COMPARISON OF CYTOTOXICITY OF A QUATERNARY PYRIDINIUM METABOLITE OF HALOPERIDOL (HP+) WITH NEUROTOXIN N-METHYL-4-PHENYLPYRIDINIUM (MPP(+)) TOWARDS CULTURED DOPAMINERGIC NEUROBLASTOMA-CELLS

Haloperidol has recently been found to be metabolized to its pyridinium ion (HP+). This conversion of haloperidol to HP+ appears to be similar to the activation of the dopaminergic neurotoxin N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to N-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium ion (MPP(+)). MPP(+) is responsible for the damage of striatal dopaminergic neurons induced by MPTP in humans and animals. It seemed sensible to investigate whether or not HP+ might be toxic towards dopaminergic neurons and perhaps associated with some of the residual moto-function side effects of haloperidol. We therefore investigated the neurotoxicity of HP+ toward cultured human dopamine neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) and compared it with that of MPP(+). HP+ reduced the viability as measured by MTT and [H-3]thymidine incorporation methods in SH-SY5Y cells. Cell membrane integrity is reduced by the treatment of HP+ as measured by intracellular LDH levels. The toxicity was concentration and time dependent. Interestingly, HP+ appeared to be more toxic than MPP(+) towards the SH-SY5Y cells in early phase in cultures. The toxicity of MPP(+) appear to be progressive and subsequently become more than HP+ with prolonged cultivation. In contrary to MPP(+), the toxic effect of HP+ towards a dopamine transporter transfected SK-N-MC cell line is not different from its wild type. This indicates that dopamine uptake system is probably not involved in the cytotoxicity caused by HP+.