Biomedical subjects

S E Gartside

Publications and source records attributed to S E Gartside.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Altered glucocorticoid rhythm attenuates the ability of a chronic SSRI to elevate forebrain 5-HT: implications for the treatment of depression.

Both glucocorticoids and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) alter aspects of 5-HT function including somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptor sensitivity. Many depressed patients prescribed SSRIs have pre-existing flattened diurnal gluococorticoid rhythm. In these patients, interactions between flattened glucocorticoid rhythm and chronic SSRIs, which impact on the SSRI's ability to elevate forebrain 5-HT, may alter clinical efficacy. To address this issue rats underwent implantation of slow-release corticosterone (75 mg pellet s.c.) (to flatten the glucocorticoid rhythm) or sham surgery, and injection of fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day i.p., 12 days) or vehicle. Using microdialysis in the frontal cortex we found that (21 h after the last injection) extracellular 5-HT was elevated in fluoxetine- or corticosterone-treated animals, but not in those treated with corticosterone plus fluoxetine. In fluoxetine-treated animals, blockade of terminal reuptake by local perfusion of fluoxetine increased 5-HT to the same level as it did in controls, suggesting normal terminal 5-HT release after chronic fluoxetine. However, 5-HT levels following local reuptake blockade in both the corticosterone and corticosterone plus fluoxetine groups were lower than controls, suggesting a corticosterone-induced decrease in terminal release. Finally in fluoxetine, corticosterone, and corticosterone plus fluoxetine groups, there was marked 5-HT1A receptor desensitization, evidenced by attenuation of the decrease in 5-HT release following systemic fluoxetine injection. The data indicate that, despite desensitization of 5-HT1A autoreceptors, concurrent flattened glucocorticoid rhythm compromises the ability of SSRIs to elevate forebrain 5-HT. These findings suggest a potential mechanism for the reduced antidepressant efficacy of SSRIs in those patients with pre-existing glucocorticoid abnormalities.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2002

5-HT1A receptor-mediated autoinhibition does not function at physiological firing rates: evidence from in vitro electrophysiological studies in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus.

5-HT(1A)-mediated autoinhibition of neurones in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is considered to be the principal inhibitory regulator of 5-HT neuronal activity. The activation of this receptor by endogenous 5-HT was investigated using electrophysiological recordings from the rat DRN in vitro. At a concentration which blocked the inhibitory effect of exogenous 5-HT, the 5-HT(1A) antagonist WAY 100635 did not alter basal firing rate or modulate the excitatory response to the alpha(1)-agonist phenylephrine. Blockade of 5-HT reuptake by a concentration of fluoxetine, which enhanced the inhibitory effect of exogenous 5-HT, lowered phenylephrine-induced basal firing presumably due to potentiation of the effect of endogenous 5-HT. However, this effect was not firing rate dependent and neither the proportional increase nor the time-course of the response to a higher concentration of phenylephrine were altered in the presence of fluoxetine. These data suggest that the inhibitory 5-HT(1A) receptor on raphe neurones is neither tonically activated nor plays any role in modulating the response to excitatory transmitters. Thus, at physiological firing rates this receptor does not appear to function as an autoreceptor of serotonergic neurones of the DRN.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2000

Neurochemical and electrophysiological studies on the functional significance of burst firing in serotonergic neurons.

We have previously described a population of 5-hydroxytryptamine neurons which repetitively fires bursts of usually two (but occasionally three or four) action potentials, with a short (<20 ms) interspike interval within a regular low-frequency firing pattern. Here we used a paradigm of electrical stimulation comprising twin pulses (with 7- or 10-ms inter-pulse intervals) to mimic this burst firing pattern, and compared the effects of single- and twin-pulse electrical stimulations in models of pre- and postsynaptic 5-hydroxytryptamine function. Firstly, we measured the effect of direct electrical stimulation (2 Hz for 2 min) of rat brain slices on efflux of preloaded [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine. In this in vitro model, twin-pulse stimulation increased the efflux of tritium by about twice as much as did single-pulse stimulation. This effect was evident in the medial prefrontal cortex (area under the curve: 2. 59+/-0.34 vs 1.28+/-0.22% relative fractional release), as well as in the caudate-putamen (3.93+/-0.65 vs 2.17+/-0.51%) and midbrain raphe nuclei (5.42+/-1.05 vs 2.51+/-0.75%). Secondly, we used in vivo microdialysis to monitor changes in endogenous extracellular 5-hydroxytryptamine in rat medial prefrontal cortex in response to electrical stimulation (3 Hz for 10 min) of the dorsal raphe nucleus. In this model, twin-pulse stimulation of the dorsal raphe nucleus increased 5-hydroxytryptamine by approximately twice as much as did single-pulse stimulation at the same frequency (area under the curve: 50.4+/-9.0 vs 24.2+/-4.4 fmol). Finally, we used in vivo extracellular recording to follow the response of postsynaptic neurons in the rat medial prefrontal cortex to 5-hydroxytryptamine released by dorsal raphe stimulation. Electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe nucleus (1 Hz) induced a clear-cut poststimulus inhibition in the majority of cortical neurons tested. In these experiments, the duration of poststimulus inhibition following twin-pulse stimulation was markedly longer than that induced by single-pulse stimulation (200+/-21 vs 77+/-18.5 ms). Taken together, the present in vitro and in vivo data suggest that in 5-hydroxytryptamine neurons, short bursts of action potentials will propagate along the axon to the nerve terminal and will enhance both the release of 5-hydroxytryptamine and its postsynaptic effect.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed1999

Effects of (-)-tertatolol, (-)-penbutolol and (+/-)-pindolol in combination with paroxetine on presynaptic 5-HT function: an in vivo microdialysis and electrophysiological study.

The antidepressant efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) might be enhanced by co-administration of 5-HT1A receptor antagonists. Thus, we have recently shown that the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, blocks the inhibitory effect of an SSRI on 5-HT cell firing, and enhances its ability to elevate extracellular 5-HT in the forebrain. Here we determined whether the beta-adrenoceptor/5-HT1A receptor ligands (+/-)-pindolol, (-)-tertatolol and (-)-penbutolol, interact with paroxetine in a similar manner. Both (-)-tertatolol (2.4 mg kg(-1) i.v.) and (-)-penbutolol (2.4 mg kg(-1) i.v.) enhanced the effect of paroxetine (0.8 mg kg(-1) i.v.) on extracellular 5-HT in the frontal cortex, whilst (+/-)-pindolol (4 mg kg(-1) i.v.) did not. (-)-Tertatolol (2.4 mg kg(-1) i.v.) alone caused a slight increase in 5-HT however, (-)-penbutolol (2.4 mg kg(-1) i.v.) alone had no effect. In electrophysiological studies (-)-tertatolol (2.4 mg kg(-1) i.v.) alone had no effect on 5-HT cell firing but blocked the inhibitory effect of paroxetine. In contrast, (-)-penbutolol (0.1-0.8 mg kg(-1) i.v.) itself inhibited 5-HT cell firing, and this effect was reversed by WAY 100635 (0.1 mg kg(-1) i.v.). We have recently shown that (+/-)-pindolol inhibits 5-HT cell firing via a WAY 100635-sensitive mechanism. Our data suggest that (-)-tertatolol enhances the effect of paroxetine on forebrain 5-HT via blockade of 5-HT1A autoreceptors which mediate paroxetine-induced inhibition of 5-HT cell firing. In comparison, the mechanisms by which (-)-penbutolol enhances the effect of paroxetine on extracellular 5-HT is unclear, since (-)-penbutolol itself appears to have agonist properties at the 5-HT1A autoreceptor. Indeed, the agonist action of (+/-)-pindolol at 5-HT1A autoreceptors probably explains its inability to enhance the effect of paroxetine on 5-HT in the frontal cortex. Overall, our data suggest that both (-)-tertatolol and (-)-penbutolol are superior to (+/-)-pindolol in terms of enhancing the effect of an SSRI on extracellular 5-HT. Both (-)-tertatolol and (-)-penbutolol are worthy of investigation for use as adjuncts to SSRIs in the treatment of major depression.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

PubMed1998

Electrophysiological and neurochemical evidence that pindolol has agonist properties at the 5-HT1A autoreceptor in vivo.

1. It has been hypothesized that 5-HT1A autoreceptor antagonists may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of SSRIs and other antidepressants. Although early clinical trials with the beta-adrenoceptor/5-HT1 ligand, pindolol, were promising, the results of recent more extensive trials have been contradictory. Here we investigated the actions of pindolol at the 5-HT1A autoreceptor by measuring its effect on 5-HT neuronal activity and release in the anaesthetized rat. 2. Pindolol inhibited the electrical activity of 5-HT neurones in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). This effect was observed in the majority of neurones tested (10/16), was dose-related (0.2-1.0 mg kg(-1), i.v.), and was reversed by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635 (0.1 mg kg(-1), i.v.), in 6/7 cases tested. 3. Pindolol also inhibited 5-HT neuronal activity when applied microiontophoretically into the DRN in 9/10 neurones tested. This effect of pindolol was current-dependent and blocked by co-application of WAY 100635 (3/3 neurones tested). 4. In microdialysis experiments. pindolol caused a dose-related (0.8 and 4 mg kg(-1), i.v.) fall in 5-HT levels in dialysates from the frontal cortex (under conditions where the perfusion medium contained 1 microM citalopram). In rats pretreated with WAY 100635 (0.1 mg kg(-1), i.v.), pindolol (4 mg kg(-1), i.v.) did not decrease, but rather increased 5-HT levels. 5. We conclude that, under the experimental conditions used in this study, pindolol displays agonist effects at the 5-HT1A autoreceptor. These data are relevant to previous and ongoing clinical trials of pindolol in depression which are based on the rationale that the drug is an effective 5-HT1A autoreceptor antagonist.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed1997

Effects of co-administration of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist on 5-hydroxytryptamine cell firing and release.

We report the effects of the monoamine oxidase inhibitor, tranylcypromine, combined with the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl cyclohexanecarboxamide (WAY 100635), on both 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) cell firing and cortical extracellular 5-HT in the rat. Tranylcypromine inhibited 5-HT cell firing in the dorsal raphe nucleus dose-dependently (ED50 5 mg/kg i.v.). In microdialysis experiments, tranylcypromine (5 mg/kg i.v.) increased extracellular 5-HT in the frontal cortex. WAY 100635 (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) both reversed the inhibition of 5-HT cell firing and facilitated the increase in extracellular 5-HT. In conclusion, WAY 100635 enhances the effect of tranylcypromine on presynaptic 5-HT function. These data are relevant to clinical evidence that co-therapy with a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist improves the antidepressant efficacy of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed1997

Inhibition of 5-HT cell firing in the DRN by non-selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors: studies on the role of 5-HT1A autoreceptors and noradrenergic mechanisms.

Improved clinical antidepressant efficacy may result if the acute inhibition of 5-HT cell firing induced by antidepressants is prevented. Here we examined whether inhibition of 5-HT cell firing by non-selective 5-HT uptake inhibiting antidepressant drugs is reversed by a selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist. In addition, we examined whether concomitant blockade of NA uptake offsets the inhibition of 5-HT cell firing resulting from 5-HT uptake blockade. Antidepressants which block 5-HT uptake (paroxetine, clomipramine, amitriptyline, venlafaxine), all caused dose-dependent and complete inhibition of 5-HT cell firing. Desipramine, a selective NA uptake blocker, caused a slight reduction in firing. The selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, reversed the inhibition of 5-HT cell firing induced by clomipramine, amitriptyline, venlafaxine, and paroxetine, but not that induced by the alpha 1 adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin. Desipramine, at a dose which increased extracellular NA in the DRN, reversed the effect of prazosin but did not alter the ability of paroxetine to inhibit 5-HT cell firing. Our data indicate that antidepressant drugs with 5-HT uptake blocking properties inhibit 5-HT cell firing via activation of 5-HT1A autoreceptors, and do so irrespective of their effects on NA uptake. These data are discussed in relation to the application of 5-HT1A receptor antagonists to enhance the clinical efficacy of antidepressant drugs.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1997

Effect of a selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor in combination with 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor antagonists on extracellular 5-HT in rat frontal cortex in vivo.

1. Selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) cause a greater increase in extracellular 5-HT in the forebrain when the somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptor is blocked. Here, we investigated whether blockade of the terminal 5-HT1B autoreceptor influences a selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor in the same way, and whether there is an additional effect of blocking both the 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B autoreceptors. 2. Extracellular 5-HT was measured in frontal cortex of the anaesthetized rat by use of brain microdialysis. In vivo extracellular recordings of 5-HT neuronal activity in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) were also carried out. 3. The selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, paroxetine (0.8 mg kg-1, i.v.), increased extracellular 5-HT about 2 fold in rats pretreated with the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY100635. When administered alone neither paroxetine (0.8 mg kg-1, i.v.) nor WAY100635 (0.1 mg kg-1, i.v.) altered extracellular 5-HT levels. 4. Paroxetine (0.8 mg kg-1, i.v.) did not increase 5-HT in rats pretreated with the 5-HT1B/D receptor antagonist, GR127935 (1 mg kg-1, i.v.). GR127935 (1 and 5 mg kg-1, i.v.) had no effect on extracellular 5-HT when administered alone. 5. Interestingly, paroxetine (0.8 mg kg-1, i.v.) caused the greatest increase in 5-HT (up to 5 fold) when GR127935 (1 or 5 mg kg-1, i.v.) was administered in combination with WAY100635 (0.1 mg kg-1, i.v.). Administration of GR127935 (5 mg kg-1, i.v.) plus WAY100635 (0.1 mg kg-1, i.v.) without paroxetine, had no effect on extracellular 5-HT in the frontal cortex. 6. Despite the lack of effect of GR127935 on 5-HT under basal conditions, when 5-HT output was elevated about 3 fold (by adding 1 microM paroxetine to the perfusion medium), the drug caused a dose-related (1 and 5 mg kg-1, i.v.) increase in 5-HT. 7. By itself, GR127935 slightly but significantly decreased 5-HT cell firing in the DRN at higher doses (2.0-5.0 mg kg-1, i.v.), but did not prevent the inhibition of 5-HT cell firing induced by paroxetine. 8. In summary, our results suggest that selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors may cause a large increase in 5-HT in the frontal cortex when 5-HT autoreceptors on both the somatodendrites (5-HT1A) and nerve terminals (5-HT1B) are blocked. This increase is greater than when either set of autoreceptors are blocked separately. The failure of a 5-HT1B receptor antagonist alone to enhance the effect of the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor in our experiments may be related to a lack of tone on the terminal 5-HT1B autoreceptor due to a continued inhibition of 5-HT cell firing. These results are discussed in relation to the use of 5-HT autoreceptor antagonists to augment the antidepressant effect of selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Effects of repeated administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine on 5-hydroxytryptamine neuronal activity and release in the rat brain in vivo.

In experimental animals, administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy) leads to extensive, but incomplete, loss of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) innervation in the brain. Here, we report the effects of MDMA on 5-HT neuronal function measured in the rat in vivo using electrophysiological and microdialysis techniques. Two weeks after administration of an established neurotoxic regimen of MDMA (20 mg/kg s.c., twice daily for 4 days) we found; 1) no change in either the density or the firing activity of 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphé nucleus; 2) no change in basal extracellular 5-HT in either the frontal cortex or the hippocampus, although extracellular 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid was reduced by about 50% in both regions; and 3) no change in the amount of 5-HT released in the hippocampus in response to electrical stimulation (5 Hz) of either the dorsal or medial raphé nucleus, but a marked reduction in the amount of 5-HT released in the frontal cortex after electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphé nucleus. In summary, although MDMA causes marked 5-HT neurotoxicity, our data suggest that 5-HT cell firing is unchanged and, furthermore, that 5-HT release is maintained in some (but not all) forebrain regions even in response to physiological levels of stimulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Inhibition of median and dorsal raphe neurones following administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine.

Acute systemic injection of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) decreases 5-HT neuronal firing in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Recent data, however, question whether these drugs also inhibit the firing of 5-HT neurones in the median raphe nucleus (MRN). Using in vivo extracellular electrophysiological recording techniques in the chloral hydrate anaesthetised rat, we have tested the effect of acute administration of the SSRI, paroxetine, on 5-HT neuronal activity in the MRN and DRN. Presumed 5-HT neurones in the MRN displayed the same electrophysiological characteristics as those in the DRN, the only detectable difference being that MRN neurones showed a significantly (p < 0.001) slower mean (+/- SEM(n)) spontaneous firing rate (MRN, 5.6 +/- 0.9 (14) spikes/10 s; DRN, 13.5 +/- 1.6 (24) spikes/10 s). Paroxetine caused a dose-related (0.1-0.8 mg/kg i.v.) inhibition of all MRN neurons tested (n = 8), producing a complete cessation of cell-firing at the highest doses. DRN neurones (n = 9) responded in a similar fashion. Furthermore, paroxetine inhibited MRN and DRN neurones with almost identical potency (MRN ED50 259 +/- 57 micrograms/kg i.v.: DRN ED50 243 +/- 49 micrograms/kg i.v.). In the majority of cells tested, the effect of paroxetine was reversed by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonists spiperone or (+)WAY100135, implicating the involvement of the 5-HT1A autoreceptor. The selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT also inhibited the firing of MRN (n = 5) and DRN (n = 12) neurones and with equal potency (MRN ED50, 1.32 +/- 0.40 microgram/kg i.v.: DRN ED50, 1.19 +/- 0.23 microgram/kg i.v.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Evidence for a repetitive (burst) firing pattern in a sub-population of 5-hydroxytryptamine neurons in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei of the rat.

Previous electrophysiological studies have shown that spontaneously active mesencephalic 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neurons of anaesthetized or freely moving animals fire solitary spikes in a slow, regular pattern. In the present study, using extracellular single unit recordings from dorsal and median raphe neurons of the anaesthetized rat, an additional electrophysiological property of a sub-population of presumed 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neurons was observed. These neurons, during their otherwise regular firing pattern, repeatedly fired two (or occasionally three or even four) spikes where only one was expected. Spikes in this burst-like repetitive firing mode (spikes in doublets or triplets) occurred in a short time interval (range: 2.4-11.5 ms), and with a diminishing spike amplitude. Cross-correlation analysis of spikes in doublets revealed a very high interdependency between them. The proportion of spikes in doublets to solitary spikes showed great variation between different neurons, ranging from 5 to 95% of the total spikes displayed. However, for each neuron the proportion of spikes in doublets to solitary spikes, and the time interval between the spikes in doublets, remained constant during control recordings. All these features are characteristic of single neurons firing in a repetitive firing pattern rather than simultaneous recordings of two separate 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neurons. Repetitive firing neurons were recorded with a similar frequency in both chloral hydrate and Saffan anaesthetized rats, and were detected using both glass and metal electrodes. Furthermore, neurons with a repetitive firing pattern were inhibited by intravenous administration of a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptor agonist and a 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor, thus displaying responses typical of 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neurons. Repetitive firing neurons occurred in both the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, although they were much more frequent in the dorsal raphe nucleus (91 of 332 neurons). The occurrence of repetitive firing neurons in the midbrain raphe nuclei is a newly described phenomenon which may indicate unique properties of a sub-population of 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neurons. In functional terms, it could modify both axonal and dendritic 5-hydroxytryptamine release, and provide an additional option for neuronal information signalling.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1995

Interaction between a selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist and an SSRI in vivo: effects on 5-HT cell firing and extracellular 5-HT.

1. The acute inhibitory effect of selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on 5-HT neuronal activity may offset their ability to increase synaptic 5-HT in the forebrain. 2. Here, we determined the effects of the SSRI, paroxetine, and a novel selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, on 5-HT cell firing in the dorsal raphé nucleus (DRN), and on extracellular 5-HT in both the DRN and the frontal cortex (FCx). Extracellular electrophysiological recording and brain microdialysis were used in parallel experiments, in anaesthetized rats. 3. Paroxetine dose-dependently inhibited the firing of 5-HT neurones in the DRN, with a maximally effective dose of approximately 0.8 mg kg-1, i.v. WAY 100635 (0.1 mg kg-1, i.v.) both reversed the inhibitory effect of paroxetine and, when used as a pretreatment, caused a pronounced shift to the right of the paroxetine dose-response curve. 4. Paroxetine (0.8 mg kg-1, i.v.), doubled extracellular 5-HT in the DRN, but did not alter extracellular 5-HT in the FCx. A higher dose of paroxetine (2.4 mg kg-1, i.v.) did increase extracellular 5-HT in the FCx, but to a lesser extent than in the DRN. Whereas 0.8 mg kg-1, i.v. paroxetine alone had no effect on extracellular 5-HT in the FCx, in rats pretreated with WAY 100635 (0.1 mg kg-1), paroxetine (0.8 mg kg-1, i.v.) markedly increased extracellular 5-HT in the FCx. 5. In conclusion, pretreatment with the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, blocked the inhibitory effect of paroxetine on 5-HT neuronal activity in the DRN and, at the same time, markedly enhanced the effect of paroxetine on extracellular 5-HT in the FCx. These results may be relevant to recent clinical observations that 5-HT1A receptor antagonists in combination with SSRIs have a rapid onset of antidepressant effect.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Evidence that activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis by electrical stimulation of the noradrenergic A1 group is not mediated by noradrenaline.

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, where the CRF-containing neurosecretory cells controlling the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are located, receives a dense noradrenergic innervation from the A1 group of the caudal ventrolateral medulla. In the present study we studied the relationship between release of noradrenaline (NA) in the PVN and activation of the HPA axis in response to electrical stimulation of the A1 region. In the urethane-anesthetized male rat, extracellular NA in the PVN was monitored on line by electrochemical recording while the activity of the HPA axis was estimated by measurement of ACTH in blood samples. A 1 min, 10 Hz stimulation evoked a significant increase of extracellular NA in the PVN as well as an ACTH surge in blood. The NA and ACTH response evoked by stimulation in the 3- to 14-Hz range were found to be frequency dependent. However, whilst the NA response increased in an exponential manner with respect to frequency, the ACTH response appeared to plateau between 10 and 14 Hz. Specific lesions of the noradrenergic terminals in the PVN, by bilateral local administration of 6-hydroxydopamine, markedly reduced the ACTH response to stimulation. Intracerebroventricular injection of desmethylimipramine, a NA uptake inhibitor, enhanced the increase in extracellular NA evoked by submaximal stimulation about 2.5-fold but did not modify the corresponding ACTH response. Combined intracerebroventricular injection of alpha- and beta-adrenergic antagonists, phentolamine and propanolol respectively, did not prevent the ACTH response evoked by stimulation. Following stimulation of the caudal ventrolateral medulla, the ACTH response thus appears to result from the stimulation of the A1 noradrenergic group projecting to the PVN. However, the inability of pharmacological manipulations which enhance or block central noradrenergic transmission to influence the ACTH response suggests that the noradrenergic endings in the PVN originating from the A1 group use a transmitter other than NA to activate the HPA axis at the PVN level.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1992

Selective 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptor-mediated adrenocorticotropin release in the rat: effect of repeated antidepressant treatments.

The 5-HT receptor agonists, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) and 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI) produced dose-dependent increases in plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) in the male rat by activation of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors respectively. The ACTH response to DOI was enhanced by repeated administration of electroconvulsive shock (five over 10 days) but abolished by the tricyclic antidepressant, amitriptyline (20 mg/kg for 14 days). In contrast 21 days lithium treatment failed to alter DOI-induced ACTH release. Neither repeated electroconvulsive shock, nor amitriptyline, nor lithium altered the ACTH response to 8-OH-DPAT. These data are consistent with results from ligand binding and behavioural studies which suggest that the sensitivity of brain 5-HT2 receptors is increased by repeated electroconvulsive shock but attenuated by tricyclic antidepressant treatment. In contrast, our data suggest that the antidepressant treatments studied do not alter the sensitivity of the 5-HT1A receptors involved in ACTH release.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1992

Evidence that the large neutral amino acid L-valine decreases electrically-evoked release of 5-HT in rat hippocampus in vivo.

L-Valine competes with tryptophan for transport into the brain and has previously been shown to decrease brain 5-HT synthesis. In the present study, the effect of L-valine on electrically evoked hippocampal 5-HT release was determined in the anaesthetized rat using microdialysis. In control animals two electrical stimulations of the dorsal raphe nucleus 120 min apart (S1 and S2, respectively) released similar amounts of 5-HT. In contrast, in animals which received L-valine (200 mg/kg) between stimulations, S2 released a significantly smaller amount of 5-HT than did S1, although basal 5-HT release was unchanged. The data demonstrate that L-valine decreases the electrically-evoked release of 5-HT in hippocampus in vivo.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Effect of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan on the release of 5-HT in rat hypothalamus in vivo as measured by microdialysis.

The effect of systemic administration of the 5-HT precursor, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP) on the release of 5-HT in the lateral hypothalamus of the chloral hydrate-anaesthetized rat in vivo was examined using brain microdialysis. Administration of 5-HTP caused an immediate increase of 5-HT in dialysates, which was long lasting (greater than or equal to 140 min) and dose-dependent (30-100 mg/kg i.p.). When calcium was omitted from the perfusion medium, thereby limiting exocytosis, levels of basal 5-HT were significantly decreased and the 5-HTP-induced response of 5-HT was markedly attenuated. Administration of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (0.25 mg/kg i.p.), which selectively inhibits serotoninergic neuronal activity by activation of the somatodendritic 5-HT autoreceptor, significantly decreased basal levels of 5-HT and markedly attenuated the 5-HTP-induced increase in 5-HT. The data demonstrate that systemic administration of 5-HTP caused an increase in the release of 5-HT in the hypothalamus. Furthermore, this release occurred by a calcium-dependent mechanism (probably exocytosis), was dependent on serotoninergic neuronal activity and predominantly derived from 5-HT neurones. The findings are discussed in relation to the behavioral and neuroendocrine effects of increasing availability of the 5-HT precursor.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗

PubMed1991

Does metergoline selectively attenuate 5-HT mediated prolactin release?

Administration of the non-selective 5-HT receptor antagonist metergoline (0.5 mg/kg) to male rats attenuated the prolactin response to the 5-HT releasing agent d-fenfluramine (7.5 mg/kg) but not to the dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol (1.5 mg/kg). In contrast, in healthy male volunteers, pretreatment with metergoline (4 mg orally) abolished the prolactin response to intravenous haloperidol (5 micrograms/kg). The findings suggest that in humans blockade of a prolactin response by a conventional oral dose of metergoline cannot be taken as evidence of involvement of 5-HT-mediated mechanisms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Effects of MDL 73005EF on central pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor function in the rat in vivo.

The effects of MDL 73005EF (8-[2-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-2-yl)methylamino]-8- azaspiro[4,5]decan-7,9-dione methyl sulphonate), a novel selective 5-HT1A receptor ligand with putative anxiolytic properties, were explored using models of central pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor function in the male rat. MDL 73005EF dose dependently decreased the hippocampal 5-HT output measured by in vivo microdialysis in chloral hydrate-anaesthetised rats and this response was antagonised by the 5-HT1A/B receptor antagonist, pindolol. Local administration of MDL 73005EF had no effect on the hippocampal 5-HT output. MDL 73005EF failed to alter basal plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) levels but, in common with pindolol, attenuated the ACTH response to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). In contrast to 8-OH-DPAT, MDL 73005EF significantly increased plasma prolactin but apparently not through a 5-HT receptor-mediated mechanism. The results indicate that MDL 73005EF possesses mixed 5-HT1A receptor agonist/antagonist properties, acting as an agonist at presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors controlling 5-HT release and as an antagonist at postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors mediating ACTH release.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗