clozapine and ecopipam

Described and evaluated here is a newly designed apparatus for the assessment of conditioned avoidance response (CAR) performance in rats. The system is computer-assisted using a design and system control development package based on the virtual instrument concept (LabView). The program, which allows for significant flexibility, greatly facilitated and simplified the process of timing and data acquisition. The apparatus was found effective and appropriately designed for CAR performance training, as well as for a reliable assessment of the effects of antipsychotic and potentially antipsychotic compounds on CAR in rats. The design presents a new, effective, and inexpensive option for laboratories involved in animal behavioral research.

Topics: Amphetamines; Animals; Antipsychotic Agents; Avoidance Learning; Benzazepines; Clozapine; Computers; Cross-Over Studies; Dopamine Antagonists; Fluorobenzenes; Haloperidol; Male; Physical Conditioning, Animal; Piperidines; Raclopride; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Salicylamides; Serotonin Antagonists; Serotonin Receptor Agonists

Previous studies have shown that alpha 1-adrenoceptors, dopamine D1-like and 5-HT2A receptors play an important role in the effects of the atypical neuroleptic, clozapine, on the parameter modelling antipsychotic efficacy in the paw test. Therefore, it became of interest to investigate whether antagonism of all these receptors together would give rise to effects characteristic of clozapine. The effects of the combined administration of the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist phenoxybenzamine, the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, SCH 39166 (4-(4-chloro-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,2- dihydronaphthalene), and the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, ketanserin, were therefore measured in the paw test. The present data show that all three drugs together, but not simply combinations of two out of three, produced a profile similar to that of clozapine: a significant increase in the parameter modelling antipsychotic efficacy and no change in the parameter modelling extrapyramidal side-effects.

Topics: Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Benzazepines; Clozapine; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine Antagonists; Drug Synergism; Forelimb; Hindlimb; Ketanserin; Male; Pain Measurement; Phenoxybenzamine; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; Receptors, Dopamine D1; Receptors, Serotonin

The present studies were conducted to evaluate the modification of the behavioral effects of the selective D2 agonist (+)-4-propyl-9-hydroxynaphthoxazine [(+)-PHNO] by dopamine receptor blockade. In squirrel monkeys responding under a fixed-ratio schedule of stimulus-shock termination, the effects of (+)-PHNO were determined alone and in combination with the selective D2 antagonist eticlopride, the selective D1 antagonist (-)-trans-6,7,7a,8,9,13b- hexahydro-3-chloro-2-hydroxy-N-methyl-5H-benzo(d)naphtho-(2,1)azepine (SCH 39166), the nonselective D1/D2 antagonist cis-flupentixol or the atypical neuroleptic clozapine. When administered alone, (+)-PHNO produced dose-dependent decreases in rates of responding. Pretreatment with eticlopride and cis-flupentixol resulted in dose-dependent right-ward shifts of the (+)-PHNO dose-effect curve, indicative of surmountable antagonism. Pretreatment with SCH 39166 and clozapine failed to antagonize the effects of (+)-PHNO and resulted in a downward shift of the (+)-PHNO dose-effect curve. Other experiments were conducted to determine the duration of either catalepsy-associated behavior or repetitive scratching produced by (+)-PHNO alone and in combination with selected dopamine receptor blockers. Low doses of (+)-PHNO (0.001-0.003 mg/kg) increased the duration of catalepsy-associated behavior, whereas higher doses (0.003-0.01 mg/kg) restored the duration of catalepsy-associated behavior to control values and produced increases in the duration of repetitive scratching.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Benzazepines; Clozapine; Dopamine Agents; Dopamine Antagonists; Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; Drug Interactions; Flupenthixol; Male; Oxazines; Receptors, Dopamine D1; Receptors, Dopamine D2; Saimiri; Salicylamides