To elucidate pharmacological properties of sultopride and sulpiride, their effects on spontaneous locomotor activity, apomorphine-induced hyper- and hypoactivity, and clonidine-induced hypoactivity in mice were examined by use of a photocell activity meter in comparison with the effects of other antipsychotic drugs. Sultopride did not affect spontaneous locomotor activity, whereas it potentiated apomorphine-induced hyperactivity at low doses and inhibited it at high doses. Sultopride also dose-dependently antagonized apomorphine-induced hypoactivity at limited doses. By contrast, sulpiride, in a wide range of doses, exhibited enhancement of apomorphine-induced hyperactivity and antagonization of apomorphine-induced hypoactivity. Furthermore, the activities of sulpiride were more potent than those of sultopride. Haloperidol and chlorpromazine inhibited spontaneous locomotor activity and apomorphine-induced hyperactivity and slightly antagonized apomorphine-induced hypoactivity. Pimozide increased spontaneous locomotor activity but inhibited it at high doses, while also potentiating apomorphine-induced hyperactivity at small doses and inhibiting it at large doses. Pimozide did not markedly affect apomorphine-induced hypoactivity. None of the drugs studied except for imipramine and yohimbine affected clonidine-induced hypoactivity. These results indicate that sultopride has somewhat different pharmacological properties from those of sulpiride and other antipsychotic drugs. These results also suggest that sultopride would have good therapeutic efficacy in schizophrenic disorders.