It has been suggested that sigma receptor antagonists may be useful as antipsychotic drugs and that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT2) receptor antagonists produce improvements of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. [1-(Cyclopropylmethyl)-4-(2'-(4''-fluorophenyl)-2'- oxoethyl)-piperidine HBr] (DuP 734) is a novel compound with high affinity for the sigma (Ki = 10 nM) and 5-HT2 (Ki = 15 nM) receptors, but low affinity for dopamine receptors (Ki > 1000 nM) as well as 33 other receptors, ion channels and second messenger systems in vitro. DuP 734 did not inhibit the synaptosomal uptake of dopamine, 5-HT or norepinephrine. Oral administration of DuP 734 potently blocked 5-hydroxy-L-trytophan (5-HTP)-induced head twitch in the rat (ED50 = 6.5 mumol/kg), indicating 5-HT2 antagonist activity. Extracellular single-unit recording studies demonstrated that DuP 734 antagonized the effect of the selective sigma ligand (+)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl-N-(1-propyl) piperidine [(+)-3-PPP] on dopamine neuronal activity in the substantia nigra of the rat with an ED90 of 3.6 mumol/kg i.v. The sigma receptor agonists (+)-SKF 10,047 and phencyclidine both elicited rotational behavior in rats with unilateral lesion of the substantia nigra. The rotational behavior induced by either (+)-SKF 10,047 or phencyclidine was dose-dependently antagonized by DuP 734 with oral ED50 of 8.7 and 19.6 mumol/kg, respectively. The 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ICI 169,369, even at high doses (up to 33 mumol/kg, s.c.), did not antagonize the rotational behavior induced by (+)-SKF 10,047.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)