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Chronic haloperidol treatment decreases preproenkephalin mRNA in the anterior pituitary: a study by

F Tang1, S M Lau

  • 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Neuroscience Letters
|December 27, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Haloperidol treatment significantly reduced preproenkephalin mRNA levels in male rat anterior pituitary glands. This suggests dopamine stimulates the enkephalinergic system by regulating gene expression.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The anterior pituitary (AL) plays a crucial role in hormone regulation.
  • Enkephalins are endogenous opioid peptides involved in various physiological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of haloperidol, a dopamine receptor antagonist, on preproenkephalin (PPek) mRNA expression in the male rat anterior pituitary.
  • To explore the role of dopamine in regulating the AL enkephalinergic system at the gene expression level.

Main Methods:

  • Solution-hybridization-RNase protection assay was employed to quantify PPek mRNA levels.
  • Male rats were treated with haloperidol for 3 weeks.

Main Results:

  • A significant decrease of 42% in PPek mRNA levels was observed in the anterior pituitary after 3 weeks of haloperidol treatment.
  • This reduction indicates a modulation of the enkephalinergic system by dopamine.

Conclusions:

  • Dopamine signaling appears to stimulate the anterior pituitary enkephalinergic system.
  • The stimulation occurs at the level of gene expression, as evidenced by the decreased PPek mRNA levels.

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