Anxiolytic-like activity of MGS0039, a potent group II metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist, in a marble-burying behavior test.

Glutamatergic abnormalities are involved in several psychiatric disorders. Clinical evidence demonstrates altered glutamatergic neurotransmission in patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. MGS0039, (1R,2R,3R,5R,6R)-2-amino-3-(3,4-dichlorobenzyloxy)-6-fluorobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, is a novel group II metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor antagonist. We examined MGS0039's potential anti-obsessive-compulsive disorder activity, using the marble-burying behavior test as a model of obsessive-compulsive disorder. MGS0039 as well as LY341495 ((2S,1'S,2'S)-2-(9-xanthylmethyl)-2-(2'-carboxycycloprolyl)glycine), another group II mGlu receptor antagonist, inhibited marble-burying behavior. We also demonstrated that this effect was significantly attenuated by a group II mGlu receptor agonist. This data indicates that group II mGlu receptor antagonists may exert anti-obsessive-compulsive disorder effects in clinical use.