Inhibition of striatal dopamine synthesis in rats injected chronically with neuroleptics in their early life.

3H-dopamine synthesis from L-3,5-3H-tyrosine was reduced in striatal slices of 40 days old rats treated during their early life with neuroleptics. Animals were first injected intra-utero with thioproperazine (5 mg/kg) or with the palmitic ester of pipotiazine (32 mg/kg); the thioproperazine-treated rats were then injected every day from day 1 to day 37; the animals injected with the long acting neuroleptic were injected once more with the drug on day 15 after birth.