Substance P antagonists block carbachol-induced "boxing" behavior at a site of coexistence in the rat prefrontal...

A cholinergic projection from the dorsolateral tegmentum to the medial anterior cortex has previously been shown to contain substance P and corticotropin releasing factor. Behavioral analysis of acetylcholine, substance P and corticotropin releasing factor microinjected into the medial anterior cortex revealed a seizure-related "boxing" behavior elicited by carbachol, which was potentiated by coinjection with substance P and antagonized by coinjection with corticotropin releasing factor. We now report that two antagonists of substance P receptors, [D-Pro2, D-Phe7, D-Trp9]-substance P and [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]-substance P, attenuate "boxing" behavior when coinjected with carbachol. Neither antagonist produced observable behavioral effects when microinjected alone. An analog of substance P, [pGlu,5, MePhe,8 Sar9]-substance P (5-11) potentiated carbachol-induced "boxing" at doses similar to naturally-occurring substance P. Monoclonal and polyclonal antisera against substance P were not effective antagonists of carbachol-induced "boxing." The ability of substance P antagonists to block carbachol-induced "boxing" has two major implications: (1) endogenous substance P may be modulating endogenous acetylcholine in the tegmental-cortical pathway; and (2) substance P antagonists may provide a new avenue for the development of antiepileptic drugs.