Partial 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions and haloperidol-induced catalepsy

Rats with partial (36%) 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions of the striatal dopamine system or sham-lesioned controls were tested for duration of catalepsy after 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg/kg haloperidol. Thereafter, half of each group was given haloperidol (2.0 mg/kg) chronically for 84 days. The cataleptic responses to the 3 doses were tested again on days 13-15 and 74-76 of the chronic injections. Animals that were lesioned and treated with haloperidol chronically had longer durations of catalepsy at the first two dose-response determinations. At the third dose-response determination, there were no differences among the 4 groups. Additionally, all groups displayed an increase in duration of catalepsy at the second and third dose-response determinations, relative to the first. The increase in haloperidol-induced duration of catalepsy in the lesioned group suggests that lower levels of dopamine in the striatum may potentiate extrapyramidal side-effects.