Direct effect of neuroleptics on glutamate release

In studies designed to assess the pre-synaptic effects of neuroleptics in vitro, synaptosomes were prepared from several regions of rat brain. These preparations were incubated in the presence of a representative of each of the major classes of neuroleptic--chlorpromazine, haloperidol, or clozapine, or with (+) or (-)butaclamol. The calcium-specific release of endogenous glutamic acid was reduced only in synaptosomes derived from the amygdala. In this area, each of these agents [except (-)butaclamol] reduced the release of glutamic acid to a maximum of 40% in a concentration-dependent manner. When [3H]glutamine was included in the incubation media, a reduction in the released [3H]glutamate was present with 10(-8) M haloperidol, and 5 X 10(-8) M (+)butaclamol, clozapine, or chlorpromazine. (-)Butaclamol was inactive at 10(-5) M, a concentration producing complete blockade of the release of [3H]glutamic acid when active agents were included. Again, the effects were observed only in the amygdala. All agents, including (-)butaclamol blocked the uptake of [3H]glutamine into depolarized synaptosomes.