title: Effect of muscarinic receptor agonists on animal models of psychosis.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of muscarinic receptor agonists on models of psychosis in rats. A battery of three tests, catalepsy (haloperidol-induced) augmentation, amphetamine-induced stereotypy antagonism and conditioned avoidance response were used. Both muscarinic receptor agonists physostigmine and pilocarpine produced similar results. They dose-dependently augmented the haloperidol-induced catalepsy, inhibited amphetamine-induced stereotypy behavior and inhibited the conditioned avoidance response. Results demonstrate that muscarinic receptor agonists have actions similar to those of dopamine receptor antipsychotic drugs in animal models, suggesting that muscarinic receptor agonists may be used as adjuvant drugs in the treatment of psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Karan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravishankar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pandhi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002375:Catalepsy / Q000139:chemically induced; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D018721:Muscarinic Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018721:Muscarinic Agonists; D010862:Pilocarpine; D010830:Physostigmine