标题：Section II
Research and Methodologies
Clozapine or Haloperidol in rats prenatally exposed to methylazoxymethanol, a compound
inducing entorhinal-hippocampal deficits, alter brain and blood neurotrophins’ concentrations
摘要：Rats exposed during prenatal life to methylazoxymethanol (MAM) display in postnatal
age structural and behavioral deficits resembling those observed in schizophrenic patients. These
deficits are associated with significant changes in brain nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF), particularly in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. In the present
study, we used the MAM model to investigate in young rats the effect of antipsychotics, Clozapine
and Haloperidol, on brain and blood NGF and BDNF presence. Young animals were used because
administration of antipsychotics during adolescence is a common feature of intervention. The results
showed that administration of Clozapine and Haloperidol causes significant changes in the
concentration of NGF and BDNF in the brain and bloodstream of MAM-treated rats. These findings
indicate that these drugs may affect the synthesis and release of neurotrophins in the central
nervous system and in the blood circulation. In addition, the MAM model can be a useful tool to
investigate the biochemical and molecular mechanisms regarding the effects of antipsychotics.
