Enduring behavioural and biochemical effects in the adult rat after prolonged postnatal administration of haloperidol

Rats were administered 0.5 mg/kg SC of haloperidol (H) or saline (S) daily from day 1 after birth until 20 days of age. At 60 days of age (40 days after the postnatal treatment with H or S was interrupted) the stereotyped behaviour and the effects on locomotor activity elicited by apomorphine in S- and H-pretreated rats were investigated. The intensity of apomorphine (0.5--1 mg/kg, SC)-induced stereotyped behaviour was significantly greater in the H-pretreated group than in S-pretreated animals and this was accompanied by a much more marked reduction of locomotor activity in H-pretreated than in S-pretreated rats. Finally, at 80 days of age (60 days after the postnatal treatment with H or S was interrupted) rats were subjected to a Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates schedule (DRL 15-s). The results indicate that the acquisition of the DRL task performance criterion (Rs/Rf less than or equal to 2.5) was significantly more rapid on S-pretreated rats than in H-pretreated ones. In parallel biochemical experiments, acute H produced smaller increases in dopamine turnover in chronic H-treated rats compared with S-treated controls. These data indicate that H treatment in neonatal rats induces behavioural and biochemical changes which can be observed up to 60 days after H withdrawal.