Metabolism of rat brain phospholipids after prolonged treatment with psychotropic drugs.

Adult and newborn rats were treated with psychotropic drugs: neuroleptics (fluphenazine, benperidol, pimozide, thiotixen), an ataractic (oxazepam) and an anti-depressant (protriptyline) for periods up to one year or longer. The body weight was monitored, and brain weight, total cerebral lipid content, content of individual phospholipids, incorporation of 32P into individual phospholipids, and the fatty acids composition of phosphatidylethanolamine were measured. The prolonged treatment with neuroleptics and an antidepressant, but not with oxazepam, produced profound, often biphasic or multiphasic changes in the biochemistry of phospholipids. These changes should be taken into account in discussion of the mechanism of action and side-effects of prolonged treatment with antidepressants and neuroleptics.