Ritanserin counteracts both rat vacuous chewing movements and nigro-striatal tyrosine hydroxylase-immunostaining alterations induced by haloperidol

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2003.10.005
• Publication Date: 2003-11-24T14:09:05Z
• Authors: Giorgio Marchese; Francesco Bartholini; Stefania Ruiu; Paola Casti; Gian Luca Casu; Luca Pani
• Keywords: Ritanserin; Immunostaining

The effect of subchronic co-administration of ritanserin (1.5 mg/kg, i.p., twice a day) and haloperidol (1 mg/kg, i.p., twice a day) on rat vacuous chewing movements and on tyrosine hydroxylase-immunostaining was investigated. Ritanserin significantly reduced rat vacuous chewing movements observed following 2, 3 and 4 weeks of haloperidol administration and after 5 days of haloperidol withdrawal. Furthermore, ritanserin prevented the reduction of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase-immunostaining and the shrinkage of nigral dopaminergic cell bodies induced by haloperidol. The present results indicate that ritanserin may possess protective properties on both dopaminergic nigro-striatal neuron alterations and vacuous chewing movements induced by haloperidol, and provide further evidence indicating a possible association between these two haloperidol-induced effects.