Behavioral pharmacology of tandospirone in baboons: chronic administration and withdrawal, self-injection and drug discrimination

Drug Alcohol Depend. 1993 May;32(3):195-208. doi: 10.1016/0376-8716(93)90084-4.

Abstract

The behavioral pharmacology of tandospirone (SM 3997), a novel anxiolytic/antidepressant pyrimidinylpiperazine compound with selective pharmacological effects at the 5-HT1A binding site, was investigated in baboons. Animals administered 50 mg/kg/day i.g. tandospirone, showed few behavioral changes (lip droop, ataxia), which decreased over 2 weeks. Substitution of vehicle for tandospirone after 7 weeks produced time-limited suppression of food intake, suggesting a mild withdrawal syndrome. Under an i.v. self-injection procedure, tandospirone (1.0-32 mg/kg/injection) did not maintain responding greater than vehicle, although cocaine and triazolam did. Under a drug discrimination procedure, tandospirone (1-3.2 mg/kg p.o.; 0.1-32 mg/kg, i.m.) did not occasion drug-appropriate responding in baboons trained to discriminate lorazepam or pentobarbital and buspirone (1-18 mg/kg, p.o.; 0.1-1.0 mg/kg, i.m.) did not occasion drug-appropriate responding in the pentobarbital-training group. Tandospirone's profile of effects differs from those for barbiturates and benzodiazepines and suggests low abuse liability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents / pharmacology*
  • Arousal / drug effects*
  • Buspirone / pharmacology
  • Cocaine / pharmacology
  • Discrimination Learning / drug effects*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Eating / drug effects
  • Flumazenil / pharmacology
  • Isoindoles
  • Lorazepam / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Motor Skills / drug effects
  • Neurologic Examination / drug effects
  • Papio
  • Pentobarbital / pharmacology
  • Piperazines / pharmacology*
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology*
  • Reinforcement Schedule
  • Self Administration*
  • Serotonin Receptor Agonists / pharmacology*
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / psychology*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology

Substances

  • Anti-Anxiety Agents
  • Isoindoles
  • Piperazines
  • Pyrimidines
  • Serotonin Receptor Agonists
  • tandospirone
  • Flumazenil
  • Pentobarbital
  • Cocaine
  • Lorazepam
  • Buspirone