Effects of dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists at peripheral neuronal and vascular dopamine receptors in the anaesthetised dog

The interactions between several putative dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists have been examined at neuronal and vascular dopamine receptors in the femoral and mesenteric vascular beds, respectively, of anaesthetised dogs. N,N-di-n- propyldopamine (DPDA) and apomorphine caused vasodilatation in both vascular beds. Cis alpha-flupenthixol, fluphenazine, and sulpiride were much more potent at antagonising DPDA at neuronal than at vascular dopamine receptors. Fluphenazine and sulpiride were as potent against apomorphine as against DPDA at neuronal receptors, but cis alpha-flupenthixol was much less effective. Fluphenazine antagonised the vasodilator effect of apomorphine in the mesenteric vascular bed, but cis alpha-flupenthixol and sulpiride did not, even when used in doses much larger than were effective against DPDA. Further experiments, in dogs pretreated with phenoxybenzamine and propranolol, revealed that cis alpha-flupenthixol, fluphenazine, and sulpiride also antagonised the mesenteric vasodilator effects of dopamine, 2-amino-5,6-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene, 2-amino-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene, and 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine, suggesting a common site of action of these drugs and DPDA. Only fluphenazine antagonised responses to apomorphine. The results support the view that neuronal and vascular dopamine receptors in the dog are different. They also show that apomorphine stimulates different receptors from DPDA in the mesenteric vascular bed and, perhaps, in the femoral vascular bed as well.     

Evaluation of ciladopa hydrochloride as a potential anti-Parkinson drug

The effects of the putative dopamine agonist, ciladopa hydrochloride (AY 27,110) a non-ergot compound, were investigated in animal models of dopaminergic activity to evaluate its possible role in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Ciladopa induced stereotyped behavior in both rats and guinea pigs. Unlike apomorphine, however, ciladopa did not produce a maximum behavioral response, i.e. stereotyped gnawing. Pretreatment with haloperidol and sulpiride blocked the effects induced by ciladopa. Pretreatment with reserpine and alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine did not alter the behavioral effects of ciladopa. Ciladopa caused contralateral rotation in rats with unilateral lesions of the substantia nigra induced by 6-hydroxydopamine. Ciladopa induced vomiting in dogs. Small doses of ciladopa decreased locomotor activity in rats, an effect presumably mediated by presynaptic autoreceptors. The chronic injection of both subthreshold and suprathreshold doses of ciladopa failed to induce behavioral supersensitivity. Ciladopa binds to D-2 dopamine receptors in the mammalian caudate nucleus. These data indicate that ciladopa can cause stimulation of central dopaminergic receptors and that the drug is a partial dopamine agonist with direct-acting properties. Ciladopa differs from other available dopaminergic drugs and may possess therapeutic advantages for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.     

Dopamine agonists facilitate footshock-elicited locomotion in rats,and suppress lever-press responding for food

Several dopamine agonists (apomorphine, quinpirole, 7-OH-DPAT, and U-91356A) suppressed locomotor activities of rats exploring a Y-maze, presumably through activation of dopamine autoreceptors. If brief electric shocks were applied to the grid floor during exploration, locomotion was unchanged in control rats, but the locomotor suppression from the dopamine agonists was converted to a profound stimulation. this locomotor stimulation was completely antagonized by pretreatment with sulpiride. SKF 38393 and clonidine produced no locomotor stimulation in the shock environment. To test whether the locomotor stimulant effect from dopamine agonists generalizes to a food-reinforced behavior, rats were trained to lever-press for food according to a multiple (VI-10, VI-40) schedule. The above compounds only suppressed responding with no stimulation, and the suppressant effect on food-reinforced behavior was also blocked by sulpiride. It is concluded that the behavioral inhibitory effect from dopamine autoreceptor activation can be readily overcome by exteroceptive stimulation, which uncovers a powerful motor stimulant effect. This stimulant effect, however, did not generalize to lever-press responding for food.     

Presynaptic dopamine receptors in the pithed rat: characterization with apomorphine and comparison with central dopamine autoreceptors

Apomorphine, a dopamine agonist with high affinity for presynaptic dopamine receptors, caused dose-dependent inhibition (10-300 micrograms/kg intravenously) of the stimulation-induced increase in diastolic blood pressure in the pithed rat. This effect of apomorphine could be antagonized with (-)-sulpiride or haloperidol but not with yohimbine or atropine, indicating the involvement of inhibitory dopamine receptors. The alpha-1-adrenoceptor mediated pressor response to phenylephrine (5 micrograms/kg intravenously) was not significantly attenuated by apomorphine. The sensitivity of peripheral presynaptic dopamine receptors was then studied in the cardiovascular system of rats treated subchronically with haloperidol (2 mg/kg, twice daily intraperitoneally for 10 days). The inhibition of sympathetic vasoconstrictor responses exerted by apomorphine was found to be enhanced after subchronic haloperidol treatment suggesting the development of presynaptic dopamine receptor supersensitivity in the periphery. In addition, the previously reported supersensitivity of central dopamine autoreceptors to low doses of apomorphine could be confirmed in behavioural experiments.     

Apomorphine anorexia: the role of dopamine receptors in the ventral forebrain

The inhibition of feeding following the administration of apomorphine, systemically or directly into the nucleus accumbens/ventral striatum, was studied using a microstructural analysis paradigm. On systemic administration, apomorphine reduced food consumption, eating rate and eating time; the effects were blocked by sulpiride but not by SCH-23390. Two doses of apomorphine were administered centrally. Both doses reduced total food intake and eating rate; only the higher dose also reduced eating time; all of these effects were blocked by sulpiride pretreatment. Only the lower dose reduced locomotor activity and rearing in the open field. The results suggest that apomorphine reduces eating rate by an action on dopamine (DA) axon terminal autoreceptors. We have previously demonstrated that apomorphine reduces eating time by an action on DA cell body autoreceptors. Therefore, the two populations of DA autoreceptors appear to be differentially involved in behaviour.     

Dopamine receptor blocking activity of sulpiride in the central nervous system

Effects of sulpiride on the central nervous system were studied in catalepsy induction (I) and antagonism to gnawing behaviour (II) induced by apomorphine and methamphetamine in normal rats, and in antagonism to rotational behaviour (III) induced by apomorphine and methamphetamine in rats with substantia nigra unilaterally lesioned chronically by microinjection of 6-hydroxydopamine. Sulpiride was administered orally and intraventricularly, and the effects of sulpiride were compared to those of haloperidol and chlorpromazine administered through the same routes. In oral administration, sulpiride was almost inactive in (I), and was several hundreds to a thousand times less potent than haloperidol in (II) and (III), while chlorpromazine was 20 to 150 times stronger than sulpiride. In intraventricular administration, sulpiride was almost equipotent to haloperidol in (I), and was equally effective to or 2 to 3 times more effective than halopridol in (III), although several times less in all respects. These findings suggest that sulpiride is essentially a potent inhibitory substance on dopamine receptors in the central nervous system and the rather weak central effects of peripherally given sulpiride are due to poor penetration through the blood brain barrier.     

Influence of antipsychotics on presynaptic receptors modulating the release of dopamine in synaptosomes of the nucleus accumbens of rats

The release of preloaded [3H]dopamine (DA) from superfused synaptosomes stimulated by 30 mM K+ was investigated in the nucleus accumbens of rats. Under conditions preventing the uptake of DA (presence of 40 microM cocaine) release of [3H]DA was inhibited by DA and apomorphine in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50s 0.65 and 0.3 microM, respectively). The maximal inhibitory effects of DA, as well as of apomorphine, were about 50% of the controls. The DA-induced inhibition was antagonized by antipsychotics completely; the rank order of antagonistic potencies was haloperidol greater than clozapine greater than sulpiride; methiothepine was ineffective. Furthermore, the K+-stimulated release of [3H]DA was inhibited by serotonin in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 = 0.9 microM). This inhibitory effect was antagonized by methiothepine with a high efficiency, by clozapine and methysergide with moderate efficiencies; haloperidol and sulpiride were ineffective. The experimental system demonstrated appears to be suitable for characterizing the DA- and serotonin-antagonistic potencies of antipsychotics and other drugs on presynaptic autoreceptors as well as receptors modulating release of DA in the nucleus accumbens.     

Chronic autoreceptor blockade and neuroleptic-induced dopamine receptor hypersensitivity

Metoclopramide and sulpiride, two benzamide compounds, are equally potent in terms of their ability to block postsynaptic D2 dopamine receptors. However these compounds show a marked divergence in their ability to block dopamine autoreceptors, as metoclopramide is 20-25-fold more potent than sulpiride in blocking these receptors. When injected twice daily for 16 days, metoclopramide at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day will result in the development a postsynaptic dopamine receptor hypersensitivity (i.e., increased behavioral response to apomorphine upon cessation of the chronic treatment). An equivalent dose and treatment schedule with sulpiride has no apparent effect on dopamine receptor sensitivity. Because of the divergent pre- and postsynaptic potency of these two drugs it was possible to construct an autoreceptor "dose response curve" by varying the amount of these two drugs injected. Combinations of these two drugs were chosen so that the level or amount of postsynaptic dopamine receptor blockade was held constant while the amount of dopamine autoreceptor blockade was gradually increased. The results of this autoreceptor blockade "dose response curve" indicated that chronic autoreceptor blockade was involved in the increased dopamine receptor sensitivity that develops upon withdrawal from the neuroleptic drugs. These results suggest that the blockade of dopamine autoreceptors, and perhaps the resulting increase in autoreceptor sensitivity, is an integral component of the neuroleptic-induced dopamine receptor hypersensitivity.     

Apomorphine anorexia: a further pharmacological characterization

Low doses of apomorphine reduce food intake, primarily by decreasing the rate of eating and also by reducing eating time. We have previously reported that the effect on eating time is mediated by dopamine cell body autoreceptors in the ventral tegmental area. The present experiments were designed to elucidate the pharmacological basis of the effect of apomorphine on eating rate. In the first experiment dopamine was also found to reduce food intake, but mainly by an effect on eating time. The peripheral DA antagonist domperidone abolished the effects of DA, but enhanced the effects of apomorphine. In the second experiment phentolamine, yohimbine, propranolol, scopolamine, naloxone and methergoline all failed to reverse the effect of apomorphine on eating rate. However, in the third experiment, effects of apomorphine on total food intake, eating time and eating rate were all blocked by the neuroleptics, pimozide and sulpiride. It is concluded that the reduction of eating rate by apomorphine is also mediated by an interaction with central DA receptors, but that this receptor population is anatomically distinct from that responsible for the effect of apomorphine on eating time.     

Dopaminergic mechanisms mediating the long-term expression of locomotor sensitization following pre-exposure to morphine or amphetamine

The role of dopaminergic mechanisms in opiate- and psychostimulant-induced long-term locomotor sensitization was investigated. To that aim, rats were behaviourally sensitized with morphine or amphetamine and 3 weeks after cessation of treatment challenged with various direct and indirect dopamine agonists. Both morphine- and amphetamine-pretreated rats displayed sensitization of the locomotor effects of amphetamine, cocaine, and the selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor GBR-12909. Sensitization of the locomotor stimulant effects of the dopamine D₂/D₃ receptor agonist quinpirole was observed in amphetamine- but not morphine-pretreated rats. In contrast, morphine-, but not amphetamine-pretreated rats appeared hyposensitive to the locomotor inhibitory effects of a low, presumably D₂-autoreceptor selective, dose of quinpirole. Neither pretreatment induced sensitization to the dopamine D₁/D₂ agonist apomorphine or the dopamine D₁ agonist SKF-82958. In fact, the locomotor stimulant effects of SKF-82958 appeared to be decreased in animals pre-exposed to amphetamine. These results suggest that functional changes in presynaptic dopamine release mechanisms represent common neuroadaptations involved in the long-term expression of morphine- and amphetamine-induced locomotor sensitization. Presynaptic dopamine D₂ and postsynaptic D₂ and/or D₃ receptors are differentially involved in the expression of morphine- and amphetamine-induced locomotor sensitization. In a parallel study, we report that all of the drugs that elicited sensitized locomotor responses in morphine- or amphetamine-pretreated rats caused reinstatement of previously extinguished heroin- or cocaine-seeking behaviour, respectively. Taken together, these data suggest a marked relationship between drug-seeking behaviour and drug sensitization. Received: 22 May 1998/Final version: 12 October 1998     

Quinpirole hydrochloride, a potential anti-parkinsonism drug

Quinpirole hydrochloride, a putative dopamine agonist, was investigated in animal models of central dopaminergic activity, to evaluate its possible role in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The drug induced stereotyped sniffing in rats but, unlike apomorphine, did not produce a maximal behavioural response (stereotyped gnawing). Pretreatment with neuroleptics blocked the stereotypy induced by quinpirole. Quinpirole reversed the effects of reserpine and alpha-methyl-paratyrosine, caused dose-dependent contralateral rotations in rats with unilateral lesions of the substantia nigra induced by 6-hydroxydopamine and induced vomiting in dogs. Small doses of quinpirole decreased locomotor activity, an effect presumably mediated by pre-synaptic autoreceptors. Quinpirole bound to D2 dopamine receptors in the striatum of the rat. The chronic injection of both subthreshold and suprathreshold doses, failed to induce behavioral supersensitivity. These data indicate that quinpirole can stimulate central dopaminergic receptors, and that it is a partial agonist with direct-acting properties. Quinpirole differs from other dopaminergic drugs and may be useful for the therapy of Parkinson's disease.     

Dopamine autoreceptor and postsynaptic receptor blocking potency of neuroleptics

Neuroleptic drugs have been shown to block brain dopamine (DA) receptors. The relative potency of neuroleptics at blocking DA postsynaptic receptors (PSRs) and autoreceptors (ARs) is less clear. To examine this question, the potency of 5 neuroleptics at inhibiting receptors (PSRs) and autoreceptors (ABs) is less clear. To examine this question, the potency of 5 neuroleptics at inhibiting the augmentation of mouse climbing behavior induced by a high dose of apomorphine (2.5 mg/kg) (presumably mediated by DA PSRs) was compared with their potency at inhibiting the suppression of climbing behavior induced by a low dose of apomorphine (0.45 mg/kg) (presumably mediated by DA Ars). Haloperidol and molindone had no AR-blocking ability even at doses that substantially blocked DA PSRs. Metoclopramide and fluphenazine had AR-blocking ability only at doses that produced substantial PSR blockade. Sulpiride blocked DA ARs at doses that had relatively litter PSR effect. It is concluded that neuroleptic drugs differ substantially in their relative potency at blocking DA ARs and PSRs.     

Effects of neuroleptic drugs on the inhibition of exploratory behaviour induced by a low dose of apomorphine: implications for the identity of dopamine receptors

Apomorphine in low doses inhibits spontaneous exploratory behaviour in rats. This effect is commonly referred to as an expression of selective stimulation of dopaminergic autoreceptors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of neuroleptic drugs with different pharmacological profiles on this apomorphine induced inhibition of exploration using techniques for detailed recording of behaviour and multivariate statistical analysis of the results. By comparison with dose response analyses of apomorphine it was possible to determine whether a neuroleptic specifically antagonised the apomorphine effect or if the pattern of behaviour was qualitatively changed in some way. Apomorphine (0.05 mg/kg) was tested against cis-flupenthixol (0.01-0.5 mg/kg), haloperidol (0.01-0.1 mg/kg), metoclopramide (0.2-5 mg-kg), sulpiride (0.5-50 mg/kg) and SCH 23390 (0.005-0.05 mg/kg). Metoclopramide and haloperidol had weak antagonising effects against apomorphine while cis-flupenthixol and SCH 23390 was completely inefficient in this respect. The multivariate analysis indicated that the effects of haloperidol was restricted to only some aspects of the behavioural effects of apomorphine. Only sulpiride did selectively and dose-dependently antagonise the apomorphine induced behavioural suppression. The data provide evidence for a functional subdivision of dopamine receptors at the behavioural level.     

Changes in sensitivity of dopamine autoreceptors in rat striatum after subchronic treatment with methamphetamine.

To determine the functional alterations of the release modulating striatal dopamine (DA) autoreceptors that might be associated with the behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine after pretreatment with methamphetamine, we investigated the effect of apomorphine and sulpiride on electrically evoked DA release from striatal slices of rats pretreated with methamphetamine. Apomorphine induced a dose-dependent inhibition of the DA release evoked from the striatal slices. Pretreatment with methamphetamine (6 mg/kg per day for 9 days) significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of apomorphine. On the other hand, sulpiride caused a dose-dependent increase in the DA release evoked from the striatal slices. The enhancement by sulpiride of the evoked DA release was diminished by pretreatment with methamphetamine. These results show that pretreatment with methamphetamine blunts the responsiveness of evoked DA release to the DA antagonists as well as to the DA agonists, indicating that DA autoreceptor subsensitivity is produced by pretreatment with methamphetamine.     

SCH 23390, a selective dopamine D1 antagonist, activates dopamine neurons but fails to prevent their inhibition by apomorphine

SCH 23390, a rather selective D1 receptor blocker, activates the firing rate of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN-DA neurons) in rats, similarly to haloperidol (a D1-D2 receptor antagonist) and sulpiride (a selective D2 receptor blocker). These neuroleptics produce no additional increase over the maximal activation produced by SCH 23390. Unlike haloperidol or sulpiride, SCH 23390 fails to prevent the inhibition by apomorphine of SN-DA neurons, a DA autoreceptor-mediated effect. It is suggested that the doses of SCH 23390 that stimulate DA neurons block D2 in addition to D1 receptors, or that D1 blockade results in the functional inactivation of a specific population of D2 receptors as well. The failure of SCH 23390 to block the apomorphine effect indicates that DA autoreceptors can be pharmacologically differentiated form postsynaptic DA receptors.     

Effects of selective D1 and D2 dopamine antagonists on the development of behavioral sensitization to apomorphine

The objective of the present study was to determine whether the development of behavioral sensitization to apomorphine could be blocked by either D₁ or D₂ selective dopamine antagonists. In three experiments, male rats received 10–21 daily injections of a selective D₁ (SCH 23390; 0 or 0.5 mg/kg IP) or D₂ (sulpiride; 0, 30, or 100 mg/kg IP) antagonist followed by an apomorphine (0 or 1.0 mg/kg SC) injection. In two experiments, the rats were tested for locomotor activity in photocell arenas after the daily injections. In all experiments, the rats were tested for sensitization to apomorphine following the training phase. The results indicated that apomorphine produced a progressively greater increase in locomotor activity with each injection, and this apomorphine-induced increase in activity was completely blocked by both sulpiride and SCH 23390 treatments. However, although both sulpiride and SCH 23390 blocked apomorphine-induced activity, only SCH 23390 injections prevented the development of sensitization to apomorphine. That is, rats pretreated with sulpiride and apomorphine displayed significant sensitization when subsequently tested with a challenge dose of apomorphine alone. These findings suggest that the development of behavioral sensitization to apomorphine is related specifically to the stimulation of dopamine D₁ receptors.Portions of this paper were presented at the 1990 Society for Neuroscience meetings, St. Louis, MO, USA     

Effects of chronic lithium pretreatment on apomorphine-induced penile erection

• 1.1. The effects of chronic lithium pretreatment (600 mg/l in drinking rats, 30 days) on penile erection (PE) induced by apomorphine were investigated in rats. This treatment resulted in a serum Li concentration after 30 days of 0.31 ± 0.01 mmol/l.
• 2.2. Subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of mixed Dl/D2 dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine (0.05–0.5 mg/kg) induced PE in a biphasic manner. The maximum effect was obtained with 0.1 mg/kg of the drug while the response decreased with increasing doses of apomorphine from 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg.
• 3.3. Pretreatment of animals with 0.0125-0.1 mg/kg of D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH 23390 or D2 dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride (12.5–100 mg/kg) decreased apomorphine-induced PE. Combination of SCH 23390 (0.025 mg/kg) with sulpiride (12.5 mg/kg) caused a stronger inhibitory effect on apomorphine response. This indicates that both D1 and D2 dopamine receptors may be involved in PE induced by apomorphine.
• 4.4. The response induced by apomorphine (0.05-0.5 mg/kg) was decreased in animals pretreated with chronic lithium. The inhibitory effect of sulpiride on apomorphine response, increased in animals pretreated with lithium, in contrast the inhibitory effect of SCH 23390 did not change in this condition. However, a combination of SCH 23390 with sulpiride increased inhibitory effect on apomorphine response in lithium pretreated rats.
• 5.5. It is concluded that chronic lithium inhibits PE induced by dopaminergic mechanism(s).

     

Evidence that apomorphine and pergolide induce rotation in rats by different actions on D1 and D2 receptor sites

Apomorphine and the ergot derivative pergolide induced dose-dependent contralateral rotation in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine denervation of the ascending dopamine pathways. This was interpreted as an action on supersensitive receptors. However, large differences were found when comparing apomorphine and pergolide dose-response curves as well as the patterns of rotational behaviour the compounds elicited. Pergolide had a steep dose-response curve, while apomorphine had a flatter curve reaching a plateau at the dose of 1 mg/kg s.c. In doses higher than 1 mg/kg, apomorphine induced self-mutilation, while this was infrequent after pergolide. Apomorphine induced a two-peak pattern of rotation that never occurred when the same rats were tested with the ergot derivative. Both drugs induced dose-dependent ipsilateral rotation in animals with unilateral striatal kainic acid lesions but at doses 100 times higher. This effect was interpreted as an action on normosensitive receptors situated on the intact side. The differences between apomorphine and pergolide may be explained in terms of actions on different dopamine receptors, since the agonists were differently inhibited by neuroleptics acting on D1- or D2-type receptors. The D1/D2 antagonist cis-flupenthixol blocked both apomorphine and pergolide with similar potency, while sulpiride, a substituted benzamide devoid of any effect on D1 receptors, was a poor inhibitor of the apomorphine response. In contrast, sulpiride blocked pergolide rotation at doses 1000 times lower than those needed to block apomorphine rotation. Our results suggest the existence of functionally distinct sites related to the D1/D2 receptor classification.     

Electrophysiological, biochemical and behavioral assessment of dopamine autoreceptor activation by a series of dopamine agonists

The rank order of potency to activate central dopamine autoreceptors of seven compounds known to possess central nervous system dopamine agonist activity were assessed with the following techniques: (1) inhibition of dopaminergic neuronal firing in anesthetized rats, (2) inhibition of dopamine synthesis in rats pretreated with gamma-butyrolactone, and (3) inhibition of mouse locomotor activity. The compounds were also examined for their ability to induce stereotypic behaviors in rats as an index of postsynaptic dopamine receptor activation. The compounds under investigation were apomorphine, N-n-propyl-norapomorphine, lergotrile, bromocriptine, RU 24926 and 6-ethyl-9-oxaergoline (EOE). There was a high degree of correlation between the rank order of potency of the compounds in all three of the presumptive autoreceptor tests and with minor variations the following rank order of potency was found: N-n-propylnorapomorphine greater than or equal to EOE greater than apomorphine greater than lergotrile greater than or equal to RU 24926 greater than bromocriptine. However, in the induction of stereotypies, the rank order of potency was considerably different: N-n-propylnorapomorphine greater than apomorphine greater than EOE greater than RU 24926 greater than lergotrile greater than bromocriptine. There was a poor and statistically significant degree of correlation between the rank order of potency of the test compounds to induce stereotyped behaviors and any of the other three test procedures. Altogether, these data confirm and extend the suspected dopaminergic agonist properties of the compounds under investigation and additionally lend credence to the assumption that the three putative autoreceptor assays employed do in fact reflect dopaminergic autoreceptor activation.     

N-0437: a selective D-2 dopamine receptor agonist in in vitro and in vivo models

The selectivity of the potent dopamine D-2 agonist 2-(N-propyl-N-2-thienylethylamino)-5-hydroxytetralin (N-0437) was examined in a series of in vivo and in vitro pharmacological models. In radioligand binding assays, N-0437 showed high potency (Ki = 0.69 nM) and selectivity for D-2 receptors as compared to its potency and selectivity at various other neuronal receptors (Ki in nM): D-1 (678) dopamine, alpha 1-(534) and alpha 2-(195) adrenoceptor, S1-(6940) and S2-(5900) serotonin and muscarine (2660). Very low activity (Ki greater than 10(-5) M) was seen at the beta-adrenoceptor, A1-adenosine, GABAA and benzodiazepine receptors. Furthermore, N-0437 inhibited the calcium-dependent release of [3H]dopamine (IC50: 4 nM) and [3H]acetylcholine (IC50: 6.3 nM) from rabbit striatal slices in the nanomolar range. These effects of N-0437 were mediated through activation of D-2 dopamine autoreceptors and D-2 dopamine heteroreceptors, respectively. Presynaptic dopaminergic activity in vivo was measurable as an inhibition of the locomotor activity of mice, and in this model N-0437 was more effective than apomorphine. Moreover, the effect of N-0437 could be antagonized by sulpiride but not by yohimbine. N-0437 was equipotent with apomorphine in inducing circling behaviour in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. N-0437 had almost no serotonergic activity in vivo. The results show that N-0437 is a selective dopamine D-2 agonist, and thus, that it is a new ligand of choice for studies on the D-2 receptor.