Effects of 5-HT1A receptor antagonists on fluoxetine-induced changes in extracellular serotonin concentrations in rat frontal cortex

Clinical studies in which serotonin specific reuptake inhibitors have been co-administered with pindolol have demonstrated a shortened time to onset of antidepressant activity. This effect has been attributed to the antagonist effects of pindolol at the presynaptic 5-HT1A receptor which augments the action of the serotonin specific reuptake inhibitors. In the present study, we demonstrate that acute fluoxetine-induced increases in extracellular serotonin concentrations, as measured by microdialysis in the frontal cortex, can be potentiated by 5-HT1A receptor blockade using N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide (WAY100635), the silent and selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist. WAY100635 at doses as low as 0.03 mg/kg s.c. maintained this potentiation effect across a range of fluoxetine doses. In addition, using antagonists with different intrinsic agonist activities for the 5-HT1A receptor, we have determined that only compounds with very low intrinsic agonist activity can produce a potentiation of the acute fluoxetine-induced increases in extracellular serotonin. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.