Interactions between neuroleptics and 5-HT(1A) ligands in preclinical behavioral models for antipsychotic and extrapyramidal effects.
BACKGROUND
Combining neuroleptics with 5-HT1A ligands is thought to improve the preclinical profile of neuroleptics and may be of interest in the development of new compounds that have greater therapeutic potential and/or are better tolerated.


OBJECTIVE
To examine 1) the ability of 5-HT1A ligands to alter the effects of neuroleptics in preclinical models for antipsychotic potential (hindlimb retraction time in the paw test) and extrapyramidal side-effects (forelimb retraction time in the paw test; catalepsy tests), 2) the role of intrinsic activity at 5-HT1A receptors in the modulatory effects of 5-HT1A ligands, and 3) the generality of the interactions across neuroleptics.


METHODS
The effects of different doses of 5-HT1A ligands with intrinsic activity ranging from high (e.g., 8-OH-DPAT) to low (e.g., WAY 100135) administered together with a fixed, high dose of the neuroleptics haloperidol, risperidone, and tropapride were examined in the paw test and on catalepsy.


RESULTS
Firstly, the 5-HT1A agonists 8-OH-DPAT and ipsapirone attenuated the extrapyramidal-like effects of haloperidol and risperidone more than their therapeutic-like effects; this was not observed for tropapride, where all of its effects were markedly attenuated. Secondly, neither the weak 5-HT1A agonist WAY 100135 nor the silent antagonist WAY 100635 attenuated the effects of neuroleptics. Thirdly, neuroleptics apparently differed in their sensitivity to interactions with 5-HT1A agonists inasmuch as 8-OH-DPAT and ipsapirone attenuated the effects of tropapride on hindlimb retraction times more than those of haloperidol or risperidone.


CONCLUSIONS
The present data suggest that 5-HT1A agonists with intermediate or high, but not low, intrinsic activity may abolish the extrapyramidal effects of neuroleptics. Together with results of previous studies, it appears that 5-HT1A agonists alter the antipsychotic-like effects of neuroleptics, although this may depend on the neuroleptic studied.
Prinssen
E P
EP
Centre de Recherche Pierre Fabre, Castres, France. eric.prinssen@pierre-fabre.com
Kleven
M S
MS
Koek
W
W
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009662:Nortropanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D018967:Risperidone / Q000494:pharmacology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*
D009662:Nortropanes; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; C039413:tropapride; D006220:Haloperidol; D018967:Risperidone