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Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a measure of sensorimotor gating and an endophenotype of schizophrenia. We have shown previously in rats that estrogen treatment prevents disruption of PPI by the 5-HT(1A)/5-HT(7) receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-dipropylaminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT). The aim of the present study was to examine the role of dopamine D(1) and D(2) and serotonin 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(2A), and 5-HT(7) receptors in these effects. Part 1 of this study investigated the ability of estrogen treatment to reverse PPI disruption induced by 8-OH-DPAT or the dopamine D(1)/D(2) receptor agonist apomorphine. Part 2 of this study compared these effects to the ability of various antagonists in reversing the action of 8-OH-DPAT and apomorphine on PPI. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized (OVX), and, where appropriate, they received silastic implants containing either a low (E20) or high dose (E100) of estrogen. Two weeks later, PPI was assessed using automated startle boxes. The disruption of PPI by either treatment with 8-OH-DPAT (0.5 mg/kg) or apomorphine (0.3 mg/kg) was similarly prevented by E100 treatment. 8-OH-DPAT-induced PPI disruption was reversed by pretreatment with the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-2-pyridinylcyclohexanecarboxamide maleate salt (WAY 100,635; 1 mg/kg) and the typical antipsychotic and dopamine D(2) receptor antagonist haloperidol (0.25 mg/kg), but it was not reversed by pretreatment with the dopamine D(1) receptor antagonist R-(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrochloride (SCH 23390; 0.1 mg/kg), the 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor antagonist ketanserin (2 mg/kg), or the 5-HT(7) receptor antagonist SB-269970 (10 mg/kg). Apomorphine-induced disruptions of PPI were reversed by haloperidol and SCH 23390 only. Estrogen may prevent disruptions of PPI induced by both 8-OH-DPAT and apomorphine by an action on dopamine D(2) receptors downstream of 5-HT(1A) receptors.

Although many drugs act by indirectly stimulating multiple receptors (e.g., reuptake inhibitors), relatively little is known about interactions between agonism at different receptors. This study compared the effect of serotonin (5-HT)(1A) receptor agonists with the discriminative stimulus effects of the 5-HT(2A) receptor agonist 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOM) in rats and rhesus monkeys. Eight rats discriminated 0.56 mg/kg i.p. DOM and responded under a fixed ratio (FR) 10 schedule of food presentation, whereas three rhesus monkeys discriminated 0.32 mg/kg s.c. DOM and responded under an FR 5 schedule of stimulus shock termination. DOM and the 5-HT(2A) receptor agonists 2,5-dimethoxy-4-n-propylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-7) and dipropyltryptamine (DPT), but not the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonists 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin hydrochloride (8-OH-DPAT) and 3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl-(4-fluoro-4-([(5-methyl-6-methylaminopyridin-2-ylmethyl) amino) methyl] piperidin-1-yl) methanone (F13714), occasioned responding on the DOM-associated lever in rats and monkeys. Both 8-OH-DPAT and F13714 attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of DOM in monkeys but not in rats; these effects of 8-OH-DPAT and F13714 were prevented by the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide (WAY 100635). DPT and 2C-T-7 enhanced the discriminative stimulus effects of DOM in rats and monkeys in an additive manner. Taken together, the results suggest that the DOM discriminative stimulus is pharmacologically similar and mediated by 5-HT(2A) receptors in rats and monkeys; however, the ability of 5-HT(1A) receptor agonists to modify the effects of DOM is markedly different between these species. These results indicate possible differences in the neurobiology of 5-HT systems that could be important for studying drugs that have multiple mechanisms of action (e.g., reuptake inhibitors that indirectly stimulate multiple receptors).

The monoamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), stimulates contraction of human uterine smooth muscle (myometrium), but the receptor subtypes involved have not been characterized. We studied the effects of a range of 5-HT receptor subtype-selective agonists and antagonists in isolated strips of myometrium obtained at the time of caesarean section. The 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-dipropylaminotetralin, produced an increase in contractions that was highly variable, of low potency, and was not significantly inhibited by the 5-HT(1A) antagonist WAY100635 [[O-methyl-3H]-N-(2-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl)ethyl)-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide]. The 5-HT(2) receptor agonist, alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine (alpha-Me-5-HT), produced a strong, consistent, and concentration-dependent stimulation of contractions (pEC(50) = 7.60 +/- 0.10, n = 5). The 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist, ketanserin [3-[2-[4-(4-fluoro benzoyl)-piperidin-1-yl]ethyl]-1H-quinazoline-2,4-dione], caused a parallel shift in the response to alpha-Me-5-HT, with a pK(B) value consistent with its known affinity for the 5-HT(2A) receptor (pK(B) = 8.47 +/- 0.16, n = 5), but it had no effect on the response to oxytocin. The 5-HT(2B) and 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists, BW723C86 [(alpha-methyl-5-(2-thienylmethoxy)-1H-indole-3-ethanamine)] and Ro-60-01-75 [(S)-2-(6-chloro-5-fluoro-indol-1-yl)-1-methyl-ethylamine fumarate], produced inconsistent responses at potencies that were lower than expected for activation of their cognate receptors. The response to alpha-Me-5-HT was unaffected by the 5-HT(2B) and 5-HT(2C) receptor antagonists, SB204741 [(N-(1-methyl-1H-indolyl-5-yl)-N-(3-methyl-5-isothiazolyl)urea)] and RS102221 [8-[5-(2,4-dimethoxy-5-(4-trifluoromethyl phenylsulphonamido)phenyl-5-oxopentyl]-1,3,8-triazaspiro[4.5]decane-2,4-dione]. The 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor agonist, sumatriptan [1-[3-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-1H-indol-5-yl]-N-methyl-methanesulfonamide], the 5-HT(4) agonist, cisapride [4-amino-5-chloro-N-[1-[3-(4-fluorophenoxy)propyl]-3-methoxy-4-piperidyl]-2-methoxy-benzamide], and the 5-HT(7) agonist, AS19 [(2S)-(+)-5-(1,3,5-trimethylpyrazol-4-yl)-2-(dimethylamino)tetralin], all had no effect on myometrial contractility. 5-HT(2A) receptor mRNA and immunoreactivity were identified using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Specific binding of [(3)H]ketanserin was demonstrated. This study provides strong evidence for the expression of contractile 5-HT(2A) receptors in pregnant human myometrium, and this receptor is a potential target for novel uterotonic therapies.

3-Amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-[4-[4-(quinolin-2-yl)piperazin-1-yl]butyl]quinazolin-4(3H)-one (TZB-30878) is a novel compound with both 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(1A) agonism and 5-HT(3) antagonism effects. We hypothesized that TZB-30878 might have benefits from these dual effects as a medication for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (d-IBS), and these studies were designed to confirm the pharmacological properties of TZB-30878 and its efficacy in an IBS-like animal model. The binding assays demonstrated that [(3)H]TZB-30878 selectively binds to human 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(3) receptors, with K(d) values of 0.68 +/- 0.03 and 8.90 +/- 1.73 nM, respectively. Systemic administration of TZB-30878 inhibited 5-HT-induced bradycardia in a dose-dependent manner in rats. In behavioral assays TZB-30878 produced signs of 5-HT syndrome in rats. These results suggest that TZB-30878 has dual effects as a 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist and a 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist. Finally, we evaluated the effects of TZB-30878 on wrap restraint stress-induced defecation in an IBS-like model in rats. TZB-30878 (1-10 mg/kg p.o.) normalized stress-induced defecation in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the 5-HT(1A) agonist tandospirone (30 and 100 mg/kg p.o.) and the 5-HT(3) antagonist alosetron (1-10 mg/kg p.o.) did not show such effects. Furthermore, this efficacy of TZB-30878 was partly antagonized by a 5-HT(1A) antagonist, [O-methyl-3H]-N-(2-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl)ethyl)-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY-100635). These results suggest that 5-HT(1A) receptor agonism and 5-HT(3) receptor antagonism contribute to the efficacy of TZB-30878 in the IBS-like model. The efficacy of TZB-30878 supports the concept that the presence of both actions, namely 5-HT(1A) receptor agonism and 5-HT(3) receptor antagonism, could be an important mechanism in the treatment of d-IBS.

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) plays an important role in the descending control of nociception. 5-HT and its receptors have been extensively studied in the modulation of nociceptive transmission at the spinal level using behavioral tests that may be affected by the effects of 5-HT on motor performance and skin temperature. Using electrophysiological methods, the present study aimed to systematically investigate the roles of 5-HT receptor subtypes on the inhibitory effects of 5-HT on responses of the spinal wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons to C-fiber inputs in rats. Under basal conditions, topical application of 5-HT to the spinal cord inhibited the C-fiber responses of WDR neurons dose-dependently, whereas antagonists of 5-HT(1A) [WAY 100635 [N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-2-pyridinyl-cyclohexanecarboxamide maleate salt]], 5-HT(1B) [GR 55562 [3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-4-hydroxy-N-[4-(4-pyrid-dinyl)phenyl]benzamide dihydrochloride]], 5-HT(2A) [ketanserin [3-[2-[4-(fluorobenzoyl)-1-piperidinyl]ethyl]-2,4[1H,3H]-quinazolinedione tartrate]], 5-HT(2C) [RS 102221 [8-[5-(2,4-dimethoxy-5-(4-trifluoromethylphenylsulfonamido)phenyl-5-oxopentyl]-1,3,8-triazaspiro[4.5]decane-2,4-dione hydrochloride]], 5-HT(3) [MDL 72222 [3-tropanyl-3,5-dichlorobenzoate]], and 5-HT(4) [GR 113808 ([1-[2-[(methylsulfonyl)-amino]ethyl]-4-piperidinyl]methyl 1-methyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylate)] had no effect on their own. The inhibitory effects of 5-HT were reversed by antagonists of 5-HT(1B) (GR 55562), 5-HT(2A) (ketanserin), 5-HT(2C) (RS 102221), 5-HT(3) (MDL 72222), and 5-HT(4) (GR 113808) but not by 5-HT(1A) (WAY 100635) receptor antagonists. Topical administration of agonists of 5-HT(1A) [(2R)-(+)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin hydrobromide], 5-HT(1B) [CGS 12066 [7-trifluoromethyl-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)pyrrolo-[1,2-a]quinoxaline maleate salt]], 5-HT(2A) (alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine maleate), 5-HT(2C) [MK 212 [6-chloro-2-(1-piperazinyl)pyrazine hydrochloride]], 5-HT(3) [1-(3-chlorophenyl)biguanide hydrochloride], and 5-HT(4) [2-[1-(4-piperonyl)piperazinyl]benzothiazole] also inhibited the C-responses. These results suggest that, under basal conditions, there is no tonic serotonergic inhibition on the C-responses of dorsal horn neurons, and multiple 5-HT receptor subtypes including 1B, 2A, 2C, 3, and 4 may be involved in mediating the inhibitory effects of 5-HT.

We previously demonstrated colocalization of serotonin 1A (5-HT(1A)) and serotonin 2A (5-HT(2A)) receptors in oxytocin and corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Because a functional imbalance between hypothalamic 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptors has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, in this study we investigated whether acute in vivo activation of 5-HT(1A) receptors in the PVN results in desensitization of 5-HT(2A) receptor signaling. Functional desensitization of hypothalamic 5-HT(2A) receptors was assessed via a reduction in oxytocin and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) responses to the 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor agonist (-)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane HCl [(-)DOI]. We report here that a single systemic injection of the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist (+)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin [(+)8-OH-DPAT] (200 microg/kg) significantly reduced the 5-HT(2A) receptor-mediated oxytocin responses for at least 72 h. Direct intraparaventricular injection of (+)8-OH-DPAT (0.2 nmol) 24 h before a submaximal dose of (-)DOI (0.35 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the 5-HT(2A) receptor-mediated increases in both oxytocin and ACTH (-39 and -16%, respectively). In addition, the (+)8-OH-DPAT-induced desensitization of the 5-HT(2A) receptor-mediated oxytocin but not the ACTH response was inhibited in rats pretreated with either a systemic (0.1 mg/kg) or intraparaventricular (10 nmol) injection of the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY100635). This is the first in vivo demonstration of a prolonged heterologous intracellular desensitization of 5-HT(2A) receptors after acute activation of 5-HT(1A) receptors. These findings may provide insight into the long-term heterologous interactions between 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptor signaling that could occur in response to antidepressants, antipsychotics, or drugs of abuse that target these receptor subtypes.

The 5-hydroxytryptamine(1A) receptor agonist, (+)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), raises blood pressure (BP) and venous tone in rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock. Here, BP, ascending aortic blood flow [i.e., estimate of cardiac output (CO)] and venous blood gases were measured to determine the hemodynamic effects of 8-OH-DPAT (30 nmol/kg i.v., n = 10), saline (n = 10), or an equipressor infusion of epinephrine (n = 10) in unanesthetized rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock (25 min of hypotensive hemorrhage, approximately 50 mm Hg). Renal and iliac blood flow were measured in separate groups of similarly hemorrhaged rats given the same dose of 8-OH-DPAT (n = 7) or saline (n = 6). Compared with saline treatment, 8-OH-DPAT produced a sustained rise in BP (+32 +/- 4 versus +9 +/- 2 mm Hg, 15 min after injection, P < 0.01) and CO (+27 +/- 5 versus +4 +/- 6 ml/min/kg, P < 0.01) but did not affect total peripheral resistance (TPR). Infusion of epinephrine reduced CO (-12 +/- 6 ml/min/kg, P < 0.01) and dramatically increased TPR [+0.37 +/- 0.11 versus +0.05 +/- 0.05 log (mm Hg/ml/min/kg), P < 0.01]. 8-OH-DPAT increased renal conductance (+7 +/- 1 versus +4 +/- 1 microl/min/mm Hg, P < 0.01) but did not significantly affect iliac conductance. 8-OH-DPAT attenuated further development of acidosis compared with either saline or epinephrine (-5.6 +/- 1.6 versus -13.0 +/- 2.0 versus -11.3 +/- 2.6 mmol/liter base excess 45 min after start of hemorrhage, both P < 0.01 versus 8-OH-DPAT). These data demonstrate that 8-OH-DPAT improves hemodynamics during circulatory shock, in part, through renal vasodilation and mobilizing of blood stores.

Adolescent users of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy) may escalate their dose because of the development of tolerance. We examined the influence of intermittent adolescent MDMA exposure on the behavioral, physiological, and neurochemical responses to a subsequent MDMA "binge" or to a 5-hydroxytryptamine(1A) (5-HT(1A)) receptor challenge. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given MDMA (10 mg/kg b.i.d.) or saline every 5th day on postnatal days (PDs) 35 to 60. One week later on PD 67, animals were challenged with either multiple doses of MDMA (four 5 or 10 mg/kg doses) or a single dose of the 5-HT(1A) agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (0.1 or 0.5 mg/kg). Adolescent MDMA exposure partially attenuated the hyperthermic effects of the PD 67 MDMA challenge, completely blocked the locomotor hypoactivity otherwise observed on the day after the challenge, and also prevented MDMA-induced serotonin neurotoxicity assessed on PD 74 by measuring regional [(3)H]citalopram binding to the serotonin transporter (SERT). Adolescent MDMA-treated animals also showed a partial attenuation of the serotonin syndrome but not the hypothermic response to the high dose of 8-OH-DPAT. However, there was no effect of MDMA administration on regional [(3)H]N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY-100635) binding to 5-HT(1A) receptors in the brain or spinal cord. These results suggest that chronic, intermittent MDMA exposure during adolescence induces neuroadaptive changes that can protect against the adverse consequences of a subsequent dose escalation. On the other hand, the same exposure pattern appears to produce a partial 5-HT(1A) receptor desensitization, which may negatively influence the therapeutic responses of chronic MDMA users treated with serotonergic agents for various affective or anxiety disorders.

Pain may become intractable as tolerance develops to opioids and the opioids, paradoxically, induce pain. We examined the hypothesis that the analgesia produced by the novel analgesic and high-efficacy 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(1A) receptor agonist (3-chloro-4-fluoro-phenyl)-[4-fluoro-4-[[(5-methyl-pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-amino]methyl]piperidin-1-yl]methanone, fumaric acid salt (F 13640) may counteract opioid-induced pain. In studies of the somatosensory quality of pain in infraorbital nerve-injured rats, morphine infusion (5 mg/day) by means of osmotic pumps initially caused analgesia (i.e., decreased the behavioral response to von Frey filament stimulation), followed by hyperallodynia and analgesic tolerance. Infusion of F 13640 (0.63 mg/day) prevented the development of opioid hyperallodynia and reversed opioid hyperallodynia once established. In studies of the affective/motivational quality of pain, F 13640 both prevented and reversed the conditioned place aversion induced by naloxone (0.04 mg/kg i.p.) in morphine-infused rats; F 13640 also prevented and reversed the conditioned place preference induced by morphine injections (7.5 mg/kg i.p.). The data confirm that opioids produce bidirectional hypo- and proalgesic actions, and offer initial evidence that high-efficacy 5-HT(1A) receptor activation counteracts both the sensory and the affective/motivational qualities of opioid-induced pain. The data also indicate that F 13640 may be effective with opioid-resistant pain. It further is suggested that opioid addiction may represent self-therapy of opioid-induced pathological pain.

The pharmacological properties of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, {2-[4-(2-bromo-5-methoxybenzyl)piperazin-1-yl]ethyl}-(2-trifluoromethoxyphenyl)amide (Rec 27/0224), and cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, (2-methoxy-phenyl)-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-piperazin-1-yl]ethyl}amide (Rec 27/0074), were characterized using radioligand displacement and guanosine 5'-O-(3-[35S]thiotriphosphate) ([35S]GTPgammaS) binding assays, as well as electrophysiological experiments, in rat hippocampal and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) slices. Both compounds showed a high affinity (Ki, approximately 1 nM) and selectivity (>70-fold) at human 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A receptors versus other 5-HT receptors. In [35S]GTPgammaS binding assays on HeLa cells stably expressing human 5-HT1A receptors, Rec 27/0224 and Rec 27/0074 inhibited basal [35S]GTPgammaS binding by 44.8 +/- 1.7% (pEC50 = 8.58) and 25 +/- 2.5% (pEC50 = 8.86), respectively. In intracellularly recorded CA1 pyramidal cells, 5-HT1A (hetero)receptor-mediated hyperpolarization, elicited by 100 nM 5-carboxamidoytryptamine (5-CT), was partially antagonized by Rec 27/0224 (approximately 50%; IC50 = 18.0 nM) and Rec 27/0074 (74%; IC50 = 0.8 nM). In extracellularly recorded DRN serotonergic neurons, Rec 27/0224 and Rec 27/0074 fully antagonized the inhibition of firing caused by the activation of 5-HT1A (auto)receptors by 30 nM 5-CT with an IC50 of 34.9 nM and 16.5 nM, respectively. The antagonism had a slow time course, reaching a steady state within 60 min. Both compounds also antagonized the citalopram-elicited, endogenous 5-HT-mediated inhibition of cell firing. In conclusion, Rec 27/0224 and Rec 27/0074 exhibited inverse agonism in [35S]GTPgammaS binding assays and differential antagonistic properties on 5-HT1A receptor-mediated responses in the hippocampus but not in the DRN. Whether this differential effect is causally related to inverse agonist activity is unclear. The qualitatively different nature of the antagonism in the hippocampus versus the DRN clearly distinguishes the compounds from neutral antagonists, such as N-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl}-N-2-pyridinylcyclo-hexanecarboxamide (WAY-100635).

The aim of the present study was to establish the relationship between the plasma and brain concentration-time profiles of F 13640 [(3-chloro-4-fluoro-phenyl)-[4-fluoro-4-{[(5-methyl-pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-amino]-methyl}piperidin-1-yl]methanone, fumaric acid salt] after acute administration and both its hyper- and hypoanalgesic effects in rats. The maximal plasma concentration (C(max)) of F 13640 after i.p. administration of 0.63 mg/kg was obtained at 15 min and decreased to half its maximal value after about 1 h. The amount of F 13640 collected by means of in vivo microdialysis in hippocampal dialysates could be measured reliably after 0.63 and 2.5 mg/kg, reached its maximum at about 1 h, and fell to half of its maximal value at about 3 h. 5-Hydroxytryptamine 1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor occupancy was estimated by ex vivo binding in rat brain sections. F 13640 inhibited [(3)H]8-hydroxy-2-[di-n-propylamino] tetralin binding ex vivo in rat hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and frontal cortex (ED(50), 0.34 mg/kg i.p.). Maximal inhibition was reached at approximately 30 min after 0.63 mg/kg F 13640 and fell to half of its value after about 4 to 8 h. After injection (15 min) in the paw pressure test, F 13640 (0.63 mg/kg i.p.) induced an initial hyperalgesia that was followed 4 h later by a paradoxical analgesia that lasted until 8 h. In contrast, in the formalin test, F 13640 inhibited pain behaviors until 4 h after drug administration. F 13640 also produced elements of the 5-HT syndrome that lasted up to 4 h after administration. These results demonstrate that F 13640 induces hyperalgesia and/or analgesia with a time course that parallels the occupancy of 5-HT(1A) receptors and the presence of the compound in blood and brain.

OPC-14523 (OPC; [1-[3-[4-(3-chlorophenyl)-1-piperazinyl]propyl]-5-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-2-quinolinone monomethanesulfonate)] is a novel compound with high affinity for sigma and 5-HT(1A) receptors as well as for the 5-HT transporter. OPC has previously been shown to produce antidepressant-like effects in animal models of depression. This project set out to determine the effect of OPC on serotonergic neurotransmission and to shed light on its mechanism(s) of action. In an electrophysiological model of in vivo extracellular recordings in anesthetized rats, a 2-day treatment (1 mg/kg/day) with OPC induced a significant increase in dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) putative 5-HT neurons' firing activity. This increase was blocked by the coadministration of NE-100 [N,N-dipropyl-2-(4-methoxy-3-(2-phenylethoxy)phenyl)-thylamine], a selective sigma(1) antagonist (10 mg/kg/day). Furthermore, after 2-day treatments with OPC, the 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor response was altered, as demonstrated by the dramatically reduced response to an increase of endogenous 5-HT induced by the acute administration of paroxetine (500 microg/kg, i.v.). However, the 5-HT(1A) agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (4 microg/kg, i.v.) maintained its ability to decrease 5-HT firing activity, an effect that was reversible by the subsequent administration of the 5-HT(1A) antagonist WAY 100635 [N-[2-(4-[2-methoxyphenyl]-1-piperazinyl)ethyl]-N-2-pyridinylcyclohexanecarboxamide] (100 microg/kg, i.v.). As 8-OH-DPAT has been shown to act preferentially through postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptors, our data suggests that this effect of OPC is mediated primarily by the 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor. The decreased response of the 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor to paroxetine was not blocked by the coadministration of NE-100 indicating that sigma(1) receptors are not involved in this effect. Thus, both sigma and 5-HT(1A) receptors play a role in the "antidepressant-like" effects produced by OPC, which is in keeping with previously published behavioral data. In addition, the current series of experiments suggest that OPC might have potential as an antidepressant with a rapid onset of action compared with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatments, which initially suppress the firing activity of putative 5-HT neurons and require at least 2 to 3 weeks to restore the firing activity to baseline neuronal firing activity through a desensitization of the 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor.

S32504 [(+)-trans-3,4,4a,5,6,10b-hexahydro-9-carbamoyl-4-propyl-2H-naphth[1,2-b]-1,4-oxazine] displayed marked affinity for cloned, human (h)D(3) receptors (pK(i), 8.1) at which, in total G-protein ([(35)S]GTPgammaS binding, guanosine-5'-O-(3-[(35)S]thio)-triphosphate), Galpha(i3) (antibody capture/scintillation proximity), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (immunoblot) activation procedures, it behaved as an agonist: pEC(50) values, 8.7, 8.6, and 8.5, respectively. These actions were blocked by haloperidol and the selective D(3) receptor antagonist S33084 [(3aR,9bS)-N-[4-(8-cyano-1,3a,4,9b-tetrahydro-3H-benzopyrano[3,4-c]pyrrole-2-yl)-butyl]-(4-phenyl) benzamide)]. S32504 showed lower potency at hD(2S) and hD(2L) receptors in [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding (pEC(50) values, 6.4 and 6.7) and antibody capture/scintillation proximity (hD(2L), pEC(50), 6.6) procedures. However, reflecting signal amplification, it potently stimulated hD(2L) receptor-coupled mitogen-activated protein kinase (pEC(50), 8.6). These actions were blocked by haloperidol and the selective D(2) receptor antagonist L741,626 [4-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(1H-indol-3-ylmethyl)piperidin-4-ol]. The affinity of S32504 for hD(4) receptors was low (5.3) and negligible for hD(1) and hD(5) receptors (pK(i), <5.0). S32504 showed weak agonist properties at serotonin(1A) ([(35)S]GTPgammaS binding, pEC(50), 5.0) and serotonin(2A) (G(q), pEC(50), 5.2) receptors and low affinity for other (>50) sites. In anesthetized rats, S32504 (0.0025-0.01 mg/kg, i.v.) suppressed electrical activity of ventrotegmental dopaminergic neurons. Correspondingly, S32504 (0.0025-0.63 mg/kg, s.c.) potently reduced dialysis levels (and synthesis) of dopamine in striatum, nucleus accumbens, and frontal cortex of freely moving rats, actions blocked by haloperidol and L741,626 but not by S33084. In contrast, S32504 only weakly inhibited serotonergic transmission and failed to affect noradrenergic transmission. Actions of S32504 were expressed stereospecifically versus its less active enantiomer S32601 [(-)-trans-3,4,4a,5,6,10b-hexahydro-9-carbomoyl-4-propyl-2H-naphth[1,2-b]-1,4-oxazine]. Although the D(3)/D(2) agonist and antiparkinsonian agent ropinirole mimicked the profile of S32504, it was less potent. In conclusion, S32504 is a potent and selective agonist at dopamine D(3) and D(2) receptors.

5-Hydroxytryptamine 1A (5-HT1A) receptor agonists reverse the hypotensive and sympathoinhibitory responses to severe hemorrhage in rats. To determine whether 5-HT1A receptor-mediated pressor responses in hypovolemic animals are due to sympathoexcitation and/or direct vasoconstriction, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) responses to the partial 5-HT1A receptor agonist buspirone or the more selective, full 5-HT1A receptor agonist (+)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) were compared in intact and ganglionic blocked, hemorrhaged Sprague-Dawley rats. Buspirone produced dose-dependent increases in BP (110 +/- 4(**), 86 +/- 4(**), 65 +/- 7 mm Hg), HR [369 +/- 10(**), 337 +/- 14, 277 +/- 16 beats per minute (bpm)], and RSNA (114 +/- 36(**), 34 +/- 21, -23 +/- 25% baseline for 0.2, 0.1, and 0 mg/kg; (**)p < 0.01 versus 0 mg/kg, 3 min after injection). Ganglionic blockade with hexamethonium chloride blocked the pressor effect of 9.9 microg/kg 8-OH-DPAT and attenuated, but did not block, the pressor response to 0.2 mg/kg buspirone (85 +/- 7 versus 46 +/- 6 mm Hg for buspirone + ganglionic blockade versus saline + ganglionic blockade; p < 0.01). In subsequent tests, rats treated with the selective alpha1-adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin (25 microg/kg) continued to show extensive tachycardic (+73 +/- 26 bpm) and sympathoexcitatory (128 +/- 55% baseline) responses to 0.2 mg/kg buspirone. Ganglionic blockade combined with prazosin completely blocked all responses to buspirone. Buspirone (0.2 mg/kg) produced significant bradycardic (-89 +/- 12 bpm; p < 0.01) and sympathoinhibitory (-72 +/- 7% baseline; p < 0.01) responses in euvolemic rats 3 min after injection. It is concluded that the pressor effect of buspirone is unique to hypovolemic animals and is mediated by sympathetic activation as well as direct activation of vascular alpha1-adrenergic receptors.

This study characterizes the sumatriptan-sensitive [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(1B/1D)] receptor in rabbit saphenous vein and basilar artery. (S)-(-)-1-[2-[4-(4-Methoxy-phenyl)-piperazin-1-yl]-ethyl]isochroman-6-carboxylic acid methylamide (PNU-109291), a 5-HT(1D) subtype-selective agonist (human K(i) = 2.5 +/- 0.07 nM), did not contract either tissue, whereas o-methoxyphenylpiperazide derivative 4F (MPPA-4F), a 5-HT(1B) subtype-selective antagonist (human K(i) = 4.6 +/- 0.6 nM) potently inhibited sumatriptan-induced contraction in the saphenous vein and basilar artery. These results suggested that sumatriptan-induced contraction was mediated via the 5-HT(1B) receptor in these blood vessels. 5-HT(1B) receptor-mediated contraction was then compared in endothelium-intact and denuded vessels to evaluate the role of the endothelium in regulating sumatriptan-induced contractility in these tissues. The presence of an intact endothelium inhibited 5-HT(1B)-induced contraction in both tissues. Endothelial denudation or nitric-oxide synthase inhibition with N(omega) nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (100 microM) increased the efficacy and potency of sumatriptan in the saphenous vein and basilar artery. Surprisingly, in endothelial-denuded vascular tissues, L-NAME (100 microM) also significantly increased the maximal 5-HT(1B) receptor-induced contraction in both tissues, with no effect on potency of sumatriptan. The effect of L-NAME after endothelial denudation may reflect the presence of a low density of residual endothelial cells as estimated by CD31 antibody staining combined with the modulating effect of nitric oxide released from nonendothelial cells in vascular tissue. Endothelial modulation was specific to 5-HT(1B) receptors because removal of the endothelium did not significantly alter contraction to norepinephrine, histamine, prostaglandin, or potassium chloride in the saphenous vein or basilar artery.

The pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) correlations of seven prototypical 5-HT(1A) agonists were analyzed on the basis of a recently proposed semi-mechanistic PK-PD model for the effect on body temperature. The resulting concentration-effect relationships were subsequently analyzed on the basis of the operational model of agonism to estimate the operational affinity (pK(A)) and efficacy (log tau) at the 5-HT(1A) receptor in vivo. The values obtained in this manner were compared with estimates of the affinity (pK(i)) and intrinsic efficacy (log[agonist ratio]) in a receptor-binding assay. Between 5-HT(1A) agonists wide differences in in vivo affinity and efficacy were observed, with values of the pK(A) ranging from 5.67 for flesinoxan to 8.63 for WAY-100,635 [N-(2-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl)ethyl)-N-2-pyridinyl-cyclohexanecarboxamide] and of the log tau ranging from -1.27 for WAY-100,135 [N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-alpha-phenyl-1-piperazine-propanamide] to 0.62 for R-(+)-8-hydroxy-2-[di-n-propylamino)tetralin. Poor correlations were observed between the in vivo receptor affinity (pK(A)) and the affinity estimates in the in vitro receptor binding assay (pK(i); r(2) = 0.55, P > 0.05), which could in part be explained by differences in blood-brain distribution. In contrast, a highly significant correlation was observed between the efficacy parameters in vivo (log tau) and in vitro (log [agonist ratio]; r(2) = 0.76, P < 0.05). Thus by combining the previously proposed semi-mechanistic PK-PD model for the effect on body temperature with the operational model of agonism, a full mechanistic PK-PD model for 5-HT(1A) receptor agonists has been obtained, which is highly predictive of the in vivo intrinsic efficacy.