Work

Atypical antipsychotics clozapine and quetiapine attenuate prepulse inhibition deficits in dopamine transporter knockout mice

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: Sensorimotor gating disruptions are seen in various psychiatric illnesses with putatively different pathologies, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Interestingly, mice lacking the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) gene display markedly increased levels of DA, deficits in sensorimotor gating, and hyperactivity relative to wild-type mice. Atypical antipsychotics are effective treatments of schizophrenia and manic symptoms, presumably in part by antagonizing DA receptors. Here we report that treatment with clozapine (3 mg/kg) or quetiapine (2.5 mg/kg) attenuated prepulse inhibition deficits in male DAT knockout mice. Thus male DAT knockout mice may provide a useful animal model for predicting the efficacy of novel drugs in treating psychiatric illnesses characterized by a dysregulated DA system.

Source: Behavioural Pharmacology

DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e32830dc110

Authors: Susan B. Powell, Jared W. Young, Jacob C. Ong, Marc G. Caron, Mark A. Geyer

Institutions: University of California San Diego, Duke University, Duke Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Schizophrenia research and treatment

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke