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Inhibition of β‐Amyloid Formation by Haloperidol: A Possible Mechanism for Reduced Frequency of Alzheimer's Disease Pathology in Schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Higaki Jeffrey,
Murphy Greer M.,
Cordell Barbara
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.1997.68010333.x
Subject(s) - neuropathology , haloperidol , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , mechanism (biology) , antipsychotic , disease , droperidol , alzheimer's disease , neuroscience , medicine , pharmacology , pathology , psychology , psychiatry , dopamine , philosophy , epistemology , fentanyl
Several reports have suggested that the frequency of Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology is significantly reduced in elderly individuals with schizophrenia (SZ), and it has been proposed that medications used for treatment of SZ may be responsible. A central event in AD pathology is the formation of β‐amyloid (Aβ) peptide, which is derived by enzymatic processing of its precursor protein. Haloperidol, an antipsychotic medication commonly used in the treatment of SZ, can act as an inhibitor of select proteinases; hence, we examined the ability of this compound to inhibit Aβ formation by cultured cells. Haloperidol and, to a lesser extent, droperidol inhibited Aβ in a dose‐dependent manner. These results may explain the apparent reduction of AD neuropathological changes in elderly patients with SZ as well as provide a possible mechanism for this difference.