Effects of chronic methamphetamine on SCH23390- or haloperidol-induced catalepsy, and effects of coadministration of SCH23390 or haloperidol in mice

Abstract The influence of chronic treatment of mice with methamphetamine, an indirect dopamine agonist, on the cataleptic effects of R-(+)-chloro-2,3,4,5,-tetrahydro-3-methyl-5-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepin-7ol hydrochloride (SCH23390), a D 1 receptor agonist, or haloperidol, a mainly D 2 antagonist, was investigated. Once every other day treatment with 3 mg/kg SC methamphetamine for 15 days resulted in an increase in the catalepsy produced by haloperidol (0.3 mg/kg IP) (haloperidol catalepsy), but in a decrease in the catalepsy produced by SCH23390 (0.3 mg/kg IP) (SCH23390 catalepsy), 24 h and 7 days after withdrawal of methamphetamine. These effects of chronic methamphetamine were antagonized by coadministration of either SCH23390 (0.5 mg/kg SC) or haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg SC). These results suggest that the decreased responsiveness to SCH23390 in chronic methamphetamine-pretreated mice results from a supersensitivity of D 1 receptors, and that the increased responsiveness to haloperidol catalepsy results from a subsensitivity of D 2 receptors. The attenuated response to SCH23390 may be interpreted as an example of sensitization to methamphetamine, and the enhanced haloperidol response as an example of tolerance to methamphetamine, based on the development of supersensitivity and subsensitivity of D 1 and D 2 receptors, respectively, after chronic methamphetamine administration. Furthermore, it is suggested that coadministration of either SCH23390 or haloperidol could prevent the development of D 1 receptor supersensitivity and D 2 receptor subsensitivity induced by chronic methamphetamine.