title: Effects of a single haloperidol application to neonatal and early postnatal rats on the neurotransmitter content in the corpus striatum.
abstract: We investigated the influence of the dopamine antagonist haloperidol on the neurotransmitter content in the developing rat brain. Dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and the corresponding metabolites dopac, HVA and HIAA were determined in the corpus striatum of the rat between day 1 and day 21 pn by HPLC with electro-chemical detection. A consistent increase in the content of dopamine was found during postnatal development. The concentrations (ng/g wet tissue; mean +/- standard deviation) increased from 793 +/- 237 on day 1 pn to 4584 +/- 581 on day 21 pn, but remained still lower than in adult animals (9763 +/- 494). Similar results were found for the metabolites dopac and HVA. The content of dopac increased from 59 +/- 22 (day 1 pn) to 551 +/- 59 (day 21 pn) and the content of HVA from 53 +/- 18 (day 1 pn) to 419 +/- 41 (day 21 pn). Both metabolites were also about two times lower than in adult animals (dopac 1090 +/- 282, HVA 744 +/- 206). In contrast to dopamine and its metabolites we found no age-dependent changes in the content of 5-HT from day 1 pn (99 +/- 11) to day 14 pn (121 +/- 21). A remarkable increase in the content of 5-HT was seen from day 14 pn to day 21 pn (438 +/- 56), reaching almost adult levels (570 +/- 92). The metabolite HIAA was nearly three times higher on day 21 pn (610 +/- 123) than on day 14 pn (223 +/- 28) and two times higher than in adults (321 +/- 58).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D006220:Haloperidol; D004298:Dopamine