Crop-Sac Response after Systemic and Intraventricular Administration of Neuroleptic Drugs

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Abstract
Present experiments were aimed at studying, in pigeons, the effects of some neuroleptic agents given systemically or into the 3rd cerebral ventricle on PRL [prolactin] secretion and following morphological changes of the crop-sac mucosa both by classical histological methods and scanning electron microscopy. Such changes were also evaluated on the basis of a semiquantitative method using a 1-4 rating scale. Systemic treatment (3- or 5-day) with reserpine, haloperidol and (.+-.)-sulpiride produced an intense crop-sac response consisting of a marked epithelial hyperplasia and presence of milk-like material. Similarly, a much lower dose of haloperidol, clozapine and the 2 enantiomers of sulpiride given into the 3rd cerebral ventricle for 3 consecutive days produced a marked crop-sac response. The l-sulpiride was more active in comparison to the d-enantiomer. In pigeons, as in mammals, neuroleptic drugs are able to stimulate PRL secretion and these effects are mediated through an action at the hypothalamic and/or pituitary level by removing a tonic dopaminergic inhibition.