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Published on: June 7, 2019
Electron microscopic morphometric studies on synaptic vesicles of long-term CPZ-administered rat striatum
Folia Psychiatrica Et Neurologica Japonica
|January 1, 1985
Summary
Chronic chlorpromazine (CPZ) administration in rats did not alter synaptic vesicle density. However, CPZ significantly increased the size of striatal synaptic vesicles after long-term use.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is an antipsychotic medication.
- Its long-term effects on neuronal structures, specifically synaptic vesicles, require detailed investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess the impact of chronic chlorpromazine administration on the density, size, and shape of striatal synaptic vesicles in rats.
Main Methods:
- Electron microscopy was used to examine axo-dendritic spine synapses in rat striata.
- Synapses were analyzed across three defined zones to measure vesicle density, size, and elongation ratio.
- Quantitative measurements were performed on 300 synapses from both control and CPZ-treated rats.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in synaptic vesicle density were observed between control and CPZ-treated groups across all zones.
- Synaptic vesicles were significantly larger in rats that received chronic chlorpromazine.
- No conclusive findings were determined regarding the vesicle elongation ratio (shape).
Conclusions:
- Chronic chlorpromazine treatment leads to an increase in the size of striatal synaptic vesicles.
- The drug does not appear to affect the density of these vesicles in the studied synapses.
