cannizzaro G
FAU - Cannizzaro, C
AU  - Cannizzaro C
LA  - eng
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20050317
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Behav Brain Res
JT  - Behavioural brain research
JID - 8004872
RN  - 0 (GABA Modulators)
RN  - Q3JTX2Q7TU (Diazepam)
SB  - IM
MH  - Acoustic Stimulation/methods
MH  - Age Factors
MH  - Analysis of Variance
MH  - Animals
MH  - Animals, Newborn
MH  - Behavior, Animal/drug effects/physiology
MH  - Diazepam/*toxicity
MH  - Exploratory Behavior/drug effects/physiology
MH  - Female
MH  - GABA Modulators/*toxicity
MH  - Learning Disabilities/chemically induced/*rehabilitation
MH  - Linear Models
MH  - Male
MH  - *Maternal Deprivation
MH  - Maze Learning/drug effects/physiology
MH  - Motor Activity/drug effects/physiology
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - *Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
MH  - Rats
MH  - Rats, Wistar
MH  - Reflex, Startle/drug effects/physiology
MH  - Spatial Behavior/*drug effects/physiology
EDAT- 2005/06/01 09:00
MHDA- 2005/08/03 09:00
CRDT- 2005/06/01 09:00
PHST- 2004/07/07 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2005/02/21 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2005/02/21 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2005/06/01 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/08/03 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2005/06/01 09:00 [entrez]
AID - S0166-4328(05)00069-0 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.bbr.2005.02.022 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Behav Brain Res. 2005 Jun 20;161(2):320-30. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2005.02.022. Epub 
      2005 Mar 17.