Effect of antipsychotic drugs on homovanillic acid levels in striatum and olfactory tubercle of the rat.

Dose-response curves for the elevation of homovanillic acid levels in corpus striatum and olfactory tubercle of rats were determined by mass fragmentography after treatment with antipsychotic drugs. The older of potency in both regions was: haloperidol greater than chlorpromazine greater than thioridazine and clozapine. The relative elevation of the content of homovanillic acid was significantly greater in the striatum than in the olfactory tubercle for all drugs except thioridazine. The antipsychotic effect of the drugs tested may be related to the interference with dopaminergic mechanisms in striatal and/or limbic areas.