Abstract
Delta opioid receptor (DOP) agonists have been proposed as attractive candidates for the novel psychotropic drugs. Recently, we have demonstrated that a DOP agonist, KNT-127, shows clear anxiolytic-like effects in rat models of innate anxiety, without memory impairment, motor coordination deficits, or ethanol interactions. We have also demonstrated that KNT-127 shows clear antidepressant-like effects in rats. In addition, KNT-127 produces no convulsive effect and does not impair spatial memory. Therefore, we proposed that DOP should be considered as an attractive target for the development of novel psychotropic drug.
