Chronic haloperidol inactivates brain noradrenergic neurons.
Rats were administered haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg/day) for 21 days. Twenty percent of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons recorded were not spontaneously active, while no such neuron was observed in control animals. A further 22% of neurons (spontaneously active) had rates greater than 2 standard deviations from the mean of LC control cells. These results reveal that haloperidol has profound effects on LC neurons that develop with prolonged administration, indicating a possible role of brain noradrenergic systems in clinical effects (and possible side-effects) of this neuroleptic.
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats
D006220:Haloperidol