Antibodies against haloperidol specific to the butyrophenone moiety.

Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to the D2-dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol were produced by immunization with haloperidol conjugated to bovine serum albumin either through the tertiary hydroxy group of the piperidine ring (halo(OH)-BSA), or through the keto group of the butyrophenone (halo(CO)-BSA). Polyclonal rabbit antisera raised against halo(OH)-BSA exhibited high affinity for [3H]haloperidol. A fraction of these antibodies also bound [3H]spiperone with high affinity. Inhibition of the [3H]spiperone binding by various butyrophenone derivatives displayed a specificity similar to that observed for the inhibition of [3H]spiperone binding to the D2-dopamine receptor. Both monoclonal antibodies raised against halo(CO)-BSA(AG-58) and against halo(OH)-BSA(AC-91) exhibited high binding affinities to haloperidol. Monoclonal antibody AG-58 cross-reacted primarily with butyrophenone derivatives that are closely related to haloperidol in their substitutions on the piperidine ring. On the other hand, monoclonal antibody AC-91 cross-reacted with a wide range of butyrophenones with binding specificities resembling those of the dopamine receptor.