Repeated effects of asenapine on adrenergic and cholinergic muscarinic receptors

Adrenergic (α1 and α2) and cholinergic muscarinic (M1–M5) receptor binding in rat forebrain was quantified after 4 wk of twice-daily subcutaneous administration of asenapine or vehicle. Asenapine (0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 mg/kg) produced increases in [3H]prazosin binding to α1-adrenergic receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC: 30%, 39%, 57%) and dorsolateral frontal cortex (DFC: 27%, 37%, 53%) and increased [3H]RX821002 binding to α2-adrenergic receptors in mPFC (36%, 43%, 50%) and DFC (41%, 44%, 52%). Despite showing no appreciable affinity for muscarinic receptors, asenapine produced regionally selective increases in binding of [3H]QNB to M1–M5 receptors in mPFC (26%, 31%, 43%), DFC (27%, 34%, 41%), and hippocampal CA1 (40%, 44%, 42%) and CA3 (25%, 52%, 48%) regions. These regionally selective effects of asenapine on adrenergic and cholinergic muscarinic receptor subtypes may contribute to its beneficial clinical effects in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.