Pharmacological properties of a potent neuroleptic drug octoclothepin.

Octoclothepin, 8-chloro-1-(4-methylpiperazino)-10,11-dihydrodibenzo (b,f) thiepin, is a very potent neuroleptic drug with pronounced central antidopaminergic and antiserotonin actions. In most animal experiments, its plharmacological profile resembles that of perphenazine. Octoclothepin reveals an intensive central depressant action in a series of observational and instrumental procedures in rodents. Its active oral doses are within the range of 0.54 to 2.2 mg kg-1 in mice and of 0.1 to 4.8 mg kg-1 in rats. Octoclothepin possesses high cataleptogenic and anti-apomorphine activities in rats; it is able to exert full protection against apomorphine-induced emesis in dogs after the dose of 0.1 mg kg-1 s.c. Octoclothepin reduces some actions and toxicity of d,l-amphetamine and phenmetrazine in rodents. In the rat corpus striatum, octoclothepin in doses of 0.5 and d1.5 mg kg-1 s.c. reduces the DA level and raises the HVA and DOPAC levels significantly. Octoclothepin has antihistamine, antiserotonin and antianaphylactoid actions, it exhibits a high protection against the lethal action of adrenaline and noradrenaline in mice and rats, respectively. Acute toxicological data in mice, rats, rabbits and dogs are given. Clinical antipsychotic effectiveness of octoclothepin has been verified in a large population of psychiatric patients.