THE EFFECTS OF 7, 12-DIMETHYLBENZANTHRACENE (DMBA) ON ANIMAL SPONTANEOUS MOVEMENTS DURING PREGNANCY AND POST-PARTUM

In order to determine the effects of Dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA), a carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, on spontaneous movements during pregnancy and post-partum, female CF-1C mice were subcutaneously injected with 250μg DMBA in 0.1 ml sesame oil on alternate days starting with day 8 of pregnancy to day 7 post-partum. On day 9 of pregnancy and on alternate days each female's cage, with pups removed, was individually placed on the stage of a Stoelting Electronic Activity Monitor for ten minutes and spontaneous movements per minute recorded. No significant differences were observed between control and DMBA groups during pregnancy. After parturition, the spontaneous movements of the control mice significantly increased averaging 86.4 ± 13.3 mv/min for days 1 to 7 post-partum, whereas, the DMBA group value decreased significantly averaging 41.8 ± 13.7 mv/min during this time. Our data suggests that the effects of DMBA were manifested during post-partum where it significantly depressed the lactating mother's nervous system and subsequent behavioral activity.