Michel Bourin

Metabolism of risperidone to 9-hydroxyrisperidone by human cytochromes P450 2D6 and 3A4

Risperidone is a relatively new antipsychotic drug that has been reported to improve both the positive and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and produces relatively few extrapyramidal side effects at low doses. Formation of 9-hydroxyrisperidone, an active metabolite, is the most important metabolic pathway of risperidone in human. In the present study, in vitro metabolism of risperidone (100 µM) was investigated using the recombinant human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2C9-arg144, CYP2C9-cys144, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 supplemented with an NADPH-generating system. 9-Hydroxyrisperidone was determined by a new HPLC method with an Hypersil CN column and a UV detector. Of these enzymes, CYPs 2D6, 3A4 and 3A5 were found to be the ones capable of metabolising risperidone to 9-hydroxyrisperidone, with activities of 7.5, 0.4 and 0.2 pmol pmol–1 CYP min–1, respectively. A correlation study using a panel of human liver microsomes showed that the formation of 9-hydroxyrisperidone is highly correlated with CYP2D6 and 3A activities. Thus, both CYP2D6 and 3A4 are involved in the 9-hydroxylation of risperidone at the concentration of risperidone used in this study. This observation is confirmed by the findings that both quinidine (inhibitor of CYP2D6) and ketoconazole (inhibitor of CYP3A4) can inhibit the formation of 9-hydroxyrisperidone. Furthermore, inducers of CYP can significantly increase the formation of 9-hydroxyrisperidone in rat. The formation of 9-hydroxyrisperidone is highly correlated with testosterone 6β-hydroxylase activities, suggesting that inducible CYP3A contributes significantly to the metabolism of risperidone in rat.

Pindolol does not act only on 5-HT1A receptors in augmenting antidepressant activity in the mouse forced swimming test.

Abstract The present study was undertaken to identify the receptor subtypes involved in (±) pindolol’s ability to enhance the effects of antidepressant drugs in the mouse forced swimming test. Interaction studies were performed with S 15535 (presynaptic 5-HT1A receptor agonist) and methiothepin (5-HT1B autoreceptor antagonist) in an attempt to attenuate or potentiate antidepressant-like activity. (±) Pindolol was tested in combination with selective agonists and antagonists at 5-HT1, 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptor subtypes. Pretreatment with S 15535 and methiothepin attenuated the activity of paroxetine, fluvoxamine and citalopram (32 mg/kg, IP; P < 0.01). (±) Pindolol (32 mg/kg, IP.) induced significant anti-immobility effects when tested in combination with 5-methoxy-3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-4-pyridyl)-1H-indole (RU 24969) (1 mg/kg, IP; P < 0.05), 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-[-(2-phthalimido) butyl]piperazine) (NAN 190) (0.5 mg/kg; P < 0.05) and ondansetron (0.00001 mg/kg, IP; P < 0.01). Pretreatment with NAN 190 (0.5 mg/kg, IP) potentiated the effects of RU 24969 (1 mg/kg, IP; P < 0.05) and (±) pindolol (32 mg/kg, IP; P < 0.05) in the forced swimming test, as did ondansetron (0.00001 mg/kg, IP). Significant additive effects were induced when RU 24969 (1 mg/kg, IP) was tested in combination with NAN 190 (0.5 mg/kg, IP; P < 0.05), (±) pindolol (32 mg/kg, IP; P < 0.05) and ondansetron (0.0000 mg/kg, IP; P < 0.05). 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (1 mg/kg, IP) or ketanserin (8 mg/kg, IP) did not induce significant antidepressant-like effects with any of the agonists/antagonists tested. The results of the present study suggest that pindolol is acting at presynaptic 5-HT1B serotonergic receptors, in addition to the 5-HT1A subtype, in augmenting the activity of antidepressants in the mouse forced swimming test.

Effect of antidepressant drugs on 6-OHDA-treated mice in the FST

There is growing evidence suggesting that dopamine could be indirectly involved in the appearance of behavioural effects of antidepressants. In this study, we induced a partial (over 70%) and non-reversible depletion of dopamine-containing neurons in mice by i.c.v. infusion of 6-OHDA. Then, we compared the antidepressant-like effect of drugs (citalopram, paroxetine, desipramine and imipramine) with or without dopamine depletion in the mice forced swimming test. Our results clearly show that lesion with 6-OHDA does not modify the response of mice to desipramine and imipramine, whereas dopamine depletion abolished the antidepressant-like effect of citalopram and paroxetine. It could then be suggested that antidepressant-like effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (paroxetine and citalopram) in the mice FST requires the activation of dopaminergic pathways to occur.