Biochemical evidence that 2-phenyl-4[(4-piperidinyl) ethyl]quinoline, a quinoline derivative with pure anticonflict properties, is a partial agonist of benzodiazepine receptors.

The atypical profile of 2-phenyl-4[2-(4-piperidinyl) ethyl]quinoline (PK 8165), a quinoline derivative with pure anticonflict properties, seems to be due to the fact that this compound is a partial agonist of benzodiazepine receptors. The drug PK 8165 is a competitive inhibitor of benzodiazepine binding sites with a Hill coefficient near unity. Opposite to 3-methyl-6-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)2,4-triazolo(4,5-b)pyridazine (CL 218,872) it was unable to discriminate between BZ1 and BZ2 receptors in sections of brain. However, modulation by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the effect of photolabelling by flunitrazepam on the affinity of PK 8165 indicated that GABA or photolabelling shifts of PK 8165 were between full agonists and antagonists. By itself PK 8165 was unable to modify the levels of cGMP in the cerebellum, but potentiated the lowering of levels of cGMP by diazepam and did not present antagonistic properties of this effect.