Some aspects of the neuropharmacology of phenylurea

The neuropharmacology of phenylurea was studied. The compound is a potent sedative hypnotic agent with a fairly good margin of safety. It produced significant motor incoordination and behavioral changes in sub-sedative doses, thus suggesting that it acts on the areas of the brain which control motor coordination (neurological deficit) and spontaneous motor movements (awareness of environment). The activity pattern of phenylurea as measured on the rotarod treadmill was identical with that of an ataractic drug, meprobamate, and different from that of the sedative drug, 2-ethylcrotonylurea (ectylurea). It exhibited significant meprobamate-like antistrychnine (myorelaxant) activity, and at high doses only, anticonvulsant activity (pentetrazole antagonism). Phenylurea also protected mice against tremorine-induced tremors. A sub-sedative dose of phenylurea significantly prolonged pentobarbital sleeping time.