Abstract
The effects of a single injection of haloperidol (2.0 mg/kg), a typical antipsychotic drug, on neurotensin (NT) concentrations and NT/neuromedin N (NT/NN) mRNA expression in adult female and male rats were examined. There were significant estrous cycle stage-related differences in both NT concentrations and NT/NN mRNA expression in female control rats. Although acute administration of haloperidol increased NT concentrations and NT/NN mRNA expression in the caudate/putamen and nucleus accumbens of both male and female rats, haloperidol did not increase NT/NN mRNA expression during diestrus 2 or NT concentrations during proestrus in the nucleus accumbens of female rats. These results indicate the presence of both sex- and estrous cycle-related differences in the regulation of NT-containing neurons and in the effects of antipsychotic drug administration on the NT system of the rat brain.
Footnotes
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Send reprint requests to: Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D., Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Suite 4000 WMRB, 1639 Pierce Dr., Atlanta, GA 30322. E-mail:cnemero{at}emory.edu
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↵1 This study was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant MH-39415.
- Abbreviations:
- NT
- neurotensin
- DA
- dopamine
- CSF
- cerebrospinal fluid
- NT/NN
- neurotensin/neuromedin N
- D1
- diestrus 1
- D2
- diestrus 2
- E
- estrus
- P
- proestrus
- RIA
- radioimmunoassay
- RPA
- RNase protection assay
- SN
- substantia nigra
- VTA
- ventral tegmental area
- Received May 2, 2000.
- Accepted June 26, 2000.
- The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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