The behavioral teratogenic potential of fenbendazole: a medication for pinworm infestation

• Published in: Neurotoxicology and teratology Vol. 22; no. 6; pp. 871 - 877
• Main Authors: Barron, Susan, Baseheart, Bryan J, Segar, Tracy M, Deveraux, Tony, Willford, Jennifer A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Anthelmintic treatment; Antinematodal Agents - toxicity; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behavioral teratology; Biological and medical sciences; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Female; fenbendazole; Fenbendazole - toxicity; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Medical sciences; Motor Activity - drug effects; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pinworm; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Toxicity; Toxicity: nervous system and muscle; Anthelmintic treatment; Behavioral teratology; Toxicity; Pinworm; Fenbendazole; righting; Nervous system diseases; Cognitive disorder; Anthelmintic; Righting behavior; Rat; Body weight; Rodentia; Geotaxis; Oral administration; Cognition; In utero; Pregnancy; Progeny; Locomotion; Newborn diseases; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Newborn animal; Parasiticid; Teratogen; Spatial memory
• ISSN: 0892-0362; 1872-9738
• DOI: 10.1016/S0892-0362(00)00102-1

Fenbendazole (FBZ) is a benzimidazole currently used for anthelmintic treatment of pinworm populations in numerous animal species although it is not currently approved for laboratory rodents in the U.S. It has received considerable interest for treating rodent populations due to its low toxicity, wide safety margin and apparent absence of gross teratogenic effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the behavioral teratogenic potential of FBZ. Pregnant rats were administered either FBZ-medicated feed at a therapeutic level or normal rat chow throughout pregnancy and gestation. FBZ had no effect on pregnancy indicators such as maternal weight gain or water consumption, number of pups born or pup birth weights. Offspring were examined in a variety of paradigms including righting reflex, negative geotaxis, running wheel activity, Morris water maze (MWM) performance and digging maze performance. FBZ offspring did show delayed righting reflex, some modest changes in locomotor activity in a running wheel and minor alterations in performance during the probe session of the MWM relative to controls. However, the effects of FBZ on behavior were subtle and many of the behaviors examined were unaffected. These results suggest that FBZ may be an effective and relatively safe anthelmintic treatment for use in breeding colonies.