Aripiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic medication used for the treatment of schizophrenia. It has also recently received FDA approval for the treatment of acute manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Aripiprazole appears to mediate its antipsychotic effects primarily by partial agonism at the D2 receptor. In addition to partial agonist activity at the D2 receptor, aripiprazole is also a partial agonist at the 5-HT1A receptor, and like the other atypical antipsychotics, aripiprazole displays an antagonist profile at the 5-HT2A receptor. Aripiprazole has moderate affinity for histamine and alpha adrenergic receptors, and no appreciable affinity for cholinergic muscarinic receptors. (en)
Aripiprazole's antipsychotic activity is likely due to a combination of antagonism at D2 receptors in the mesolimbic pathway and 5HT2A receptors in the frontal cortex. Antagonism at D2 receptors relieves positive symptoms while antagonism at 5HT2A receptors relieves negative symptoms of schizophrenia. (en)