title: Preclinical evaluation of the reinforcing and discriminative stimulus effects of agomelatine (S-20098), a melatonin agonist.
abstract: Agomelatine (S-20098), an analog of melatonin, has shown promise as a chronobiotic in animal models of sleep phase disorders and is being developed for clinical use. Previous research has shown that the pharmacological profile of melatonin-like drugs overlaps that of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) agonists. Given the potential of drugs within the latter class for recreational abuse in humans, evaluation of this potential for melatonin analogs that target similar therapeutic indications is important. In the present study, agomelatine was tested in animal models of the subjective and reinforcing effects of CNS depressant drugs; i.e., diazepam discrimination in rats and IV methohexital self-administration in rhesus monkeys, respectively. Neither agomelatine nor melatonin substituted for diazepam in rats trained to discriminate 2.5 mg/kg diazepam from vehicle. Further, agomelatine was not self-administered by rhesus monkeys. These results suggest that agomelatine would not produce diazepam-like intoxication in humans, nor would it likely be subject to abuse.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Richmond 23298-0613, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dance
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Balster
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000819:agonists*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward; D012646:Self Administration; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D009281:Naphthalenes
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008550:Melatonin; C084711:agomelatine; D009281:Naphthalenes