Haloperidol treatment decreases nerve growth factor levels in the hypothalamus of adult mice.

1. In a first study different doses of haloperidol (0.6, 1.2, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg; intraperitoneally) were administered to adult male mice (CD-1 strain) and tested for their ability to induce catalepsy. 2. The minimal haloperidol dose inducing complete catalepsy was found to be the 10 mg/kg dose and selected for the second experiment. 3. Using an immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA) hypothalamic nerve growth factor (NGF) level was measured 20 or 180 min following haloperidol injection (10 mg/kg). 4. Haloperidol treatment decreased NGF levels in mouse hypothalamus and this effect did not differ at the two time points tested. 5. The role of hypothalamic NGF in stress-related events is discussed.