Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy and Its Correlations with Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Different Brain Structures of Mice

Background/Objectives: Antipsychotic medicines are used to treat several psychological disorders and some symptoms caused by dementia and schizophrenia. Haloperidol (Hal) is a typical antipsychotic usually used to treat psychosis; however, its use causes motor or extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) such a...

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Main Authors: Brenda Rufino da Silva, Joyce Maria Ferreira Alexandre Lima, Marcela Bermudez Echeverry, Carlos Alberto-Silva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Neurology International
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8377/16/6/125
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author Brenda Rufino da Silva
Joyce Maria Ferreira Alexandre Lima
Marcela Bermudez Echeverry
Carlos Alberto-Silva
author_facet Brenda Rufino da Silva
Joyce Maria Ferreira Alexandre Lima
Marcela Bermudez Echeverry
Carlos Alberto-Silva
author_sort Brenda Rufino da Silva
collection DOAJ
description Background/Objectives: Antipsychotic medicines are used to treat several psychological disorders and some symptoms caused by dementia and schizophrenia. Haloperidol (Hal) is a typical antipsychotic usually used to treat psychosis; however, its use causes motor or extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) such as catalepsy. Hal blocks the function of presynaptic D2 receptors on cholinergic interneurons, leading to the release of acetylcholine (ACh), which is hydrolyzed by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Methods: This study was designed to investigate the Hal-inhibitory effects on AChE activity in regions representative of the cholinergic system of mice and potential associations between cataleptic effects generated by Hal using therapeutic doses and their inhibitory effects on AChE. Results: The distribution of the AChE activity in the different regions of the brain followed the order striatum > hippocampus > (prefrontal cortex/hypothalamus/ cerebellum) > brainstem > septo-hippocampal system. In ex vivo assays, Hal inhibited AChE activity obtained from homogenate tissue of the striatum, hippocampus, and septo-hippocampal system in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory concentration of 50% of enzyme activity (IC<sub>50</sub>) indicated that the septo-hippocampal system required a higher concentration of Hal (IC<sub>50</sub> = 202.5 µmol·L<sup>−1</sup>) to inhibit AChE activity compared to the striatum (IC<sub>50</sub> = 162.5 µmol·L<sup>−1</sup>) and hippocampus (IC<sub>50</sub> = 145 µmol·L<sup>−1</sup>). In in vivo assays, male Swiss mice treated with concentrations of Hal higher than 0.1 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> induced cataleptic effects. Positive correlations with <i>Spearman’s correlation</i> were observed only between the lack of cataleptic effect and the decreased AChE activity of the hippocampus in the mice treated with 0.01 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> of Hal but not in the striatum and septo-hippocampal system. Conclusions: Our results suggest that Hal could increase cholinergic effects via AChE inhibition, in addition to its dopamine antagonist effect, as an alternative approach to the treatment of behavioral disturbances associated with dementia.
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spelling doaj-art-74ce430cda134277a0238b40bc50fb7c2024-12-27T14:43:52ZengMDPI AGNeurology International2035-83772024-12-011661731174110.3390/neurolint16060125Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy and Its Correlations with Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Different Brain Structures of MiceBrenda Rufino da Silva0Joyce Maria Ferreira Alexandre Lima1Marcela Bermudez Echeverry2Carlos Alberto-Silva3Natural and Humanities Sciences Center (CCNH), Experimental Morphophysiology Laboratory, Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo 09606-070, BrazilNatural and Humanities Sciences Center (CCNH), Experimental Morphophysiology Laboratory, Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo 09606-070, BrazilCenter for Mathematics, Computation and Cognition (CMCC), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo 09606-070, BrazilNatural and Humanities Sciences Center (CCNH), Experimental Morphophysiology Laboratory, Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo 09606-070, BrazilBackground/Objectives: Antipsychotic medicines are used to treat several psychological disorders and some symptoms caused by dementia and schizophrenia. Haloperidol (Hal) is a typical antipsychotic usually used to treat psychosis; however, its use causes motor or extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) such as catalepsy. Hal blocks the function of presynaptic D2 receptors on cholinergic interneurons, leading to the release of acetylcholine (ACh), which is hydrolyzed by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Methods: This study was designed to investigate the Hal-inhibitory effects on AChE activity in regions representative of the cholinergic system of mice and potential associations between cataleptic effects generated by Hal using therapeutic doses and their inhibitory effects on AChE. Results: The distribution of the AChE activity in the different regions of the brain followed the order striatum > hippocampus > (prefrontal cortex/hypothalamus/ cerebellum) > brainstem > septo-hippocampal system. In ex vivo assays, Hal inhibited AChE activity obtained from homogenate tissue of the striatum, hippocampus, and septo-hippocampal system in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory concentration of 50% of enzyme activity (IC<sub>50</sub>) indicated that the septo-hippocampal system required a higher concentration of Hal (IC<sub>50</sub> = 202.5 µmol·L<sup>−1</sup>) to inhibit AChE activity compared to the striatum (IC<sub>50</sub> = 162.5 µmol·L<sup>−1</sup>) and hippocampus (IC<sub>50</sub> = 145 µmol·L<sup>−1</sup>). In in vivo assays, male Swiss mice treated with concentrations of Hal higher than 0.1 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> induced cataleptic effects. Positive correlations with <i>Spearman’s correlation</i> were observed only between the lack of cataleptic effect and the decreased AChE activity of the hippocampus in the mice treated with 0.01 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> of Hal but not in the striatum and septo-hippocampal system. Conclusions: Our results suggest that Hal could increase cholinergic effects via AChE inhibition, in addition to its dopamine antagonist effect, as an alternative approach to the treatment of behavioral disturbances associated with dementia.https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8377/16/6/125antipsychoticsstriatumhippocampussepto-hippocampal cholinesteraseAChE inhibition
spellingShingle Brenda Rufino da Silva
Joyce Maria Ferreira Alexandre Lima
Marcela Bermudez Echeverry
Carlos Alberto-Silva
Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy and Its Correlations with Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Different Brain Structures of Mice
Neurology International
antipsychotics
striatum
hippocampus
septo-hippocampal cholinesterase
AChE inhibition
title Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy and Its Correlations with Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Different Brain Structures of Mice
title_full Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy and Its Correlations with Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Different Brain Structures of Mice
title_fullStr Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy and Its Correlations with Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Different Brain Structures of Mice
title_full_unstemmed Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy and Its Correlations with Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Different Brain Structures of Mice
title_short Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy and Its Correlations with Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Different Brain Structures of Mice
title_sort haloperidol induced catalepsy and its correlations with acetylcholinesterase activity in different brain structures of mice
topic antipsychotics
striatum
hippocampus
septo-hippocampal cholinesterase
AChE inhibition
url https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8377/16/6/125
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