Male and fcmalc hamsters were givcn SO pg pentobarbital, 100 pg pentobarbital, or lOOpg d-amphetaniinc on postnatal Days 2-4. When tested for masculine sexual behavior in adulthood, males treated with 100 pg pentobarbital showcd behavioral deficits when tested with testes intact as well as after castration and treatment with testosterone propionate. Deficits shown by SO pg pentobarbital males were ovcrcorne by testosterone replacement. When tested for feminine sexual behavior, males treated with SO pg pentobarbital showed enhanced lordotic responses whereas males treated with 100 pg d-amphetamine showed no differences from controls when tested for female sexual behavior or when tested for male sexual behavior. Drug treatments had no effect on adult masculine or femininc sexual behavior in neonatally treated females. The results of this study show that pentobarbital can inhibit normal masculinization of the male when given during behavioral sexual differentiation, Evidence has accumulated to implicate terotogenic effects on offspring of many pharmacological agents administered to pregnant females Wilson, 1964). Studies on placental transfer have indicated that most drugs administered during pregnancy cross the placenta and enter the circulatory system of the fetus, and that equilibrium between fetal and maternal circulation is achieved rapidly. However, the sensitivity of the fetus is greater and pharmacological agents that act as teratogens in the fetus may be relatively harmless to the mother .
Some studies indicate that permanent changes in behavior can result from pharmacological manipulations during early development. These have focused on changes in emotionality resulting from early drug treatment. For example, tranquilizers given to pregnant rats can produce long term changes of emotionality in the absence of gross morphological teratology (Hoffeld, McNew, & Webster,