Arginine-aspartate and haloperidol-induced neurobehavioral effects in the rat.
This study determined the effects, in the rat, of 8-day treatment with arginine-aspartate on haloperidol-induced catalepsy, decrease of locomotor activity and change of striatal dopamine, homovanillic acid (HVA) and dihydroxy-phenylacetic acid (DOPAC) content. Arginine-aspartate was able to attenuate the haloperidol-induced decrease of locomotor activity and to significantly reduce the catalepsy. Moreover, arginine-aspartate treatment itself increased striatal dopamine content and produced a significant decrease of the HVA/dopamine ratio. Pretreatment with arginine-aspartate was able to partially counteract the haloperidol-induced changes of dopamine metabolism: the haloperidol-induced increases of the DOPAC/dopamine and HVA/dopamine ratios were significantly reduced in arginine-aspartate- pretreated rats. These results suggest that the action of arginine-aspartate on haloperidol-induced neurobehavioral effects is probably mediated by interference with striatal dopaminergic innervation.
Patacchioli
F R
FR
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
Di Grezia
R
R
Angelucci
L
L
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002375:Catalepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism; D006220:Haloperidol; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D001120:Arginine; D006220:Haloperidol; C024891:arginine aspartate