Tolerance to the behavioural effects of the selective 5-HT(1A) agent, ipsapirone

The effects of repeated treatment with 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) on the lever press responding of the rat under FI and DRL schedules of food reinforcement

In general, the effects of 8-OH-DPAT on the body temperature of rats or in inducing the 5-HT syndrome show rapid tolerance. However, in contrast, the 8-OH-DPAT-induced increase in the activity of rats in a two-way active avoidance task only occurs after repeated administration, i.e. there is sensitisation. The present study was conducted to examine whether this developing hyperactivity may also be expressed as increased rates of lever press responding, and if so, under which conditions it occurs. Rats were trained to press levers under fixed interval 60-s (FI 60) or differential reinforcement of low rates 20-s or 72-s (DRL20, DRL72) schedules of food reinforcement. Groups of trained rats were then treated daily 5 min before testing with doses of 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT SC for 10-21 days. In all three procedures, in the first couple of days of drug treatment, 8-OH-DPAT generally suppressed lever pressing in a dose-dependent manner. Thereafter, tolerance to this effect was seen to a greater (DRL20, DRL72) or lesser (FI60) extent. Some evidence for stimulation of low rates of lever press responding was seen after 10 days treatment under FI60, but not in DRL20 or DRL72 during short 30 to 60 min long daytime tests although in the latter case, the rats responded to the stimulating effects of 0.8 mg/kg SC amphetamine administered once at the end of the experiment. However, when rats were allowed to respond under DRL72 testing for 12 h during the night, after 10 days treatment a clear stimulation of lever pressing was observed. This stimulation was not specific to lever pressing, however, since a stimulation of entries into the food tray and licking were also seen. From these results, it may be concluded that the stimulating effect of 8-OH-DPAT after repeated administration may be expressed as increased rates of lever pressing, but not under all conditions in which psychomotor stimulation by amphetamine is seen. The potential for 8-OH-DPAT and related compounds to stimulate motor responding in this way should be taken into account when interpreting the effects of these drugs in animal models of psychiatric disorders.

Assessment of the dependence potential of the potent high-efficacy 5-HT1A agonist S-14506 in rats

This study assessed the dependence potential of S-14506 [ 1- [ 2-(4-fluorobenzoylamino)ethyl]-4-(7-methoxy napthyl) piperazine], a novel, potent 5-HT(1A) full agonist with anxiolytic and antidepressant actions in animal models. The dependence potential of S-14506 was compared with that of the benzodiazepine (BZ) chlordiazepoxide (CDP). BZ withdrawal caused weight loss, aphagia and hyperthermia after chronic b.i.d. treatment for 21 days. None of these withdrawal effects were seen after similar b.i.d. S-14506 treatment at high doses. However, the acute pharmacological actions of CDP and S-14506 differed on a number of indices. Specifically, CDP increased food intake and body weight, whilst S-14506 decreased these measures, possibly due to the induction of the serotonin syndrome. Of particular interest was the observation that S-14506 induced marked hypothermia, to which complete tolerance developed very rapidly (after only 1 day). The observation of marked, rapid tolerance to S-14506-induced hypothermia, in conjunction with the absence of withdrawal hyperthermia after prolonged chronic treatment at high doses, suggests that tolerance to this effect of S-14506 can be dissociated from dependence. Collectively, the data reported suggest that the full 5-HT(1A) agonist S-14506 is devoid of dependence potential, other human and animal studies having previously suggested that partial 5-HT(1A) agonists typically induce no, or minimal, dependence.

Behavioral pharmacology of tandospirone in baboons: chronic administration and withdrawal, self-injection and drug discrimination

The behavioral pharmacology of tandospirone (SM 3997), a novel anxiolytic/antidepressant pyrimidinylpiperazine compound with selective pharmacological effects at the 5-HT1A binding site, was investigated in baboons. Animals administered 50 mg/kg/day i.g. tandospirone, showed few behavioral changes (lip droop, ataxia), which decreased over 2 weeks. Substitution of vehicle for tandospirone after 7 weeks produced time-limited suppression of food intake, suggesting a mild withdrawal syndrome. Under an i.v. self-injection procedure, tandospirone (1.0-32 mg/kg/injection) did not maintain responding greater than vehicle, although cocaine and triazolam did. Under a drug discrimination procedure, tandospirone (1-3.2 mg/kg p.o.; 0.1-32 mg/kg, i.m.) did not occasion drug-appropriate responding in baboons trained to discriminate lorazepam or pentobarbital and buspirone (1-18 mg/kg, p.o.; 0.1-1.0 mg/kg, i.m.) did not occasion drug-appropriate responding in the pentobarbital-training group. Tandospirone's profile of effects differs from those for barbiturates and benzodiazepines and suggests low abuse liability.

Effects of buspirone and ipsapirone on schedule induced polydipsia: comparison with 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) and raclopride

In the present experiments, the effects of the azapirone anxiolytics, buspirone and ipsapirone, on excessive drinking induced by a FT-60 schedule of food delivery (schedule induced polydipsia, SIP) were investigated. Because buspirone is known to block dopamine receptors and both buspirone and ipsapirone act as agonists at the 5-HT1A receptor, their effects on polydipsia were compared to raclopride, an antagonist at D2 receptors, and 8-OH-DPAT, an agonist at the 5-HT1A receptor, thus providing information about the relative importance of the serotonergic and/or dopaminergic systems for the maintenance of polydipsia. The effects of all four drugs were investigated both acutely, and following repeated treatment. The doses employed were as follows: buspirone, 1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 mg/kg; raclopride, 0.05, 0.15, and 0.5 mg/kg; 8-OH-DPAT, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/kg and ipsapirone, 1.0, 3.0, 10.0 mg/kg. Administered acutely, the lowest doses of buspirone and raclopride did not alter drinking, whilst the low dose of 8-OH-DPAT significantly reduced polydipsia. These effects were reversed following repeated treatment over 16 successive days. Buspirone 1.0 mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg raclopride reduced drinking, whilst tolerance developed to the effects of 0.1 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT. Ipsapirone, at low doses, was without effect on drinking. At high doses, all four drugs reduced drinking both acutely and chronically. Repeated treatment with buspirone (3.0, and 10.0 mg/kg) reduced licking and panel entries, but induced a selective decrease in licking at the low dose (1.0 mg/kg). Similar effects were seen following raclopride treatment, although the effects were less selective. 8-OH-DPAT and ipsapirone, in contrast reduced licking only at the highest dose, and both drugs increased panel entries as testing continued. The effects of buspirone resembled those of raclopride whereas the effects of ipsapirone resembled those of 8-OH-DPAT. Buspirone appears to act as a dopamine antagonist in this test. The effects of the drugs suggest that SIP depends upon motivational and performance factors which may be more sensitive to drug manipulation than potential underlying psychological factors such as anxiety or stress.

Evaluation of the dependence potential of the selective 5-H1A agonist ipsapirone in rats and of its effects on benzodiazepine withdrawal

Two initial studies investigated: i) the effects of withdrawal from ipsapirone [a putative non-benzodiazepine (BZ) anxiolytic] and chlordiazepoxide (CDP); and ii) effects of ipsapirone in animals withdrawn from CDP. Rats were injected b.i.d. for 21 days with saline, ipsapirone or CDP at doses up to 40 mg/kg/injection. Subsequently, controls received the treatment administered previously, other subjects received saline during withdrawal from ipsapirone or CDP. Further subjects received ipsapirone (3, 10 or 30 mg/kg b.i.d.) during CDP withdrawal. Withdrawal indices recorded were body weight and food intake. Withdrawal signs were absent after ipsapirone treatment but present after CDP treatment, when food intake and bodyweight measures fell and then recovered. At the high dose of 30 mg/kg (b.i.d.) ipsapirone potentiated CDP withdrawal signs. Potentiation of withdrawal was not seen in animals treated with ipsapirone at lower doses (3 and 10 mg/kg, b.i.d.). In a subsequent study we found that ipsapirone conditioned a taste aversion, a possible index of drug-induced "malaise", at doses as low as 7.5 mg/kg. Therefore a possible explanation for the potentiation of BZ withdrawal in subjects treated with high doses of ipsapirone was that drug-induced "malaise" reduced food intake and body weight, rather than ipsapirone causing true potentiation of BZ withdrawal. However, in a further study we showed that the ipsapirone treatment regime which potentiated BZ withdrawal did not significantly reduce food intake or body weight, suggesting that high doses of ipsapirone potentiate BZ withdrawal by a mechanism that does not simply involve "malaise".(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In vivo interactions of NAN-190, a putative selective 5-HT1A antagonist, with ipsapirone

The actions of NAN-190, a putative 5-HT1A antagonist, were assessed in rats. The selective 5-HT1A agent ipsapirone suppressed operant responding, but this effect was not antagonised by NAN-190, which suppressed responding itself in a dose-related manner, and had additive effects when administered with ipsapirone. These data do not support suggestions that NAN-190 is a 5-HT1A antagonist. NAN-190 may be a 5-HT1A partial agonist which can antagonise effects of full 5-HT1A agonists.