Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 30 No. 3, 2018.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2018.356
PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO MODAFINIL ALTERS LOCOMOTOR BEHAVIOUR AND LEUCOCYTE PHAGOCYTOSIS IN MICE
Jana Ruda-Kucerova
orcid.org/0000-0002-1846-0799
; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Petra Amchova
; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Alena Machalova
; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Jana Pistovcakova
; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Alexandra Sulcova
; Behavioral and Social Neuroscience Group, CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Abstract
Background: Modafinil is a psychostimulant drug prescribed mainly for treatment of narcolepsy but is used as a “smart drug” by wide populations to increase wakefulness, concentration and overall mental performance. The aim of this study was to assess potential developmental toxicity of modafinil.
Materials and methods: Pregnant female mice were given either saline or modafinil (50 mg/kg orally) from gestational day (GD) 3 to GD 10 and then a challenge dose on the GD 17. The male offspring were treated analogously at the age of 10 weeks. Changes in the spontaneous locomotor/exploratory behaviour and anxiogenic profile in the open-field test were assessed in naïve animals, after an acute and 8th modafinil dose and the challenge dose following a 7-day wash-out period. One month after completion of the behavioural study, the leukocyte phagocytosis was examined by zymosan induced and luminol-aided chemiluminiscence assay in vitro.
Results: The most important finding of this study was the immunosuppressing effect on leukocyte activity, hypolocomotion and
increased behavioural response to modafinil-induced psychostimulation caused by prenatal exposure to the same drug. We did not detect significantly altered anxiety-related behaviour in any group disregarding the pre- and postnatal treatments.
Conclusion: This is the first evidence of developmental toxicity of modafinil which needs to be taken into account as a potential risk factor when modafinil is administered to women who may become or are pregnant.
Keywords
modafinil; prenatal administration; locomotion; phagocytosis; mice
Hrčak ID:
206444
URI
Publication date:
1.10.2018.
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