Differential regional development of tolerance to increase in dopamine turnover upon repeated neuroleptic administration.

Repeated treatment with haloperidol and sulpiride induced tolerance to the increases in homovanillic and dihydroxyphenyl acetic acids in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, tuberculum olfactorium and frontal cortex of the rat. The threshold dose inducing this effect appeared to be lower in the striatum than in the limbic regions. Similar results were found in the frontal cortex by measuring dopamine utilization. Moreover, tolerance developed earlier in the striatum than in the limbic areas. The possible reasons are discussed for the differential development of tolerance in the various DA areas investigated.