The MCH1 receptor antagonist SNAP 94847 induces sensitivity to dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonists in rats and mice

Antidepressant treatment of two or more weeks in rats has been shown to enhance the locomotor-stimulating effects of dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonists. This action has been attributed to an increased sensitivity of postsynaptic dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens, thought to represent an essential mechanism by which antidepressants act therapeutically to enhance reward and motivation. We tested whether the melanin-concentrating hormone receptor1 (MCH1) antagonist SNAP 94847, reported to have antidepressant-like activity in several preclinical behavioral models, mimics this key feature of established antidepressants. Locomotor responses to the dopamine D2/D3 agonist quinpirole following acute or chronic administration of fluoxetine (18 mg/kg/day) or SNAP 94847 (20 mg/kg/day) were assessed in habituated Sprague–Dawley rats, as well as BALB/c and CD-1 mice. Rats showed a significant increase in quinpirole-induced locomotor activity following chronic (2 weeks), but not acute (1 h) fluoxetine or SNAP 94847 administration. BALB/c mice treated for 21 days with fluoxetine or SNAP 94847 showed marked increases in quinpirole-induced locomotor activity, with the onset of hyper-locomotion appearing earlier in the time course after SNAP 94847 compared to fluoxetine. Administration of either compound for 7 days was also sufficient to augment the quinpirole response in BALB/c mice. Fluoxetine and SNAP 94847 (21 days) failed to modify quinpirole responses in CD-1 mice, and the compounds were ineffective after acute administration in both mouse strains. This report demonstrates in two rodent species that chronic treatment with an MCH1 receptor antagonist, as with clinically proven antidepressants, produces sensitization to the locomotor effects of dopamine D2/D3 agonists.