title: Pharmacological evaluation of novel 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, QCM-13 (N-cyclohexyl-3-methoxyquinoxalin-2-carboxamide) as anti-anxiety agent in behavioral test battery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the last few decades, serotonin type-3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists have been identified as potential targets for anxiety disorders. In preclinical studies, 5-HT3 antagonists have shown promising antianxiety effects. In this study, a novel 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, QCM-13(N-cyclohexyl-3-methoxyquinoxalin-2-carboxamide) was evaluated for anxiolytic-like activity in rodent behavioral test battery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were given QCM-13 (2 and 4 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) or diazepam (2 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle and after 30 min, mice were subjected to four validated behavioral test batteries viz. elevated plus maze, hole board, light-dark and open field tests. Interaction study of QCM-13 with m-chlorophenyl piperazine (mCPP) (mCPP, a 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonist, 1 mg/kg, i.p.) and buspirone (BUS, a partial 5-HT1A agonist, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) were performed to assess the pharmacological mechanism of the drug.
  
  
  RESULTS
  QCM-13 expressed potential anxiolytic effect with significant (P < 0.05) increase in behavioral parameters measured in aforementioned preliminary models. Besides, QCM-13 was unable to reverse the anxiogenic effect of mCPP, but potentiated anxiolytic affect of BUS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that QCM-13 can be a potential therapeutic candidate for the management of anxiety-like disorders and combination doses of novel 5-HT3 receptor antagonist with standard anxiolytics may improve therapeutic efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Deepali
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Mahesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Devadoss
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thangaraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Yeshwant
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurhe
keywords: 5-HT3 receptor antagonist; QCM-13; antianxiety activity