| Popis: |
Despite the fact that the side effects of prolonged treatment with dexamethasone are well known, information about its effects on the central nervous system is very limited. Experimental study of long-term effects of dexamethasone administration in the neonatal period on behavioral activity of rats in the open field was conducted. Four groups of newborn males were selected from the offspring of pregnant rats. The first group was left intact, the animals of second group were injected saline solution, the third group - with the dexamethasone and the fourth group - along with dexamethasone received L-arginine. Tests in an open field for all groups of animals were carried out on the 45th (first test) and 60th (second test) days after birth. The results showed that the decrease in motor activity of animals and in the number of sectors crossed in the open field with a high statistical significance was observed only in the group of animals, which for four days in the neonatal period underwent dexamethasone treatment. At the same time, another group of animals, which was also injected dexamethasone in the same doses, but additionally was injected L-arginine, the behavior in the open field did not differ from the intact animals or animals which were injected (as a control) saline solution. It was concluded that it is the lack of nitric oxide in the early neonatal period, which occurs as a result of dexamethasone treatment that causes observed changes in animals' behavior. |
