Chronic haloperidol or clozapine treatment does not alter parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the rat frontal cortex or hippocampus.
GABAergic neuronal subpopulations, defined by the presence of the calcium binding proteins, parvalbumin (PV) and calretinin (CR) are differentially affected in schizophrenia, with selective PV deficits reported in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. To assess the possible contribution of antipsychotic treatment to these effects we examined the size and density of PV-and CR-IR neurons in the rat frontal cortex and hippocampus following three weeks of chronic haloperidol or clozapine administration. Neither antipsychotic significantly altered PV- or CR-IR neuronal cell parameters in these areas or in any of their subregions, relative to controls. These results suggest antipsychotic exposure does not contribute to PV-IR neuronal deficits in schizophrenic patients, providing further evidence in support of a developmental abnormality in specific subpopulations of GABAergic neurons in schizophrenia.
Cahir
Marie
M
Department of Mental Health, The Queen's University of Belfast, Whitla Medical Building, 97 Lisburn Rd, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK. m.cahir@qub.ac.uk
Costello
Isabel
I
King
David J
DJ
Reynolds
Gavin P
GP
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D003024:Clozapine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010320:Parvalbumins; D003024:Clozapine; D006220:Haloperidol