The in vitro affinities (KIs) for SCH 23390 in D1, D2 and 5-HT2 binding assays were 0.4, 631 and 20 nM as compared with 0.3, 79 and 79 nM for BW737C89. The KB values, derived from their abilities to right-shift dopamine-mediated dose-dependent increases in striatal adenylyl cyclase activity, were 0.8 and 0.5 nM for SCH 23390 and BW737C89, respectively. Thus, BW737C89 was a highly potent dopamine D1 receptor antagonist and, although it was less D1/D2-selective than SCH 23390, it was more D1/5-HT2-selective. Both SCH 23390 and BW737C89 (0.1-100 mumol/kg s.c.) exhibited a selective dose-dependent protection of D1, but not D2, binding, from inactivation by N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ, 8 mg/kg s.c.) as measured by [3H]SCH 23390 (D1) and [3H]spiperone (D2) binding. The ED50 values for this selective protection of D1 binding were similar and were between 1 and 3 mumol/kg s.c. BW737C89 showed no protective effect at all on the inactivation of [3H]ketanserin (5-HT2) binding by EEDQ whereas SCH 23390 started to show protection at doses of 10 mumol/kg s.c. and above. A direct comparison of the time course of the effects of pretreatment of a dose of 30 mumol/kg s.c. of both compounds to protect 5-HT2 binding was carried out. This study confirmed the complete lack of protective effect of BW737C89 from 1 to 4 h of pretreatment whereas SCH 23390 exhibited 62, 29 and 28% protection at 1, 2 and 4 h pretreatment respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)