Afobazole Protects Rats Exposed to Peat Smoke In Utero

Female outbred albino rats were daily subjected to forced inhalations of peat smoke (4 cores packed with a mixture of peat (70%) and wood pulp (30%); 0.46 g, pH at least 5.5, core burning time 6 min,; total exposure 44 min) per se and in combination with oral afobazole (anxiolytic) in doses of 1 and 10 mg/kg on days 1–20 of pregnancy. Some groups of females received oral afobazole (200 mg/kg) after delivery, due to which their newborn rats received the drug in doses of 1–10 mg/kg with maternal milk on days 1–20 of life. Exposure to peat smoke inhibited body weight gain in the progeny on days 5–60 of life. Afobazole treatment during the pre- and postnatal periods prevented this effect. Open field testing showed that exposure to peat smoke prolonged the motor activity in the progeny and impaired the loss of orientation and exploratory behavior during repeated testing. Oral afobazole (1 and 10 mg/kg) during the prenatal and/or postnatal period (with maternal milk) prevented the effects of peat smoke.