Interactions of metaphit with phencyclidine and sigma agonist actions in rat cerebellum: determination of specificity and selectivity.

The interactions of phencyclidine (PCP) and related agonists with putative receptor blockers were studied on cerebellar Purkinje neurons using electrophysiological techniques. Depressions induced by PCP or dexoxadrol, a sigma receptor agonist, were markedly antagonized by the PCP receptor antagonist metaphit, which acylates PCP receptors via its isothiocyanate moiety. Conversely, the depressant effect of levoxadrol, the (-) isomer of dexoxadrol, was not affected by metaphit. Further evidence that metaphit's specific antagonism of dexoxadrol- and PCP-mediated depressions was derived from data showing that drugs which respectively acylate mu and delta opioid receptors, benzimidazole isothiocyanate and fentanyl isothiocyanate, do not antagonize the actions of either PCP or dexoxadrol. Moreover, tyramine, which like PCP acts as an indirect norepinephrine agonist, is not antagonized by metaphit. These observations support the concept that metaphit causes a pharmacologically specific and irreversible antagonism of the effects of both PCP and dexoxadrol in the cerebellum. Thus, the electrophysiological mechanisms of PCP actions are similar to those triggered by sigma opioid agonists in this brain area.