Methamphetamine (MA), as a psychostimulant drug that crosses
the placental barrier, may disrupt the development of social play.
The present study aims to examine the effect of prenatal MA
(5 mg/kg) exposure during the first (gestational day (GD) 1-11)
or second (GD 12–22) halves of prenatal development of rats on
social play behavior. To investigate an acute effect of MA on
social play in adulthood, juvenile rats were exposed to a dose of
1 mg/kg MA or saline on the test day and tested for social play
for 15 min. Prenatal exposure to MA during GD 1–11 increased
social play behavior during 5-10 min interval of the test in males
but not females. Prenatal MA during GD 12–22 did not influence
social play in males nor females. However, social play occurred to
a greater extent in GD 12–22 groups compared with GD 1–11.
Acute exposure to MA eliminated playful behavior in all groups
and decreased social exploration in GD 1–11. Our results suggest
that manipulation of prenatal development during the first half of
the gestational period has a greater impact on social play
behavior than during the second half.