NE-100, A NOVEL SIGMA-RECEPTOR LIGAND - EFFECT ON PHENCYCLIDINE-INDUCED BEHAVIORS IN RATS, DOGS AND MONKEYS

Phencyclidine (PCP)-induced psychosis is a useful animal model for stu dies on schizophrenia. N, 2-[4-methoxy-3-(2-phenylethoxy)-phenyl]-ethy lamine monohydrochloride (NE-100) had no effect on conditioned avoidan ce responses (CAR) in rats, whereas, the PCP-induced impairment of avo idance inhibition was attenuated by NE-100. The PCP-induced ataxia or decreased attention in rhesus monkeys was to some extent overcome by N E100. In dogs, PCP-induced either head-weaving behavior or ataxia, eff ects which were blocked by NE-100. Administration of PCP led to an inc rease in beta-2 and a decrease in delta relative power (RP) activity i n cortical background spectral electroencephalographics (ECoG) in dogs . While NE-100 in itself showed no significant change in beta-2 and de lta RP, NE-100 did block the PCP-induced beta-2 increase and delta dec rease. These findings indicate that NE-100 attenuates the effect of PC P in experimental animals. This drug is being considered as a therapeu tic for the treatment of paients in the schizophrenia.