NEUROBEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT OF NEONATAL MICE FOLLOWING BLOCKADE OF VIP DURING THE EARLY EMBRYONIC PERIOD

Previous work has shown that blockade of VIP function in the early pos timplantation embryo results in growth retardation and microcephaly. I n the present work, the neurobehavioral development of neonatal mice w as examined following treatment of dams with a VIP antagonist during t his period. Inhibition of VIP functions during early embryogenesis imp aired the performance of 5 of 10 developmental behaviors. These behavi ors included developmental milestones (first appearance of ear twitch and eye opening) and complex motor behaviors (negative geotaxis, surfa ce righting, and air righting). The retardation of neurobehavioral dev elopment produced by inhibition of VIP action indicates that this pept ide is important to the progression of embryonic development. Publishe d by Elsevier Science Inc.