Behavioural effects of vitamin C with haloperidol in mice

Vitamin C causes a significant change in pharmacological effects of some drugs which may lead to unpredictable responses. Vitamin C-haloperidol interaction has not been confirmed in vivo. This study was aimed to investigate the influence of vitamin C on some pharmacological effects of haloperidol (extrapyramidal side effects caused by the antipsychotic haloperidol). Albino male mice (n = 24, body weight of 20 - 40 gm) were divided into four groups and each of consists of six mice. Group I (control): given 1% Tween 80 solution, group II: given vitamin C in a dose of 100 mg/kg, group III: given haloperidol (2 mg/kg), while group IV: given a combination of vitamin C and haloperidol. All the treatments were given by intraperitoneal route of administration. Three sub-acute doses of different treatments were given at 24:0, 5:0, 1:0 hour before scoring. Parameters scored were catalepsy, ptosis, rigidity and akinesia. The experiment was repeated using vitamin C in a dose of 500 mg/kg. Both doses of 100 and 500 mg/kg of vitamin C significantly antagonized the effect of haloperidol by decreasing all the tested parameters. The results indicate that vitamin C decreases extrapyramidal side effects caused by the antipsychotic haloperidol and show that it successfully decreases catalepsy, ptosis, rigidity and akinesia in mice