The effects of bromocriptine treatment during early pregnancy on postpartum maternal behaviors in rats

• Published in: Developmental psychobiology Vol. 56; no. 6; pp. 1431 - 1437
• Main Authors: Price, Anya K., Bridges, Robert S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2014
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Anxiety; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Bromocriptine - pharmacology; dopamine agonist; Dopamine Agonists - pharmacology; Female; Lactation - drug effects; Maternal Behavior - drug effects; postpartum maternal behavior; Postpartum Period - drug effects; Pregnancy; Rats; anxiety; dopamine agonist; rats; postpartum maternal behavior
• ISSN: 0012-1630; 1098-2302
• DOI: 10.1002/dev.21224

ABSTRACT Prolactin, a hormone of the anterior pituitary, is involved in initiating maternal behavior, alleviating postpartum anxiety, and stimulating lactogenesis. Bromocriptine, a dopamine D2 receptor agonist, inhibits prolactin secretion. Bromocriptine administration represses postpartum maternal behaviors (pup retrieval) in mice, and causes elevated anxiety in the elevated plus maze [Larsen & Grattan (2010). Endocrinology 151(8): 3805–3814]. Whether similar effects exist in other species is unknown. The present study examined the possible involvement of prolactin during early gestation on maternal behavior and anxiety in rats. Bromocriptine given on days 2–4 of pregnancy resulted in impaired postpartum maternal behaviors in a novel environment during early lactation. However, compared to controls, bromocriptine‐treated subjects did not exhibit increased postpartum anxiety in the elevated plus maze. These findings support work in mice that bromocriptine treatment during early gestation impedes postpartum maternal care, and indicate that early gestational hormonal status affects postpartum behavior more broadly in other mammals. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 1431–1437, 2014.