Effects of the novel anxiolytics gepirone,buspirone and ipsapirone on free feeding and on feeding induced by 8-OH-DPAT

The effects of the novel anxiolytics gepirone, buspirone and ipsapirone on free feeding and on feeding induced by the 5-HT_1A receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), were examined. Gepirone dose-dependently increased feeding 2 and 4 h after injection, the magnitude of the response being larger than previously observed with any other 5-HT_1A receptor ligand. Previous studies have suggested that buspirone and ipsapirone can block some of the behavioural effects of 8-OH-DPAT. However, gepirone, buspirone and ipsapirone did not inhibit feeding induced by 8-OH-DPAT. These results indicate that gepirone is a very efficacious appetite stimulant in rats and suggest that gepirone, buspirone and ipsapirone act as 5-HT autoreceptor agonists in the feeding model.