Effect of Neuroleptic Administration on Neuronal Changes and Nitric Oxide in a Rat Model of Schizophrenia - Abstract
Schizophrenia is a debilitating disorder that affects a considerable number of people worldwide with positive, negative and cognitive domains. The etiology of this disorder is not yet fully established. Frequently used medications to treat symptoms of schizophrenia include haloperidol and clozapine. While haloperidol is a typical neuroleptic commonly used for acutely ill patients, clozapine is an atypical neuroleptic and its prescription is restricted to refractory patients. Also, cerebrolysin has recently been used to treat cognitive deficits in schizophrenics. The neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion (nVHL) has emerged as a key model of schizophrenia related behavior producing numerous behavioral deficits, neuronal hypotrophy, reducing the number of neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and increasing nitric oxide (NO) levels. Our group has shown that clozapine and cerebrolysin reshape neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), (BLA) and striatum. Cerebrolysin treatment also increases the spine density and the number of cells in the (PFC) in the (nVHL) rat. Moreover, clozapine and haloperidol normalize the abnormal high levels of (NO) in the (PFC). Clozapine and haloperidol target dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter systems respectively, and (NO) modulates both of these systems. Thus the (nVHL) is a key model to understand schizophrenia and (NO) seems to be an ultimate effector.