title: Differential effects of olanzapine, haloperidol and risperidone on calcitonin gene-related peptide in the rat brain.
abstract: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a 37 amino acid peptide which acts on central nervous system (CNS) neurons and is involved in activities related to dopamine. These effects of CGRP suggest that the peptide may have a role in pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia where dopaminergic system hypoactivity in the frontal cortex and hyperactivity in the subcortical structures have been demonstrated. In this study we measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) the brain levels of CGRP-like immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI) in rats treated with either classical (haloperidol) or atypical (risperidone and olanzapine) antipsychotic drugs. Both haloperidol and risperidone decreased CGRP-LI in the striatum. Risperidone also decreased CGRP-LI in the occipital cortex. On the other hand, olanzapine increased CGRP-LI in the striatum, the frontal cortex and hypothalamus. The differential effects on CGRP could reflect a different profile of side effects and further suggest that CGRP is involved in CNS functions related to psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry M56, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, SE-14186 Stockholm, Sweden. F.angelucci@hsantalucia.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angelucci
authors.forename: Susanne H M
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caltagirone
authors.forename: Aleksander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mathé
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D000077152:Olanzapine; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018967:Risperidone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D006220:Haloperidol; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D018967:Risperidone; D000077152:Olanzapine