Effects of haloperidol administration on in vivo extracellular dopamine in striatum and prefrontal cortex after partial dopamine lesions.

The effects of haloperidol on striatal and prefrontal cortical extracellular fluid dopamine (DA) concentrations were examined in sham-operated control rats and in rats which had received partial lesions of their dopamine systems. In control rats haloperidol administration produced increases in extracellular fluid DA concentrations in both the striatum and prefrontal cortex. However, in rats which had been partially lesioned with intracerebroventricular 6-hydroxydopamine, haloperidol produced an increase in extracellular fluid DA concentration in the prefrontal cortex but failed to alter striatal DA release. These data suggest that nigrostriatal and mesocortical DA neurons have different response capabilities following partial DA lesions.