Acute sedative properties of SKF 525A in rats: implications for its use as a metabolism inhibitor in the study of psychoactive drugs.

SKF 525A was found possess sedative properties in rats at doses of 25 and 50 mg per kg, when injected intraperitoneally. The behavioural effects of the drug were assessed in two ways. Firstly, by "Time Sampling Behavioural Categorisation" of explatory behaviour; and secondly by activity measurements obtained with an ultrasonic motion recorder. The results clearly demonstrate that SKF 525A has sedative properties in rats at doses which are conventionally used to inhibit metabolism of a wide range of drugs. The implications of these results for the use of SKF 5251 in the study of the actions of psychotropic drugs are discussed.