Effect of aldrin on the condition avoidance response and electroshock seizure threshold of offspring from aldrin-treated mother

Abstract

Aldrin is widely consumed by human beings and its prenatal effect on the behaviour of offspring is unknown. Pregnant albino mice at the third stage of gestation were given Aldrin (2 m/kg or 4 mg/kg body weight) or corn oil (10 cm3/kg body weight) orally daily for seven consecutive days. Each member of these three groups of animals was caged separately and raised with its offspring. The offspring were weaned when they were one month old. The condition avoidance response technique was used after weaning to test the animals' learning ability. The test continued for seven consecutive days. On the eighth day, the brain seizure threshold was measured. Body weight was taken during the test for each animal. The data for condition avoidance response indicated that there was no significant difference between the control and treated offspring. The data for brain seizure threshold and body weight, however, indicated that there were significant differences between the control and the treated offspring. © 1971 Springer-Verlag.