COMPARISON OF ABILITIES OF CHLORPROMAZINE AND MOLINDONE TO INTERACT ADVERSELY WITH GUANETHIDINE

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 198  (2) , 255-263
Abstract
Chlorpromazine and molindone were tested for their abilities to impair conditioned avoidance behavior of rats. Chlorpromazine was effective within the dose range of 0.3-7.0 mg/kg (ID50 [median inhibitory dose] .apprxeq. 2.0 mg/kg); molindone was effective within the range of 0.3-5.0 mg/kg (ID50 .apprxeq. 0.6 mg/kg). Behaviorally relevant doses of chlorpromazine and molindone were then tested for their effects on blood pressure and on adrenergic mechanisms. When given i.v. to anesthetized, hypertensive animals, both drugs (1.0 mg/kg) produced significant but transient vasodepression. When given i.p. to anesthetized or to conscious hypertensive rats, the drugs did not produce significant effects on blood pressure. Both drugs (1.0 mg/kg) blocked responses to an .alpha.-agonist (methoxamine), but chlorpromazine was significantly more potent than molindone. Chlorpromazine produced a dose-dependent (1.0-10.0 mg/kg) inhibition of 3H-l-norepinephrine uptake into heart, but molindone at the same doses produced no inhibition of uptake. In related experiments guanethidine (50 mg/kg) lowered blood pressure of hypertensive rats. When chlorpromazine (3-10 mg/kg) was administered concomitantly with guanethidine, the blood pressure lowering properties of guanethidine were diminished or abolished. When molindone (1-10 mg/kg) was administered concomitantly with guanethidine, there was no loss of blood pressure control. Molindone is an important drug, because it is an antipsychotic agent that does not interact adversely with guanethidine.