Effects of perinatal exposure to diazepam on the development of sexual behavior and neuroendocrine functions in male rats.

Developmental exposure with diazepam when coinciding with the ontogenesis of its receptors may be crucial for the induction of long-term functional disturbances in the rat brain. To investigate the possibility of intervention in the sexually dimorphic behavior of reproduction and the under lying morphological and hormonal basis the time-mated female rats were treated with 2.5 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg, i.p.(n = 6-8) separately. Treatment was continued from gestation day 15 till delivery and further continued to neonates 5 days, postnatally. Control group (n= 5-8) given saline also followed the same treatment protocol. Sexual behavior in the male offspring at adulthood born to diazepam-exposed rats was enhanced, both in dose-dependent and time-dependent manner (p