Present Parkinson's disease treatment strategies are far from ideal for a variety of reasons; it has therefore been suggested that partial dopamine receptor agonism might be a potential therapeutic approach with potentially fewer side effects. In the present study, we describe the in vitro characterization of the nonergot ligand SLV308 (7-[4-methyl-1-piperazinyl]-2(3H)-benzoxazolonemonohydrochloride). SLV308 binds to dopamine D(2), D(3), and D(4) receptors and 5-HT(1) (A) receptors and is a partial agonist at dopamine D(2) and D(3) receptors and a full agonist at serotonin 5-HT(1) (A) receptors. At cloned human dopamine D(2,L) receptors, SLV308 acted as a potent but partial D(2) receptor agonist (pEC(50) = 8.0 and pA(2) = 8.4) with an efficacy of 50% on forskolin stimulated cAMP accumulation. At human recombinant dopamine D(3) receptors, SLV308 acted as a partial agonist in the induction of [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding (intrinsic activity of 67%; pEC(50) = 9.2) and antagonized the dopamine induction of [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding (pA(2) = 9.0). SLV308 acted as a full 5-HT(1) (A) receptor agonist on forskolin induced cAMP accumulation at cloned human 5-HT(1) (A) receptors but with low potency (pEC(50) = 6.3). In rat striatal slices SLV308 concentration-dependently attenuated forskolin stimulated accumulation of cAMP, as expected for a dopamine D(2) and D(3) receptor agonist. SLV308 antagonized the inhibitory effect of quinpirole on K(+)-stimulated [(3)H]-dopamine release from rat striatal slices (pA(2) = 8.5). In the same paradigm, SLV308 had antagonist properties in the presence of quinpirole (pA(2) = 8.5), but the partial D(2) agonist terguride had much stronger antagonistic properties. In conclusion, SLV308 combines high potency partial agonism at dopamine D(2) and D(3) receptors with full efficacy low potency serotonin 5-HT(1) (A) receptor agonism and is worthy of profiling in in vivo models of Parkinson's disease.

The underlying mechanisms of antipsychotic (AP)-induced weight gain are unknown, but both central and peripheral AP target receptors could potentially be involved. This study used radioligand binding assays to compare the binding affinities of clozapine, olanzapine and haloperidol for candidate receptors potentially involved in AP-induced weight gain. Selected candidates derived from known pathways involved in body weight regulation included receptors classified as anorexigenic (bombesin receptor subtype 3, calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor, cholecystokinin receptor, melanocortin-4 receptor, neurotensin receptor 1) or orexigenic (cannabinoid receptor 1, galanin 1 receptor, melanin-concentrating hormone receptor (MCHR), neuropeptide Y1 receptor) as well as receptors involved in physiological actions related to digestion and fluid homeostasis (angiotensin II type 1 receptor, bradykinin B2 receptor, endothelin receptor, neurokinin 1 receptor, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide receptor 1). Clozapine, olanzapine and haloperidol exhibited negligible affinities to all of these receptors except for the MCHR (Ki=501 nM; haloperidol). With respect to other candidates from (neuro)transmitter systems already suggested to be involved in AP-induced weight gain, the binding profile of olanzapine resembled that of clozapine, with high affinity (Ki<10 nM) for serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C and 5-HT6, muscarinic M1 and histamine H1 receptors. In contrast, the binding profile of haloperidol was substantially different (high affinity only for the dopamine D1 receptor). In conclusion, we have not identified a novel binding site of the two investigated atypical AP that could contribute to the induced weight gain.

The receptor binding affinities of the three drug candidates 1 (SLV310), 2 (SLV313), and 3 (SLV314) were positioned against the results from nine (a)typical antipsychotic drugs. The receptor binding data from sixteen monoaminergic receptors served as the input in a principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA outcome revealed a unique binding profile of 1, 2, and 3 as compared with the reference compounds 4-8 and 10-12. The weight gain inducing antipsychotics 6-8 clustered in the PCA by scoring strongly negative for factor 1. The hyperprolactinaemia related antipsychotics 4, 5, 10, and 12 clustered by their negative scores for factor 2.

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