DCPG (≤ 100 μM) selectively activates mGlu8a and inhibits forskolin stimulated cAMP formation in RGT (AV12-664) cells expressing human mGlu1-8. Its EC50 for mGlu8a is 31 nM, and for mGlu4a, mGlu6, and mGlu7a it is 8.8 μM, 3.6 μM, and>100 μM, respectively, indicating its selectivity for mGlu8a.
DCPG (0.5-400 μM; 5 min) inhibited the rapid component of dorsal root evoked ventral root potential (fDR-VRP) in neonatal rat spinal cord specimens, producing a biphasic concentration effect curve. The EC50 values of high affinity and low affinity components were 1.3 μM and 391 μM, respectively, with the high affinity component mainly mediated by mGlu8.