J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 261, Issue 15, 6640-6642, May, 1986
Dopamine antagonist haloperidol decreases substance P, substance K, and preprotachykinin mRNAs in rat striatonigral neurons
MJ Bannon, JM Lee, P Giraud, A Young, HU Affolter and TI Bonner
Rat genomic clones were used to quantitate preprotachykinin mRNAs in the
rat basal ganglia, while the tachykinin peptide products substance P and
substance K were measured by radioimmunoassay. Administration of the
dopamine antagonist (antipsychotic) drug haloperidol significantly
decreased substance P, substance K, and both alpha (substance P encoding)
and beta (substance P/substance K encoding) preprotachykinin mRNAs,
suggesting a drug-induced decrease in striatonigral tachykinin
biosynthesis. The time course for decreased preprotachykinin mRNAs and
tachykinins apparently parallels the period of maximum risk for the
development of certain antipsychotic drug-induced extrapyramidal side
effects seen clinically. Tachykinin interaction with dopamine neurons may
play an important role in the modulation of basal ganglia function.