Simultaneous activation of muscarinic and GABA receptors as a bidirectional target for novel antipsychotics.

Recent preclinical studies point to muscarinic and GABA receptors as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of schizophrenia. This study was aimed to assess the role of muscarinic and GABA receptor interactions in animal models of schizophrenia, using positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GABA receptor (GS39783), muscarinic M (VU0152100) and M (VU0238429) receptor, and partial allosteric agonist of M receptor (VU0357017). DOI-induced head twitches, social interaction and novel object recognition tests were used as the models of schizophrenia. Analyses of DOI-induced increases in sEPSCs (spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents) were performed as complementary experiments to the DOI-induced head twitch studies. Haloperidol-induced catalepsy and the rotarod test were used to examine the adverse effects of the drugs. All three activators of muscarinic receptors were active in DOI-induced head twitches. When administered together with GS39783 in subeffective doses, only the co-administration of VU0152100 and GS39783 was effective. The combination also reduced the frequency but not the amplitude of DOI-induced sEPSCs. Neither VU0357017 nor VU0238429 were active in social interaction test when given alone, and also the combination of VU0152100 and GS39783 failed to reverse MK-801-induced deficits observed in this test. All muscarinic activators when administered alone or in combination with GS39783 reversed the MK-801-induced disruption of memory in the novel object recognition test, and their actions were blocked by specific antagonists. None of the tested compounds or their combinations influenced the motor coordination of the animals. The compounds had no effect on haloperidol-induced catalepsy and did not induce catalepsy when administered alone. Pharmacokinetic analysis confirmed lack of possible drug-drug interactions after combined administration of GS39783 with VU0357017 or VU0152100; however, when the drug was co-administered with VU0238429 its ability to pass the blood-brain barrier slightly decreased, suggesting potential drug-drug interactions. Our data show that modulation of cholinergic and GABAergic systems can potentially be beneficial in the treatment of the positive and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia without inducing the adverse effects typical for presently used antipsychotics.