Effects of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists on retinal pigment epithelial/choroid complex metabolism in form-deprived myopic guinea pigs.

The retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)/choroid complex regulates myopia development, but the precise pathogenesis of myopia remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the changes in RPE/choroid complex metabolism in a form deprivation myopia model after dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) modulation. Guinea pigs were randomly divided into normal (NC), form deprivation myopia (FDM), and FDM treated with dopamine D2R antagonist groups. Differential metabolites were screened using SIMCA-P software and MetaboAnalyst metabolomics analysis tool. Functions of differential metabolites were analyzed using KEGG enrichment pathways. Relative to the NC group, 38 differential metabolites were identified, comprising 29 increased metabolites (including nicotinic acid, cytosine, and glutamate) and 9 decreased metabolites, of which proline exhibited the largest decrease. Pathway analysis revealed regulation of arginine/proline and aspartate/glutamate metabolism. Intravitreal D2R antagonist injection increased proline concentrations and activated arginine/proline and purine metabolism pathways. In sum, D2R antagonists alleviated the myopia trend of refractive biological parameters in form deprivation myopic guinea pigs, suggesting the involvement of dopamine D2R signaling in myopia pathogenesis. The RPE/choroid may provide glutamate to the retina by activating proline metabolism via metabolic coupling with the retina. Dopamine D2R antagonism may modulate proline/arginine metabolic pathways in the RPE/choroid and regulate metabolism, information presentation, and myopia.

Pharmacological Characterization of the Imipridone Anticancer Drug ONC201 Reveals a Negative Allosteric Mechanism of Action at the D2 Dopamine Receptor.

ONC201 is a first-in-class imipridone compound that is in clinical trials for the treatment of high-grade gliomas and other advanced cancers. Recent studies identified that ONC201 antagonizes D2-like dopamine receptors at therapeutically relevant concentrations. In the current study, characterization of ONC201 using radioligand binding and multiple functional assays revealed that it was a full antagonist of the D2 and D3 receptors (D2R and D3R) with low micromolar potencies, similar to its potency for antiproliferative effects. Curve-shift experiments using D2R-mediated ß-arrestin recruitment and cAMP assays revealed that ONC201 exhibited a mixed form of antagonism. An operational model of allostery was used to analyze these data, which suggested that the predominant modulatory effect of ONC201 was on dopamine efficacy with little to no effect on dopamine affinity. To investigate how ONC201 binds to the D2R, we employed scanning mutagenesis coupled with a D2R-mediated calcium efflux assay. Eight residues were identified as being important for ONC201's functional antagonism of the D2R. Mutation of these residues followed by assessing ONC201 antagonism in multiple signaling assays highlighted specific residues involved in ONC201 binding. Together with computational modeling and simulation studies, our results suggest that ONC201 interacts with the D2R in a bitopic manner where the imipridone core of the molecule protrudes into the orthosteric binding site, but does not compete with dopamine, whereas a secondary phenyl ring engages an allosteric binding pocket that may be associated with negative modulation of receptor activity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: ONC201 is a novel antagonist of the D2 dopamine receptor with demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of various cancers, especially high-grade glioma. This study demonstrates that ONC201 antagonizes the D2 receptor with novel bitopic and negative allosteric mechanisms of action, which may explain its high selectivity and some of its clinical anticancer properties that are distinct from other D2 receptor antagonists widely used for the treatment of schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Compound screening in cell-based models of tau inclusion formation: Comparison of primary neuron and HEK293 cell assays.

The hallmark pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains are senile plaques, comprising ß-amyloid (Aß) peptides, and neuronal inclusions formed from tau protein. These plaques form 10-20 years before AD symptom onset, whereas robust tau pathology is more closely associated with symptoms and correlates with cognitive status. This temporal sequence of AD pathology development, coupled with repeated clinical failures of Aß-directed drugs, suggests that molecules that reduce tau inclusions have therapeutic potential. Few tau-directed drugs are presently in clinical testing, in part because of the difficulty in identifying molecules that reduce tau inclusions. We describe here two cell-based assays of tau inclusion formation that we employed to screen for compounds that inhibit tau pathology: a HEK293 cell-based tau overexpression assay, and a primary rat cortical neuron assay with physiological tau expression. Screening a collection of ∼3500 pharmaceutical compounds with the HEK293 cell tau aggregation assay, we obtained only a low number of hit compounds. Moreover, these compounds generally failed to inhibit tau inclusion formation in the cortical neuron assay. We then screened the Prestwick library of mostly approved drugs in the cortical neuron assay, leading to the identification of a greater number of tau inclusion inhibitors. These included four dopamine D2 receptor antagonists, with D2 receptors having previously been suggested to regulate tau inclusions in a Caenorhabditis elegans model. These results suggest that neurons, the cells most affected by tau pathology in AD, are very suitable for screening for tau inclusion inhibitors.

The Multi-Targeting Ligand ST-2223 with Histamine H3 Receptor and Dopamine D2/D3 Receptor Antagonist Properties Mitigates Autism-Like Repetitive Behaviors and Brain Oxidative Stress in Mice.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and communicative impairments, as well as repetitive and restricted behaviors (RRBs). With the limited effectiveness of current pharmacotherapies in treating repetitive behaviors, the present study determined the effects of acute systemic treatment of the novel multi-targeting ligand ST-2223, with incorporated histamine H3 receptor (H3R) and dopamine D2/D3 receptor affinity properties, on ASD-related RRBs in a male Black and Tan BRachyury (BTBR) mouse model of ASD. ST-2223 (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly mitigated the increase in marble burying and self-grooming, and improved reduced spontaneous alternation in BTBR mice (all p < 0.05). Similarly, reference drugs memantine (MEM, 5 mg/kg, i.p.) and aripiprazole (ARP, 1 mg/kg, i.p.), reversed abnormally high levels of several RRBs in BTBR (p < 0.05). Moreover, ST-2223 palliated the disturbed anxiety levels observed in an open field test (all p < 0.05), but did not restore the hyperactivity parameters, whereas MEM failed to restore mouse anxiety and hyperactivity. In addition, ST-2223 (5 mg/kg, i.p.) mitigated oxidative stress status by decreasing the elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and increasing the levels of decreased glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in different brain parts of treated BTBR mice (all p < 0.05). These preliminary in vivo findings demonstrate the ameliorative effects of ST-2223 on RRBs in a mouse model of ASD, suggesting its pharmacological prospective to rescue core ASD-related behaviors. Further confirmatory investigations on its effects on various brain neurotransmitters, e.g., dopamine and histamine, in different brain regions are still warranted to corroborate and expand these initial data.

C957T-mediated Variation in Ligand Affinity Affects the Association between 11C-raclopride Binding Potential and Cognition.

The dopamine (DA) system plays an important role in cognition. Accordingly, normal variation in DA genes has been found to predict individual differences in cognitive performance. However, little is known of the impact of genetic differences on the link between empirical indicators of the DA system and cognition in humans. The present work used PET with 11C-raclopride to assess DA D2-receptor binding potential (BP) and links to episodic memory, working memory, and perceptual speed in 179 healthy adults aged 64-68 years. Previously, the T-allele of a DA D2-receptor single-nucleotide polymorphism, C957T, was associated with increased apparent affinity of 11C-raclopride, giving rise to higher BP values despite similar receptor density values between allelic groups. Consequently, we hypothesized that 11C-raclopride BP measures inflated by affinity rather than D2-receptor density in T-allele carriers would not be predictive of DA integrity and therefore prevent finding an association between 11C-raclopride BP and cognitive performance. In accordance with previous findings, we show that 11C-raclopride BP was increased in T-homozygotes. Importantly, 11C-raclopride BP was only associated with cognitive performance in groups with low or average ligand affinity (C-allele carriers of C957T, n = 124), but not in the high-affinity group (T-homozygotes, n = 55). The strongest 11C-raclopride BP-cognition associations and the highest level of performance were found in C-homozygotes. These findings show that genetic differences modulate the link between BP and cognition and thus have important implications for the interpretation of DA assessments with PET and 11C-raclopride in multiple disciplines ranging from cognitive neuroscience to psychiatry and neurology.

Chemical synthesis, microbial transformation and biological evaluation of tetrahydroprotoberberines as dopamine D1/D2 receptor ligands.

Dopamine D1/D2 receptors are important targets for drug discovery in the treatment of central nervous system diseases. To discover new and potential D1/D2 ligands, 17 derivatives of tetrahydroprotoberberine (THPB) with various substituents were prepared by chemical synthesis or microbial transformation using Streptomyces griseus ATCC 13273. Their functional activities on D1 and D2 receptors were determined by cAMP assay and calcium flux assay. Seven compounds showed high activity on D1/D2 receptor with low IC50 values less than 1 µM. Especially, top compound 5 showed strong antagonistic activity on both D1 and D2 receptor with an IC50 of 0.391 and 0.0757 µM, respectively. Five compounds displayed selective antagonistic activity on D1 and D2 receptor. The SAR studies revealed that (1) the hydroxyl group at C-9 position plays an important role in keeping a good activity and small or fewer substituents on ring D of THPBs may also stimulate their effects, (2) the absence of substituents at C-9 position tends to be more selective for D2 receptor, and (3) hydroxyl substitution at C-2 position and the substitution at C-9 position may facilitate the conversion of D1 receptor from antagonist to agonist. Molecular docking simulations found that Asp 103/Asp 114, Ser 107/Cys 118, and Trp 285/ Trp 386 of D1/ D2 receptors are the key residues, which have strong interactions with the active D1/D2 compounds and may influence their functional profiles.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of novel pyridinecarboxamides as potential multi-receptor antipsychotic drugs.

In previous study, a series of benzamides was identified as potent antipsychotic agents. As a continuation of the program to discover novel antipsychotics, herein we reported the evaluation of a series of pyridinecarboxamide derivatives. The most promising compound 7h not only held good activities on dopamine D2, serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, but also exhibited low potency for α1A, H1 and 5-HT2C receptors, indicating a low propensity of side effects like orthostatic hypotension and weight gain. Furthermore, 7h exhibited more potent antipsychotic-like effect than aripiprazole in behavioral studies. The preliminary results were promising enough for further research around this scaffold.

Allosteric interactions between agonists and antagonists within the adenosine A2A receptor-dopamine D2 receptor heterotetramer.

Adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR)-dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) heteromers are key modulators of striatal neuronal function. It has been suggested that the psychostimulant effects of caffeine depend on its ability to block an allosteric modulation within the A2AR-D2R heteromer, by which adenosine decreases the affinity and intrinsic efficacy of dopamine at the D2R. We describe novel unsuspected allosteric mechanisms within the heteromer by which not only A2AR agonists, but also A2AR antagonists, decrease the affinity and intrinsic efficacy of D2R agonists and the affinity of D2R antagonists. Strikingly, these allosteric modulations disappear on agonist and antagonist coadministration. This can be explained by a model that considers A2AR-D2R heteromers as heterotetramers, constituted by A2AR and D2R homodimers, as demonstrated by experiments with bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and bimolecular fluorescence and bioluminescence complementation. As predicted by the model, high concentrations of A2AR antagonists behaved as A2AR agonists and decreased D2R function in the brain.

The First Negative Allosteric Modulator for Dopamine D2 and D3 Receptors, SB269652 May Lead to a New Generation of Antipsychotic Drugs.

D2 and D3 dopamine receptors belong to the largest family of cell surface proteins in eukaryotes, the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Considering their crucial physiologic functions and their relatively accessible cellular locations, GPCRs represent one of the most important classes of therapeutic targets. Until recently, the only strategy to develop drugs regulating GPCR activity was through the identification of compounds that directly acted on the orthosteric sites for endogenous ligands. However, many efforts have recently been made to identify small molecules that are able to interact with allosteric sites. These sites are less well-conserved, therefore allosteric ligands have greater selectivity on the specific receptor. Strikingly, the use of allosteric modulators can provide specific advantages, such as an increased selectivity for GPCR subunits and the ability to introduce specific beneficial therapeutic effects without disrupting the integrity of complex physiologically regulated networks. In 2010, our group unexpectedly found that N-[(1r,4r)-4-[2-(7-cyano-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-2-yl)ethyl]cyclohexyl]-1H-indole-2-carboxamide (SB269652), a compound supposed to interact with the orthosteric binding site of dopamine receptors, was actually a negative allosteric modulator of D2- and D3-receptor dimers, thus identifying the first allosteric small molecule acting on these important therapeutic targets. This review addresses the progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of interaction between the negative modulator SB269652 and D2 and D3 dopamine receptor monomers and dimers, and surveys the prospects for developing new dopamine receptor allosteric drugs with SB269652 as the leading compound.

The Quinpirole Hypolocomotive Effects are Strain and Route of Administration Dependent in SHR and SLA16 Isogenic Rats.

The SHR and SLA16 inbred strains present behavioral differences in anxiety/emotionality that could be under the influence of dopaminergic neurotransmission. In order to investigate the role of D2 receptors in modulating such differences, an agonist (quinpirole) and an antagonist (haloperidol) of this receptor were administered, either via systemic injection (IP), or microinjected into the ventral area of the hippocampus (vHIP). Quinpirole and haloperidol IP decreased locomotor activity, only in SLA16 rats in the open-field (OF), and in both strains in the elevated plus-maze (EPM). Quinpirole also increased the preference for the aversive areas of the EPM. Quinpirole vHIP decreased locomotor activity in both strains. Haloperidol vHIP did not elicit behavioural changes and no differences in the levels of D2 receptors and of dopamine transporter in the hippocampus were found. Results indicate that systemic activation/blocking of D2 receptors caused a strain-dependent hypolocomotion, whereas activation of D2 receptors in the vHIP, but not D2 receptor antagonism, regardless of dose, decreased general locomotor activity in the two strains. Therefore, we suggest that genomic differences in the chromosome 4 can influence the locomotor activity regulated by the D2 dopaminergic receptor, especially in the vHIP.

Effects of D1 and D2 receptor antagonists on the discriminative stimulus effects of methylendioxypyrovalerone and mephedrone in male Sprague-Dawley rats trained to discriminate D-amphetamine.

Psychopharmacology research has amassed substantial evidence for similarities between synthetic cathinones and other commonly abused psychostimulants. Few studies have utilized drug discrimination methods to investigate synthetic cathinones, and the precise neurochemical substrates underlying their interoceptive effects have not been examined. The present study assessed the involvement of D1 and D2 dopaminergic receptors in the stimulus effects of 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and mephedrone (MEPH) in rats trained to discriminate D-amphetamine. Eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 0.5 mg/kg D-amphetamine (AMPH) from saline. Dose-response curves were then generated with AMPH (0.0-1.0 mg/kg), MDPV (0.0-1.0 mg/kg), and MEPH (0.0-2.0 mg/kg). Subsequently, Sch 39166 (0.3 mg/kg) and haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg) were administered in combination with select doses of MDPV and MEPH. Both MDPV and MEPH produced full substitution for AMPH. Sch 39166 produced a downward shift in the MDPV and MEPH dose-response curves and haloperidol produced similar results with MDPV. These preliminary findings indicate that MDPV and MEPH produce interoceptive stimuli that are similar to those produced by AMPH and that D1 and D2 dopamine receptors contribute to these effects. Additional studies are warranted to investigate the contribution of other receptor mechanisms involved in the interoceptive stimuli produced by synthetic cathinones.

Blonanserin extensively occupies rat dopamine D3 receptors at antipsychotic dose range.

Antagonism of the dopamine D3 receptor has been hypothesized to be beneficial for schizophrenia cognitive deficits, negative symptoms and extrapyramidal symptoms. However, recent animal and human studies have shown that most antipsychotics do not occupy D3 receptors in vivo, despite their considerable binding affinity for this receptor in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the D3 receptor binding of blonanserin, a dopamine D2/D3 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors antagonist, in vitro and in vivo. Blonanserin showed the most potent binding affinity for human D3 receptors among the tested atypical antipsychotics (risperidone, olanzapine and aripiprazole). Our GTPγS-binding assay demonstrated that blonanserin acts as a potent full antagonist for human D3 receptors. All test-drugs exhibited antipsychotic-like efficacy in methamphetamine-induced hyperactivity in rats. Treatment with blonanserin at its effective dose blocked the binding of [(3)H]-(+)-PHNO, a D2/D3 receptor radiotracer, both in the D2 receptor-rich region (striatum) and the D3 receptor-rich region (cerebellum lobes 9 and 10). On the other hand, the occupancies of other test-drugs for D3 receptors were relatively low. In conclusion, we have shown that blonanserin, but not other tested antipsychotics, extensively occupies D3 receptors in vivo in rats.

New arylpiperazinylalkyl derivatives of 8-alkoxy-purine-2,6-dione and dihydro[1,3]oxazolo[2,3-f]purinedione targeting the serotonin 5-HT1A /5-HT2A /5-HT7 and dopamine D2 receptors.

To obtain potential antidepressants and/or antipsychotics, a series of new long-chain arylpiperazine derivatives of 8-alkoxy-purine-2,6-dione (10-24) and dihydro[1,3]oxazolo[2,3-f]purinedione (30-34) were synthesized and their serotonin (5-HT1A , 5-HT2A , 5-HT6 , 5-HT7 ) and dopamine (D2 ) receptor affinities were determined. The study allowed the identification of some potent 5-HT1A /5-HT7 /D2 ligands with moderate affinity for 5-HT2A sites. The binding mode of representative compounds from both chemical classes (11 and 31) in the site of 5-HT1A receptor was analyzed in computational studies. In functional in vitro studies, the selected compounds 15 and 16 showed antagonistic properties for the evaluated receptors. 8-Methoxy-7-{4-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-piperazin-1-yl]-butyl}-1,3-dimethyl-purine-2,6-dione (15) showed a lack of activity in terms and under the conditions of the forced swim, four plate and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity tests in mice, probably as a result of its high first pass effect in the liver.

Elucidation of in vitro phase I metabolites of droperidol using UPLC-QTOF MS.

Droperidol, an antidopaminergic drug clinically used as an antiemetic and antipsychotic, has been reported to induce cardiac toxicity in patients. Due to the close relationship between drug metabolism and efficiency and toxicity, the present study aims to investigate the phase I metabolites using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The NADPH-supplemented phase I incubation system was used to elucidate the in vitro phase I metabolites. Five metabolites were detected after droperidol was incubated with phase I incubation mixture, including one hydrogenated droperidol, three oxidative metabolites, and one N-dealkylated droperidol, elucidated by individual retention time and MS/MS fragmentation. Due to the existed phase II metabolic reaction, further phase II metabolism should be investigated in the future. In conclusion, the phase I metabolism of droperidol was investigated in the present study, and five new metabolites were identified. The efficiency and toxicity of these phase I metabolites should be investigated in the future.

[Influence of D1, D2 Receptor Blockade in Basolateral Amygdala on Behavior of Rats with High or Low Levels of Anxiety and Fear].

The influence of bilateral D1 or D2 receptors antagonists infusions into the rat basolateral amygdala on anxiety, as well as the expression, extinction and re-learning of conditioned fear was studied. Subjects were the male Wistar rats with high and low anxiety behavior in elevated plus maze, and also rats with low and high freezing responses during fear conditioning. The infusion of D1 receptor antagonist (SCH23390, 1 µg/0.5 µL in each side) reduced the expression of the conditioned fear to sound in rats with low freezing level, accelerated fear extinction and impaired re-learning in all animals. The injection of D2 receptor antagonist (raclopride, 1 µg/0.5 µL in each side) accelerated the extinction of conditioned fear to contextual cues in all rats and had a weak anxiolytic-like effect on behavior of high anxiety rats in elevated plus maze. These findings testify to the role of D1 receptors in the acquisition, expression and extinction of conditioned fear to stimuli, and D2 receptors in the occurrence of anxiety and fear to the contextual cues. There was discovered different sensitivity of animals with different levels of anxiety and fear to the infusion of dopamine receptors antagonists in the amygdala that suggested the inequality of dopaminergic transmission in the amygdala of animals with individual differences.

Neurotensin receptor 1-biased ligand attenuates neurotensin-mediated excitation of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.

Strong expression of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1) in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons and terminals makes it an attractive target to modulate DA neuron activity and normalize DA-related pathologies. Recent studies have identified a novel class of NTR1 ligand that shows promising effects in preclinical models of addiction. A lead molecule, SBI-0654553 (SBI-553), can act as a positive allosteric modulator of NTR1 ß-arrestin recruitment while simultaneously antagonizing NTR1 Gq protein signaling. Using cell-attached recordings from mouse VTA DA neurons we discovered that, unlike neurotensin (NT), SBI-553 did not independently increase spontaneous firing. Instead, SBI-553 blocked the NT-mediated increase in firing. SBI-553 also antagonized the effects of NT on dopamine D2 auto-receptor signaling, potentially through its inhibitory effects on G-protein signaling. We also measured DA release directly, using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in the nucleus accumbens and observed antagonist effects of SBI-553 on an NT-induced increase in DA release. Further, in vivo administration of SBI-553 did not notably change basal or cocaine-evoked DA release measured in NAc using fiber photometry. Overall, these results indicate that SBI-553 blunts NT's effects on spontaneous DA neuron firing, D2 auto-receptor function, and DA release, without independently affecting these measures. In the presence of NT, SBI-553 has an inhibitory effect on mesolimbic DA activity, which could contribute to its efficacy in animal models of psychostimulant use.

Metopimazine is primarily metabolized by a liver amidase in humans.

Metopimazine (MPZ) is a peripherally restricted, dopamine D2 receptor antagonist used for four decades to treat acute nausea and vomiting. MPZ is currently under clinical investigation for the treatment of gastroparesis (GP). MPZ undergoes high first-pass metabolism that produces metopimazine acid (MPZA), the major circulating metabolite in humans. Despite a long history of use, the enzymes involved in the metabolism of MPZ have not been identified. Here we report a series of studies designed to identify potential MPZ metabolites in vitro, determine their clinical relevance in humans, and elucidate the enzymes responsible for their formation. The findings demonstrated that the formation of MPZA was primarily catalyzed by human liver microsomal amidase. Additionally, human liver cytosolic aldehyde oxidase (AO) catalyzes the formation of MPZA, in vitro, although to a much lesser extent. Neither cytochrome P450 enzymes nor flavin-monooxygenases (FMO) were involved in the formation MPZA, although two minor oxidative pathways were catalyzed by CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 in vitro. Analysis of plasma samples from subjects dosed 60 mg of MPZ verified that these oxidative pathways are very minor and that CYP enzyme involvement was negligible compared to microsomal amidase/hydrolase in overall MPZ metabolism in humans. The metabolism by liver amidase, an enzyme family not well defined in small molecule drug metabolism, with minimal metabolism by CYPs, differentiates this drug from current D2 antagonists used or in development for the treatment of GP.

Structure-Kinetic Profiling of Haloperidol Analogues at the Human Dopamine D2 Receptor.

Haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic drug (APD) associated with an increased risk of extrapyramidal side effects (EPSs) and hyperprolactinemia relative to atypical APDs such as clozapine. Both drugs are dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonists, with contrasting kinetic profiles. Haloperidol displays fast association/slow dissociation at the D2R, whereas clozapine exhibits relatively slow association/fast dissociation. Recently, we have provided evidence that slow dissociation from the D2R predicts hyperprolactinemia, whereas fast association predicts EPS. Unfortunately, clozapine can cause severe side effects independent of its D2R action. Our results suggest an optimal kinetic profile for D2R antagonist APDs that avoids EPS. To begin exploring this hypothesis, we conducted a structure-kinetic relationship study of haloperidol and revealed that subtle structural modifications dramatically change binding kinetic rate constants, affording compounds with a clozapine-like kinetic profile. Thus, optimization of these kinetic parameters may allow development of novel APDs based on the haloperidol scaffold with improved side-effect profiles.

The role of striatal dopamine D2/3 receptors in cognitive performance in drug-free patients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: A considerable body of research links cognitive function to dopaminergic transmission in the prefrontal cortex, but less is known about cognition in relation to striatal dopamine D2/3 receptors in unmedicated patients with psychosis. METHODS: We investigated this association by obtaining PET recordings with the high-affinity D2/3 antagonist ligand [18F] fallypride in 15 medication-free patients with schizophrenia and 11 healthy controls. On the day of PET scanning, we undertook comprehensive neuropsychological testing and assessment of psychopathology using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: The patients' performance in cognitive tests was significantly impaired in almost all domains. Irrespective of medication history, the mean [18F] fallypride binding potential (BPND) in the patient group tended to be globally 5-10% higher than that of the control group, but without reaching significance in any brain region. There were significant positive correlations between individual patient performance in the Trail Making Test (TMT(A) and TMT(B)) and Digit-Symbol-Substitution-Test with regional [18F] fallypride BPND, which remained significant after Bonferroni correction for the TMT(A) in caudate nucleus (CN) and for the TMT(B) in CN and putamen. No such correlations were evident in the control group. DISCUSSION: The association between better cognitive performance and greater BPND in schizophrenia patients may imply that relatively lower receptor occupancy by endogenous dopamine favors better sparing of cognitive function. Absence of comparable correlations in healthy controls could indicate a greater involvement of signaling at dopamine D2/3 receptors in certain cognitive functions in schizophrenia patients than in healthy controls.

The antipsychotic trifluoperazine reduces marble-burying behavior in mice via D2 and 5-HT2A receptors: Implications for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Trifluoperazine, a typical antipsychotic drug, not only antagonizes dopamine D2 receptors but also enhances serotonin 5-HT2 receptor-mediated behavior. Moreover, trifluoperazine suppresses human purinergic receptor P2X7 responses and calmodulin. However, the effect of trifluoperazine on marble-burying behavior, which has been considered an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), has not been studied. Here, we examined the effect of trifluoperazine on marble-burying behavior in mice. Oral administration of paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, significantly reduced marble-burying behavior without affecting total locomotor activity. Similar results were obtained for trifluoperazine (3mg/kg). The D2 receptor agonist, quinpirole (0.03mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]), and 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, ketanserin (0.3mg/kg, i.p.), significantly counteracted this reduction of marble-burying behavior by trifluoperazine. These results show that trifluoperazine reduces marble-burying behavior via D2 and 5-HT2A receptors, and may be a useful drug for the treatment of OCD.