This report presents data on the influence of stimulating the ovaries with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the postnatal development of offspring in mice. This treatment produced only minor effects on the maturation of neonatal reflexes in offspring, such as righting reflexes on surfaces and in the air, eye opening, and formation of the mature posture. Offspring of both sexes obtained from females given hCG lagged behind control animals in terms of body weight in the first week after birth. Furthermore, the number of neurons in the cerebral cortex of male offspring obtained after administration of hCG to mothers was significantly larger on day 42 of life, without any change in neuron size. The number of neurons in hippocampal field CA1 in offspring of the hCG group was smaller, while neuron size was greater as compared with controls on day 21 of life. The results of this study show that the prenatal action of hCG had virtually no effect on the neonatal development of offspring, with the exception of some delay in weight gain in the first week of life. However, male offspring showed delay in weight gain at the end of the suckling period and changes in the number of neurons in hippocampal field CA1 and the prefrontal cortex at the end of the suckling period and at age 1.5 months.
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