Anand Mishra, Mandavi Singh, Shamsher Shrestha, Uttam Shrestha, Amrita Kumari
B Objective – Efavirenz is a non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) which forms an important component of highly active retro viral therapy (HAART).However its safety profile in pregnancy is unknown as there are reports of its teratogenic potential. Thus we plan to see the effect of efavirenz on the behaviour of mice pups when exposed in utero. Methods – Efavirenz was given to pregnant mice in dose of 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg and control mice distilled water from 6th to 15th day of gestation. The mice were allowed to deliver and the 8 weeks pups were subjected to behavioural tests like open field exploratory tests, elevated plus maze tests and behavioural despair tests. Results – The treated mice showed enhanced anxiety and depression and reduced exploratory and locomotor activity when subjected to these tests. Conclusion – Efavirenz causes neurobehavioral changes in mice when given to their mothers in pregnancy.
Key Words- Highly active retroviral therapy, depression, anxiety, exploratory, locomotor