REVERSAL OF PHENCYCLIDINE EFFECTS BY A GROUP-II METABOTROPIC GLUTAMATE-RECEPTOR AGONIST IN RATS

Glutamatergic abnormalities have been associated with several psychiat ric disorders, including schizophrenia and addiction. Group II metabot ropic glutamate receptors were targeted to normalize glutamatergic dis ruptions associated with an animal model of schizophrenia, the phencyc lidine model. An agonist of this group of receptors, at a dose that wa s without effects on spontaneous activity and corticolimbic dopamine n eurotransmission, attenuated the disruptive effects of phencyclidine o n working memory, stereotypy, Locomotion, and cortical glutamate efflu x. This behavioral reversal occurred in spite of sustained dopamine hy peractivity. Thus, targeting this group of receptors may present a non dopaminergic: therapeutic strategy for treatment of psychiatric disord ers.