Effects of dexamethasone on the development of neonatal rats and level of active caspase-3 in brain cortex.

Dexamethasone increased the levels of active caspase-3 form in the brain cortex of neonatal rats 120 h after drug administration, but did not affect the expression of this key apoptotic protease in the brain 6 or 24 h postinjection. Increased expression of the active form of caspase-3 in the cerebral cortex was associated with earlier eye opening and delayed formation of startle-reflex in rats.