Behavioral effects of AMI-193, a 5-HT(2A)- and dopamine D(2)-receptor antagonist, in the squirrel monkey

8-[3-(4-Fluorophenoxy) propyl]-1-phenyl-1,3,8-triazaspiro[4, 5]decan-4-one (AMI-193) was developed as a 5-HT(2A)-selective antagonist with in vivo activity suitable for behavioral studies. However, AMI-193 is a potent dopamine D(2)-receptor antagonist with low nanomolar affinity. Accordingly, D(2)-actions may contribute to its behavioral pharmacology. In the present study, the effects of AMI-193 on operant behavior were characterized in squirrel monkeys. In subjects trained under a fixed-interval (FI) schedule of stimulus termination, AMI-193 (0.003-0.01 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased response rate. When administered in combination with cocaine (0.03-3. 0 mg/kg) or the selective dopamine uptake inhibitor, GBR 12909 (0. 03-3.0 mg/kg), the rate-decreasing effects of AMI-193 were reversed by both dopamine indirect agonists. In drug-discrimination experiments, AMI-193 (0.003 and 0.01 mg/kg) attenuated the discriminative-stimulus effects of cocaine. AMI-193 (0.003 and 0.01 mg/kg) also reduced response rate under a second-order schedule of i. v. self-administration of cocaine (0.1 mg/infusion). The profile of behavioral effects and drug interactions observed in the present study, in conjunction with the relatively high affinity of AMI-193 for dopamine D(2) receptors, suggests that its D(2)-antagonist effects play a prominent role in the behavioral pharmacology of AMI-193.