[Effect of haloperidol on transmembrane potential and viscosity of thymocyte membrane lipids]

A damaging effect of the neuroleptic haloperidol on thymocytes was studied in vivo. The integral state of energetic processes in the cells was described by the electric transmembrane potential of thymocytes delta psi equal to the sum of potential on the plasmic and mitochondrial membranes. The effect of haloperidol was also evaluated by the content of lipid peroxidation (LPO) products and by the structural and functional characteristics of thymocyte membranes (lipid viscosity, protein-lipid interaction). A single administration of haloperidol (0.4 mg/kg) decreased the delta psi of thymocytes and increases the viscosity of lipids in the cell membranes. The content of LPO products--primary (diene conjugates) and secondary (Schiff bases)--was not affected. The obtained results indicate that the combination of methods employed can be used for analysis of the structural and functional characteristics of blood cell membranes (in leukocytes and lymphocytes) for evaluating the side effects of haloperidol in the human organism.