title: Repeated risperidone treatment increases the expression of NCAM and PSA-NCAM protein in the rat medial prefrontal cortex.
abstract: The present study investigates whether the anti-schizophrenic drug risperidone may evoke changes in the expression of NCAM/PSA-NCAM proteins, an indispensable element in the remodeling of synaptic arrangements, in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Rats were treated with risperidone (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) either once or repeatedly (once a day, for 21 days). The expression of NCAM and PSA-NCAM proteins was analyzed via western blot and immunohistochemistry at intervals of 3 h and 3, 6, and 9 days after the single or the last risperidone dose. Repeated (but not acute) administration of risperidone was found to increase the expression of NCAM-180, NCAM-140 and PSA-NCAM proteins at 3 or 6 days after treatment. PSA-NCAM immunoreactivity was found in cell bodies, perisomatic-like sites, and in the neuropil of the mPFC. Neither single nor repeated risperidone administration changed the number of PSA-NCAM neurons in the mPFC. In contrast, the repeated risperidone treatment increased the number of PSA-NCAM perisomatic-like sites and the length density of PSA-NCAM positive neuropil at 3 days after the last injection. The data obtained indicate that risperidone, given repeatedly, may promote the remodeling of the structure of presumably GABA-ergic interneurons and that it may evoke the rearrangement of the synaptic contact in the mPFC.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland. mackow@if-pan.krakow.pl
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maćkowiak
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dudys
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chocyk
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wedzony
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006046:Gold; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019581:Neuropil / Q000187:drug effects; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018967:Risperidone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016622:Silver Staining
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004396:Coloring Agents; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D012794:Sialic Acids; C021319:polysialic acid; D006046:Gold; D018967:Risperidone