THE PUTATIVE ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG AMPEROZIDE PREFERENTIALLY INCREASES C-FOS EXPRESSION IN RAT MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX AND LATERAL SEPTUM

The effects of acute, systemic administration of the putative atypical antipsychotic drug amperozide on c-fos expression in the rat forebrai n were studied by means of Fos immunohistochemistry. Amperozide signif icantly increased the number of Fos-immunoreactive nuclei in the media l prefrontal cortex and the lateral septum but not in the nucleus accu mbens (shell or core), the striatum, or the amygdala. With the excepti on of the nucleus accumbens-shell, where amperozide failed to produce statistically immunoreactivity following amperozide was similar to tha t induced by atypical, but not by typical, antipsychotic drugs. In add ition, after amperozide the number of Fos-positive nuclei was higher i n the nucleus accumbens than in the dorsolateral striatum, a character istic that is common to all known atypical antipsychotic agents. (C) 1 997 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.