DuP 734 [1-(cyclopropylmethyl)-4-(2'(4''-fluorophenyl)-2'- oxoethyl)piperidine HBr], a potential antipsychotic agent: preclinical behavioral effects.

Abstract

It has been suggested that sigma receptors may be involved in the etiology of psychosis and that 5-hydroxytryptamine2 (5-HT2) antagonists may have utility in treating the negative symptoms of psychosis as well as reducing the side effects associated with the typical antipsychotic haloperidol. We have evaluated the potential antipsychotic effects of 1-(cyclopropylmethyl)-4-(2'(4''-fluorophenyl)-2'-oxoethyl)piper i din e HBr (DuP 734), a selective and potent sigma and 5-HT2 receptor ligand with weak affinity for D2 receptors, in behavioral animal models that are not necessarily dependent on dopamine antagonism. DuP 734 potently blocked mescaline-induced scratching (ED50 = 0.35 mg/kg, p.o.) and aggressive activity (ED50 = 1.9 mg/kg, p.o.) and was relatively much weaker as an apomorphine antagonist (ED50 = 12 mg/kg, p.o.). This was in contrast to the typical antipsychotic agents such as haloperidol and chlorpromazine, which were very potent in all three tests. In rats, DuP 734 did not antagonize avoidance behavior or induce catalepsy, and, therefore, differed from the potent dopamine receptor antagonist antipsychotics. It did, however, reduce lever response rates in a random interval 60-sec food reward schedule of reinforcement (ED50 = 6.0 mg/kg, p.o.) in rats. The results suggest that DuP 734 may have antipsychotic activity without the liability of motor side effects typical of neuroleptics. Although DuP 734 itself did not antagonize avoidance activity, it significantly enhanced the potency of haloperidol in blocking avoidance behavior by 3-fold (by shifting the ED50 from 0.94 to 0.36 mg/kg, p.o.), whereas the ED50 of haloperidol for blockade of escape behavior and induction of catalepsy was not affected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

• Authors: L Cook, S W Tam, K W Rohrbach
• Journal: The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics (J Pharmacol Exp Ther) Vol. 263 Issue 3 Pg. 1159-66 (Dec 1992) ISSN: 0022-3565 [Print] United States
• PMID: 1361571 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Piperidines
• Receptors, Serotonin
• Receptors, sigma
• DuP 734
• Haloperidol
• Apomorphine
• Mescaline
• Chlorpromazine

Topics

• Aggression (drug effects)
• Animals
• Antipsychotic Agents (pharmacology)
• Apomorphine (pharmacology)
• Avoidance Learning (drug effects)
• Behavior, Animal (drug effects)
• Chlorpromazine (pharmacology)
• Haloperidol (pharmacology)
• Male
• Mescaline (pharmacology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Piperidines (pharmacology)
• Rats
• Receptors, Serotonin (drug effects)
• Receptors, sigma (drug effects)