The putatively antipsychotic agent amperozide produces behavioural stimulation in the rat

Summary

Amperozide (FG 5606; N-ethyl-4-[4′,4′-bis(p-fluorophenyl) butyl]-1-piperazinecarboximide) is a new putatively antipsychotic compound with a postulated 5-HT₂ antagonistic profile. Somewhat surprisingly amperozide dose dependently induced a behavioural stimulation in reserpinized and in nonpretreated rats. The behaviour consisted of both forward and backward locomotion as well as forepaw circling and a grooming like behaviour. Since the behavioural pattern clearly differ from that produced by classical dopaminergic or serotonergic agonists (e. g. apomorphine or 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin, 8-OH-DPAT), and has not been previously reported, we decided to investigate the origin of this effect.

In the behavioural paradigms it was not possible to antagonize the amperozide stimulation in reserpinized rats with the dopamine receptor blockers haloperidol, raclopride or R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1 H-3-benzazepine, SCH 23390. Neither the 5-HT₂ receptor blocking agent ritanserin nor the tryptophan and tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor DL-3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl-α-propylacetamide, H22/54, could block the motoric stimulation or the forepaw circling behaviour produced by amperozide. However, the noradrenaline synthesis inhibitor bis- (4-methyl-1-homopiperazinylthiocarbonyl)-disulfide, FLA 63, as well as the α-adrenoceptor antagonist phenoxy-benzamine, could partly inhibit the locomotor stimulation. Hence, noradrenaline seems to be, at least in part, involved in the behavioural stimulatory effect of amperozide. synthesis rate (DOPA formation) in normal or reserpinized animals in the striatal or the limbic brain regions. In reserpinized animals amperozide also failed to antagonize the decrease in DOPA formation after apomorphine and 3-hydroxy-benzylhydrazine HCl, NSD 1015, in these regions. Thus, amperozide failed to show agonistic or antagonistic action on central dopamine receptors. However, in the noradrenaline rich cortical region amperozide induced an increase in DOPA accumulation. The compound also increased the levels of normetanephrine as well as antagonized the decrease in DOPA accumulation by clonidine in the cortical brain region. Amperozide also increased the disappearence rate of noradrenaline after inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase by α-methyl-para-tyrosine. These data suggest that, biochemically, amperozide has got α₂ antagonistic properties. However, it is not evident that these biochemical properties are responsible for the behavioural effects of amperozide.