clozapine and piflutixol

Rats received haloperidol, sulpiride, or clozapine in their daily drinking water for up to 1 year in clinically equivalent doses. After 12 months' drug intake, and while drug administration continued, striatal dopamine function was assessed. Haloperidol induced D-2 receptor hypersensitivity as shown by enhanced apomorphine-induced stereotypy, elevated Bmax for specific 3H-spiperone and 3H-NPA binding, and an increase in striatal acetylcholine content. D-1 receptor sites appeared unaffected, since dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase and specific 3H-piflutixol binding were not altered. In contrast, neither sulpiride nor clozapine enhanced apomorphine-induced stereotypy or increased Bmax for 3H-spiperone binding. Sulpiride, but not clozapine, increased Bmax for 3H-NPA binding; clozapine, but not sulpiride, elevated striatal acetyl choline concentrations. In general, both sulpiride and clozapine enhanced D-1 function as assessed by dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase or 3H-piflutixol binding. On acute administration sulpiride and clozapine appear to act at D-2 sites, but continuous chronic administration of these compounds does not result in the development of striatal D-2 receptor hypersensitivity. The absence of change in D-2 function during chronic treatment, coupled with an ability to enhance D-1 function, may contribute to the low incidence of tardive dyskinesia produced by these drugs in man.

Topics: Animals; Apomorphine; Clozapine; Corpus Striatum; Dibenzazepines; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Haloperidol; Humans; Kinetics; Long-Term Care; Male; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Receptors, Dopamine; Receptors, Dopamine D1; Receptors, Dopamine D2; Spiperone; Stereotyped Behavior; Sulpiride; Thioxanthenes

Comparison has been made of the effects on brain dopamine function of chronic administration of haloperidol or clozapine to rats for up to 12 months. In rats treated for 1-12 months with haloperidol (1.4-1.6 mg/kg/day), purposeless chewing jaw movements emerged. These movements were only observed after 12 months' treatment with clozapine (24-27 mg/kg/day). Apomorphine-induced (0.125-0.25 mg/kg) stereotyped behaviour was inhibited during 12 months treatment with haloperidol. Clozapine treatment was without effect. After 12 months, stereotypy induced by higher doses of apomorphine (0.5-1.0 mg/kg) was enhanced in haloperidol, but not clozapine, treated rats. Bmax for striatal 3H-spiperone binding was elevated throughout 12 months of haloperidol administration, but was not altered by clozapine treatment. Bmax for striatal 3H-NPA binding was only elevated after 12 months of haloperidol treatment; clozapine treatment was without effect. Bmax for 3H-piflutixol binding was not altered by haloperidol treatment, but was increased after 9 and 12 months of clozapine treatment. Dopamine (50 microM)-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was inhibited after 1 month's haloperidol treatment but normal thereafter. Adenylate cyclase activity was not altered by chronic clozapine treatment. Striatal acetylcholine content was increased after 3 and 12 months of haloperidol or clozapine intake. These findings indicate that the chronic administration of the atypical neuroleptic clozapine does not produce changes in brain dopamine function which mirror those of the typical neuroleptic haloperidol. In particular, chronic administration of clozapine, unlike haloperidol, does not appear to induce striatal D-2 receptor supersensitivity. Unexpectedly, clozapine treatment, unlike haloperidol, altered D-1 receptor function.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Apomorphine; Body Weight; Clozapine; Corpus Striatum; Dibenzazepines; Haloperidol; Humans; Male; Mastication; Radioligand Assay; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Receptors, Dopamine; Spiperone; Stereotyped Behavior; Thioxanthenes; Tritium