The neuropharmacological actions of amoxapine

Abstract

Amoxapine possesses a broad spectrum of psychotropic actions, including antidepressant and neuroleptic effects in animals. Antidepressant activity is characterized by its ability to inhibit tetrabenazine-induced depression, antagonize reserpine-induced hypothermia and enhance yohimbine lethality. Neuroleptic activity is demonstrated by the ability of amoxapine to decrease locomotor activity, induce ptosis and catalepsy, inhibit apomorphine gnawing and amphetamine stereotyped behavior and by characteristic changes in monkey discriminated avoidance behavior. The fact that punished responding in squirrel monkeys was present was present after repeated administration may indicate an anti-anxiety action of this drug. Evidence is offered that the conversion of the tertiary terminal nitrogen to a secondary amine may alter the pharmacologica properties of dibenzoxazepines in a similar way to the for the phenothiazines.