Clozapine: Selective Labeling of Sites Resembling 5HT₆ Serotonin Receptors May Reflect Psychoactive Profile

Background: Clozapine, the classic atypical neuroleptic, exerts therapeutic actions in schizophrenic patients unresponsive to most neuroleptics. Clozapine interacts with numerous neurotransmitter receptors, and selective actions at novel subtypes of dopamine and serotonin receptors have been proposed to explain clozapine’s unique psychotropic effects. To identify sites with which clozapine preferentially interacts in a therapeutic setting, we have characterized clozapine binding to brain membranes. Materials and Methods: [³H]Clozapine binding was examined in rat brain membranes as well as cloned-expressed 5-HT₆ serotonin receptors. Results: [³H]Clozapine binds with low nanomolar affinity to two distinct sites. One reflects muscarinic receptors consistent with the drug’s anticholinergic actions. The drug competition profile of the second site most closely resembles 5HT₆ serotonin receptors, though serotonin itself displays low affinity. [³H]Clozapine binding levels are similar in all brain regions examined with no concentration in the corpus striatum. Conclusions: Besides muscarinic receptors, clozapine primarily labels sites with properties resembling 5HT₆ serotonin receptors. If this is also the site with which clozapine principally interacts in intact human brain, it may account for the unique beneficial actions of clozapine and other atypical neuroleptics, and provide a molecular target for developing new, safer, and more effective agents.