77Br-p-bromospiperone: a ligand for in vivo labelling of dopamine receptors.

A high striatum: cerebellum ratio of 77Br-p-bromospiperone (77Br-BrSp) was observed in rat brain following tail vein injection of the drug. Striatal 77Br-BrSp was stereospecifically displaced by the isomers of flupenthixol. After chronic haloperidol administration striatal dopamine receptor supersensitivity was demonstrated both by increased 3H-spiperone binding to striatal membranes in vitro and by increased striatal 77Br-BrSp content. These results confirm and extend previous findings and enhance interest in the use of 77Br-BrSp for the in vivo assessment of central dopamine receptors in man.