Transgeneration effects of antenatal acute hypoxia during early organogenesis.

We studied the effect of acute hypobaric hypoxia in early organogenesis on physiological and behavioral parameters of second-generation albino rats. Antenatal acute hypoxia was followed by physical and sexual retardation, increase in the mortality rate, and behavioral changes in second-generation animals (hypoactivity of males and females on day 22 of life and hyperactivity of males on day 57 of life). Second-generation animals exhibited no gender differences in body weight and horizontal and vertical locomotor activity.