Effects of monosialoganglioside on dopaminergic supersensitivity

The effects of monosialoganglioside (GMl) treatment on dopaminergic supersensitivity induced by long-term haloperidol administration were studied; both general activity of rats observed in an open-field and apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior were used as experimental parameters. GMl per se (5.0 mg/kg, twice daily, for 30 days) did not modify rat behavior, but when given in combination with haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg, twice daily, for 30 days) it increased neuroleptic withdrawal symptoms as detected in both models. When GMl (5.0 mg/kg, twice daily) was administered after abrupt withdrawal from haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg, twice daily, for 30 days), it attenuated the increases in both general activity of rats observed in the open-field and apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior. These results suggest that GMl may affect synaptic plasticity, facilitating the induction of the adaptative changes in receptor function (up and down-regulation), following long-term haloperidol treatment and withdrawal.