Shamsher Shrestha, Mandavi Singh, Surendra Pratap Mishra
ABSTRACT
Valproic acid (VPA) is an antiepileptic drug and when used in pregnancy it acts as a strong teratogen and piracetam (PCT) is a nootropic and neuroprotective agent. In the present study, these two drugs VPA and PCT were administered orally to Swiss albino pregnant mice in the doses of 400mg/kg and 800 mg/kg body weight respectively from 6th to 11th gestation days. The animals from all the groups, treated as well as vehicle control, were allowed to deliver on GD 19. The offspring were subjected to behavioral tests at the age of 8 weeks. The VPA treated mice offspring showed significant decreased locomotor activity, increased anxiety and depressive behavior on the open field, elevated plus-maze and behavior despair test respectively in comparison to control and the other groups, such as treated with piracetam and piracetam with VPA. The offspring of the group treated with VPA alongwith PCT showed significantly increased locomotor activity, decreased anxiety and depression in comparison to VPA treated mice offspring. These findings suggest that prenatal exposure of VPA during critical period of brain development in offspring alters the behavioral function which is reduced by simultaneous piracetam treatment along with valproic acid.
Keywords: Valproic acid, Piracetam, anxiety, depression, behavioral changes