The thalamus as a site of action of antipsychotic drugs.
OBJECTIVE
Because recent data suggest that there are abnormalities of the thalamus in schizophrenia, the authors tested the effects of antipsychotic drugs on thalamic sites.


METHODS
Nine rats were given acute doses of the typical neuroleptic haloperidol (N = 3), the atypical neuroleptic clozapine (N = 3), or a drug-free vehicle (N = 3). Cellular activation was assessed by using immunohistochemistry to determine expression of the immediate response gene c-fos.


RESULTS
Both antipsychotic drugs induced increased Fos immunoreactivity, suggesting increased activity in cells of the midline nuclei of the thalamus.


CONCLUSIONS
The shared clinical effects of antipsychotic drugs may be mediated in part through actions on the thalamus.
Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02178, USA.
B M
BM
Cohen
W
W
Wan
D000818:Animals; D003024:Clozapine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D003024:Clozapine; D006220:Haloperidol