Neurobehavioral effects of prenatal lamivudine (3TC) exposure in preweaning mice

The present study provides a characterization of the behavioral changes ind uced in preweaning mice by prenatal exposure to lamivudine (3TC), an antivi ral drug recently entered in the clinical practice to treat HIV patients. P regnant CD1 mice were given per os bidaily either 3TC at different doses (1 25, 250, or 500 mg/kg) or vehicle solution (saline 0.9%) from pregnancy day 10 to delivery. Data on reproductive performance, such as gestation length , litter size, and offspring viability, were collected. Offspring were then examined for a series of different somatic and behavioral end points, incl uding sensorimotor development, ontogenetic pattern of ultrasonic vocalizat ion, passive avoidance learning, and locomotor activity. In the absence of gross changes in somatic and sensorimotor development, a slight change in u ltrasound emission was found on postnatal day (PND) 3, with 125 and 500 mg/ kg 3TC-treated offspring emitting a lower number of ultrasounds. Learning a nd retention performances of a passive-avoidance task on PND 20-21 were una ffected by 3TC treatment, while decreased habituation in an automated locom otor activity test was evident in male offspring exposed to 250 and 500 mg/ kg 3TC. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.