Interactions of a neuroleptic drug (fluphenazine) with catecholamines in hippocampus

The interactions of fluphenazine with the electrophysiological responses to catecholamines were studied in the rat hippocampus and parietal cortex. In the in vitro hippocampal slice, changes in synaptically evoked responses induced by norepinephrine, isoproterenol and dopamine were not altered by superfusion of fluphenazine. Both alpha- and beta- components of adrenergic responses were unaffected by neuroleptic administration in this preparation. Similarly, alterations in the spontaneous firing of single hippocampal pyramidal neurons in situ to adrenergic agonists or dopamine were not affected by local fluphenazine and administration using pressure ejection through multibarreled micropipettes. In contrast, norepinephrine- or isoproterenol-induced inhibitions of parietal cortical neurons in situ were potently antagonized by fluphenazine. A similar interaction was observed from a hippocampal basket neuron. It is concluded that while fluphenazine can antagonize well-defined noradrenergic effects in some brain regions (e. g., cerebellum, cortex), this property is not generalized to all brain regions receiving noradrenergic input.