Atypical antipsychotic profile of flunarizine in animal models.
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
; 177(3): 344-8, 2005 Jan.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15290004
ABSTRACT
RATIONALE Flunarizine is known as a calcium channel blocker commonly used in many countries to treat migraine and vertigo. Parkinsonism has been described as one of its side-effects in the elderly, which is in agreement with its recently characterized moderate D2 receptor antagonism. OBJECTIVES:
To perform a pre-clinical evaluation of flunarizine as a potential antipsychotic.METHODS:
We evaluated the action of orally administered flunarizine in mice against hyperlocomotion induced by amphetamine and dizocilpine (MK-801) as pharmacological models of schizophrenia, induction of catalepsy as a measure for extrapyramidal symptoms and impairment induced by dizocilpine on the delayed alternation task for working memory.RESULTS:
Flunarizine robustly inhibited hyperlocomotion induced by both amphetamine and dizocilpine at doses that do not reduce spontaneous locomotion (3-30 mg/kg). Mild catalepsy was observed at 30 mg/kg, being more pronounced at 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg. Flunarizine (30 mg/kg) improved dizocilpine-induced impairment on the delayed alternation test.CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest a profile comparable to atypical antipsychotics. The low cost, good tolerability and long half-life (over 2 weeks) of flunarizine are possible advantages for its use as an atypical antipsychotic. These results warrant clinical trials with flunarizine for the treatment of schizophrenia.
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Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Flunarizina
/
Modelos Animales de Enfermedad
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
Año:
2005
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Brasil