L-745,870, a Subtype Selective Dopamine D4 Receptor Antagonist, Does Not Exhibit a Neuroleptic-Like Profile in Rodent Behavioral Tests

• Published in: The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics 1997-12, Vol.283 (3), p.1256-1263
• Main Authors: Bristow, L J, Collinson, N, Cook, G P, Curtis, N, Freedman, S B, Kulagowski, J J, Leeson, P D, Patel, S, Ragan, C I, Ridgill, M, Saywell, K L, Tricklebank, M D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amphetamine - pharmacology; Animals; Antipsychotic Agents - pharmacology; Apomorphine - pharmacology; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Dopamine Antagonists - pharmacology; Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; Male; Mice; Motor Activity - drug effects; Pyridines - pharmacology; Pyrroles - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Dopamine D4
• ISSN: 0022-3565; 1521-0103

This study examined the high-affinity, selective dopamine D 4 receptor antagonist, L-745,870 (3-{[4-(4-chlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl]methyl}-1 H -pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine) in rodent behavioral models used to predict antipsychotic potential and side-effect liabilities in humans. In contrast to the classical neuroleptic, haloperidol, and the atypical neuroleptic, clozapine, L-745,870 failed to antagonize amphetamine-induced hyperactivity in mice or impair conditioned avoidance responding in the rat at doses selectively blocking D 4 receptors. Furthermore, L-745,870 failed to reverse the deficit in prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle responding induced by the nonselective dopamine D 2/3/4 receptor agonist apomorphine, an effect which was abolished in rats pretreated with the D 2/3 receptor antagonist, raclopride (0.2 mg/kg s.c.). L-745,870 had no effect on apomorphine-induced stereotypy in the rat but did induce catalepsy in the mouse, albeit at a high dose of 100 mg/kg, which is likely to occupy dopamine D 2 receptors in vivo . High doses also impaired motor performance; in rats L-745,870 significantly reduced spontaneous locomotor activity (minimum effective dose = 30 mg/kg) and in mice, L-745,870 reduced the time spent on a rotarod revolving at 15 rpm (minimum effective dose = 100 mg/kg). Altogether these results suggest that dopamine D 4 receptor antagonism is not responsible for the ability of clozapine to attenuate amphetamine-induced hyperactivity and conditioned avoidance responding in rodents. Furthermore, the lack of effect of L-745,870 in these behavioral tests is consistent with the inability of the compound to alleviate psychotic symptoms in humans.