The development of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) over many years has brought about a shift in our comprehension of the critical cell receptors involved in schizophrenia and the classes of pharmaceuticals necessary for the control of symptoms. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors and β-arrestin agonists are now considered as medication along with conventional drugs acting at G protein-coupled receptors. A molecular modelling technique is used here to compare the chemical structures of past and current drugs of use in the treatment of schizophrenia. The data demonstrate that drug structures relate to ATP and cAMP nucleotide template structures. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors and third generation APDs relate better to cAMP nucleotide. The relative molecular similarity within APD, phosphodiesterase inhibitor and nucleotide structures is supportive of experimental evidence demonstrating interaction between these compounds and the primary role of adenine nucleotides in the pathogenesis and treatment of schizophrenia.
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