Prenatal exposure to antiadrenergic antihypertensive drugs: effects on neurobehavioral development and the behavioral consequences of enriched rearing

Administered one of the beta blockers propranolol (5 or 20 mg/kg) or atenolol (5 or 20 mg/kg) or the alpha-2 agonist clonidine (20 or 100 ?g/kg) in the drinking water to pregnant rats over Gestation Days 1-21. Prenatal exposure to the drugs did not alter the beneficial effects of enriched rearing on maze solving. However, clonidine-exposed (100 ?g/kg) female rats that were raised in enrichment showed a significantly increased mortality rate.