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In the search for new 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor antagonists it was found that the compound (R)-(+)-2-[[[3-(morpholinomethyl)-2H-chromen-8-yl]oxy] methyl] morpholine methanesulfonate, (R)-25, is a selective rat 5-hydroxytryptamine1B (r5-HT1B) receptor antagonist. The binding profile showed a 13-fold preference for r5-HT1B (Ki = 47 +/- 5 nM; n = 3) vs bovine 5-HT1B (Ki = 630 nM; n = 1) receptors. The compound had very low affinity for other monoaminergic receptors examined. The r5-HT1B receptor antagonism was demonstrated by the potentiation of the K+-stimulated release of [3H]-5-HT from superfused rat brain slices in vitro, an effect that was antagonized by addition of 5-HT to the superfusion fluid. (R)-25 at 20 mg/kg sc enhanced the 5-HT turnover in four rat brain regions (hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and frontal cortex) with about 40% measured as the 5-HTP accumulation after decarboxylase inhibition with 3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine. At 3 mg/kg sc (R)-25 produced a significant increase in the number of wet dog shakes in rats, a 5-HT2A/5-HT2C response that was abolished by depletion of 5-HT after pretreatment with the tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine. These observations show that (R)-25, by inhibiting terminal r5-HT1B autoreceptors, increases the 5-HT turnover and the synaptic concentration of 5-HT.

1The ejaculatory response and the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) behavioural syndrome induced by 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT) (3 mg kg-' i.p.) were studied following acute and repeated treatment of rats with the selective uptake inhibitors of 5-HT, fluoxetine, zimeldine, alaproclate, and citalopram. The oral doses used were based on the respective EDM values for uptake inhibition. 2 Acute doses of fluoxetine and zimeldine significantly reduced the ejaculatory response when given 48 h before 5-MeODMT. This blockade was prevented by treatment ofthe rats with the postsynaptic 5-HT receptor antagonist methergoline. 3 An acute dose of fluoxetine given 7 and 14 days before 5-MeODMT significantly enhanced the ejaculatory response. On day 24, the response returned to the control level. Repeated treatment every second day (5 times over 9 days and 10 times over 19 days) with fluoxetine caused a longer blockade of the ejaculatory response and the sensitization of the response came later than after an acute dose. Parallel with the ejaculatory response three other components of the 5-HT behavioural syndrome also decreased significantly. 4 Acute doses ofalaproclate and citalopram significantly blocked the ejaculatory response at I h, but they failed to affect the response at any other time point after either acute or repeated treatment. Neither did these drugs attentuate the 5-HT syndrome. 5 It is concluded that acute and repeated treatment of rats with different selective 5-HT uptake inhibitors does not produce a common alteration in 5-HT2-receptor functions.

The biochemical and behavioural effects of isamoltane, a beta-adrenoceptor and 5-HT1B receptor antagonist that has higher affinity for 5-HT1B receptors than for 5-HT1A receptors, on 5-HT neurotransmission in the rat brain were examined. In binding experiments isamoltane was found to be about five times more potent as a ligand for the 5-HT1B receptor than for the 5-HT1A receptor (Ki values 21 and 112 nmol/l, respectively). Isamoltane increased the K(+)-evoked overflow of 3H from 3H-5-HT loaded slices of rat occipital cortex at 0.1 mumol/l, consistent with inhibition of the terminal 5-HT autoreceptor. In vivo, isamoltane significantly increased the concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in hypothalamus and hippocampus indicating an increased 5-HT turnover with a maximal effect at 3 mg/kg s.c. A higher dose produced a less pronounced effect. This effect did not seem to be due to the beta-adrenoceptor blocking action of isamoltane since the beta-adrenoceptor antagonists. (-)-alprenolol, betaxolol or ICI 118.551 had no significant effects on 5-HT turnover at 5 mg/kg s.c. Isamoltane at 3 mg/kg s.c. induced the wet-dog shake response which was blocked by the tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine. In contrast, the same response induced by the 5-HT2 receptor agonist quipazine was not blocked by pretreatment with p-chlorophenylalanine. The wet-dog shakes evoked by isamoltane and quipazine were blocked by ritanserin, which indicates that 5-HT2 receptors are involved in their expression. These observations indicate that isamoltane, by inhibiting the terminal 5-HT autoreceptors, increased the synaptic concentration of 5-HT to a level that induced a behavioural response.