Effects of chronic imipramine and clomipramine oral administration on maternal behavior and litter development

Abstract The effects of the oral administration of imipramine (IM) or clomipramine (CIM) in adult female rats before pregnancy or during nursing were evaluated. IM caused a significant decrease of body weight in both groups of animals and affected the body weight of litters when administered during...
Ausführliche Beschreibung

Abstract The effects of the oral administration of imipramine (IM) or clomipramine (CIM) in adult female rats before pregnancy or during nursing were evaluated. IM caused a significant decrease of body weight in both groups of animals and affected the body weight of litters when administered during nursing. CIM reduced the increase of weight in the mothers throughout the experiment. Both IM and CIM decreased water and food intake and locomotor activity of the adult rats. Rats treated during nursing with IM showed decreased maternal behavior at various times of treatment. The milk intake of pups from drug-treated mothers also decreased. Pup eyeopening was delayed by CIM both before pregnancy and during nursing and by IM treatment during nursing. Vaginal opening was retarded in female litters from mothers treated during nursing. Openfield behavior showed modifications at 60 days of age in male pups from mothers exposed to IM during nursing. Results indicate that the two tricyclic drugs were able to produce general and behavioral modifications in both mothers and their litters. These modifications seem to depend on whether the drug is given before pregnancy or during nursing. Control experiments in dams fed with a restricted diet suggest that the observed alterations in maternal behavior and litter development is not due to the undernourishment caused by drug administration. Ausführliche Beschreibung