It is estimated that in patients taking
antipsychotic drugs (APDs),
metabolic syndrome occurs 2-3 times more often than in the general population. It manifests itself in
abdominal obesity, elevated
glucose concentration, and
dyslipidemia. Despite the high prevalence of this disorder, only a small percentage of patients receive appropriate and effective treatment, and none of the available methods for preventing or treating APD-induced metabolic side effects is satisfactory. A promising supplement to
antipsychotic therapy appears to be
ligands of the
serotonin 6 (5-HT6) receptor. The present study aimed to examine the chronic effects of the selected APDs (
haloperidol,
risperidone,
olanzapine), administered alone and in combination with a selective 5-HT6 agonist (WAY-181187) or antagonist (SB-742457), on
weight gain, food intake, serum
lipid profile,
glucose level, and a spectrum of
hormones derived from adipose (
leptin,
adiponectin) and gastrointestinal (
insulin,
ghrelin) tissue in rats.
SB-742457 inhibited increased
weight gain and alleviated
hyperglycemia induced by APDs more strongly than did
WAY-181187, but also intensified
dyslipidemia.
WAY-181187 tended to improve the
lipid profile, but increased the
glucose level. The greatest benefits were obtained when
WAY-181187 or
SB-742457 were co-administered with
haloperidol. It is difficult to assess whether the modification of the serum levels of
insulin,
leptin,
ghrelin, and
adiponectin depended on the treatment applied or other
drug-independent factors; therefore, further research is needed.