Hypothermic action of lisuride in rats and differences to bromocriptine in the antagonistic effect of neuroleptics.

The semisynthetic ergot derivative lisuride induced dose- and time-dependent hypothermia in rats placed in a cold environment (+4 degrees C). As regards dosage, lisuride was more than 100 times more effective in this test model than bromocriptine. The effect of both drugs could be reduced by pretreatment with the dopamine antagonist haloperidol, which indicated a dopaminergic action of both drugs. In contrast, the hypothermic effect of lisuride could not be impaired by pretreatment with sulpiride, whilst the effects of bromocriptine were clearly antagonized by this drug. This results could be explained by a different affinity of these drugs to the same receptors, or, more likely, by a different mechanism of action by which lisuride and bromocriptine activate dopaminergic systems.