Sex‐dependent alterations of dopamine receptor and glucose transporter density in rat hypothalamus under long‐term clozapine and haloperidol medication

OBJECTIVE: Sex‐dependent disturbances of peripheral glucose metabolism are known complications of antipsychotic drug treatment. The influence of long‐term clozapine and haloperidol medication on hypothalamus, maintaining aspects of internal body homeostasis, has not yet been completely clarified. METHODS: After puberty, male and female Sprague Dawley rats were fed orally with ground pellets containing haloperidol (1 mg/kgBW/day) or clozapine (20 mg/kgBW/day) for 12 weeks. The hypothalamic protein expression of dopamine receptors D2R and D4R, melanocortin receptor MC4R, and glucose transporters Glut1 and Glut3 was examined. Glucose, glycogen, lactate, and pyruvate levels were determined, also malondialdehyde equivalents as markers of oxidative stress. RESULTS: D2R expression was increased in the male haloperidol and clozapine group but decreased in females medicated with clozapine. D4R expression was upregulated under clozapine medication. While females showed increased Glut1, Glut3 was elevated in both male and female clozapine‐medicated animals. We found no changes of hypothalamic malondialdehyde, glycogen, and MC4R. Hypothalamic lactate was elevated in the female clozapine group. CONCLUSION: Clozapine sex‐dependently affects the expression of D2R, Glut1, and Glut3. The upregulation of the glucose transporters indicates glucose deprivation in the endothelial cells and consequently in astrocytes and neurons. Increased hypothalamic lactate in females under clozapine points to enhanced glycolysis with a higher glucose demand to produce the required energy. Haloperidol did not change the expression of the glucose transporters and upregulated D2R only in males.