NMDA Receptor Antagonists Enhance 5-HT2 Receptor-Mediated Behavior, Head-Twitch Response, in PCPA-Treated Mice

Previous work in our laboratory has shown that the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, AP-5, CPP, MK-801, ketamine, dextrorphan and dextromethorphan cause a pronounced enhancement of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-induced head-twitch response (HTR) in intact mice, suggesting the involvement of NMDA receptors in the glutamatergic modulation of serotonergic function at the postsynaptic $5-HT_{2}$ receptors. The purpose of this study was to extend our previous work on the behavioral interaction between glutamatergic and serotonergic receptors. In the present study, both competitive (AP-5 and CPP) and noncompeti-tive (MI-801, ketamine, dextrorphan and dextromethorphan) NMDA receptor antagonists markedly enhanced 5-HT-induced selective serotonergic behavior, HTR, in p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA)-treated mice which were devoid of any involvement of indirect serotonergic function, to establish the involvement of the NMDA receptor in 5-HT-induced HTR at the postsyaptic $5-HT_{2}$receptors. In addition, the enhancement of 5-HT-induced HTR was inhibited by a dopamine agonist, apomorphine, NMDA receptor antagonist, NMDA and a serotonin $5-HT_{2}$receptor antagonist, cyproheptadine, in PCPA-treated mice. Therefore, the present results support our previous conclusion that the NMDA receptors play an important role in the glutamatergic modulation of serotonergic function at the poststynaptic $5-HT_{2}$ receptors.