Prenatal Pregabalin Exposure Alters Postnatal Pain Sensitivity and Some Behavioral Responses in Adult Offspring Rats.

Abstract

Prenatal antiepileptic drug exposure could demonstrate both congenital malformations and behavioral impairments in offspring. This study was performed to assess the effects of prenatal exposure to pregabalin (PGB) on pain response, anxiety, motor activity and some behavior of adult offspring rats. Pregnant Wistar rats received PGB (7.5, 15 and 30 mg/kg/ip) during embryonic days 9.5- 15.5. The pain response, anxiety-like behaviors, locomotor activity, motor balance and coordination and anhedonia of adult offspring were examined by tail-flick and hot plate test, open field test, elevated plus maze (EPM), beam balance test and sucrose preference test in their 60th day of life, respectively. Prenatal exposure to PGB revealed significant dose-dependent reduction in pain sensitivity (increase in pain latency response) in the hot plate test, especially in females, while anxiety-like behavior assessed in EPM and open field significantly reduced in males. In the open field, locomotor activity reduced significantly after exposure to PGB 30 mg/kg and motor coordination decreased dose-dependently, especially in males. Anhedonia, as an indication of sucrose preference or pleasure response, was not changed. These findings suggest that prenatal PGB exposure could be associated with significant changes in pain response, anxiety, locomotor activity and coordination in adult offspring rats.