In vitro pharmacology of aripiprazole, its metabolite and experimental dopamine partial agonists at human dopamine D₂ and D₃ receptors

Aripiprazole is the first dopamine D₂/D₃ receptor partial agonist successfully developed and ultimately approved for treatment of a broad spectrum of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Aripiprazole's dopamine D₂ and serotonin 5-HT₁A receptor partial agonist activities have been postulated to confer clinical efficacy without marked sedation, and a relatively favorable overall side-effect profile. Using aripiprazole's unique profile as a benchmark for new dopamine partial agonist development may facilitate discovery of new antipsychotics. We conducted an in vitro comparative analysis between aripiprazole, and its human metabolite OPC-14857 (7-(4-[4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1-piperazinyl)butoxy)-2(1H)-quinolinone)); RGH-188 (trans-1-[4-[2-[4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazine-1-yl]ethyl]cyclohexyl]-3,3-dimethylurea), and its metabolite didesmethyl-RGH-188 (DDM-RGH-188); as well as bifeprunox, sarizotan, N-desmethylclozapine (NDMC; clozapine metabolite), and SDZ 208-912 (N-[(8α)-2-chloro-6-methylergolin-8-yl]-2,2-dimethylpropanamide). In vitro pharmacological assessment included inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation and the reversal of dopamine-induced inhibition in clonal Chinese hamster ovary cell lines expressing D₂S, D₂L, D₃ Ser-9 and D₃ Gly-9 for human dopamine receptors. All test compounds behaved as dopamine D₂/D₃ receptor partial agonists. Aripiprazole's intrinsic activity at dopamine D₂S and D₂L receptors was similar to that of OPC-14857 and RGH-188; lower than that of dopamine and bifeprunox; and higher than that of DDM-RGH-188, SDZ 208-912, sarizotan, and NDMC. Aripiprazole's intrinsic activity at dopamine D₃ Ser-9 and D₃ Gly-9 receptors was similar to that of OPC-14857 and sarizotan; lower than that of dopamine, bifeprunox, RGH-188 and DDM-RGH-188; and higher than that of SDZ 208-912 and NDMC. A consolidated assessment of these findings may help defining the most appropriate magnitude of intrinsic activity at dopamine D₂/D₃ receptors for clinical efficacy and safety.