Median raphe, but not dorsal raphe, application of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT stimulates rat motor activity

Local application of the selective 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) in the median raphe of rats caused locomotor stimulation. In contrast, dorsal raphe application of the compound induced flat body posture, which was discontinuous and not dose-dependent, and therefore distinct from that characteristic for postsynaptic 5-HT receptor-mediated behaviour. Injection of 8-OH-DPAT into the dorsal raphe or median raphe caused neither forepaw treading nor head-weaving; stiff tail and sniffing occurred inconsistently. By activating somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors in the median raphe, 8-OH-DPAT may disinhibit locomotor-enforcing neural pathways that receive 5-HT afferents from this nucleus. The data suggest that median raphe and dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons have different roles in motor control.     

Effect of acute and repeated versus sustained administration of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist ipsapirone: electrophysiological studies in the rat hippocampus and dorsal raphe

The present study was aimed at examining the adaptation of presynaptic 5-HT_1A autoreceptors in the dorsal raphe and of postsynaptic 5-HT_1A receptors in the dorsal hippocampus during long-term administration of the 5-HT_1A receptor agonist ipsapirone given either repeatedly or in a sustained fashion. Concurrent microiontophoretic application of ipsapirone did not attentuate the suppressant effect of 5-hydroxytyptamine (5-HT) on 5-HT neurons, but markedly decreased it when co-applied on CA₃ pyramidal neurons in the dorsal hippocampus. Thus, ipsapirone acted as a full agonist in the dorsal raphe and as a partial agonist in the dorsal hippocampus. Ipsapirone (15 mg/kg/day, s.c. × 2 days) delivered by osmotic minipumps markedly decreased the firing activity of the dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons. After 14 days of treatment, there was a complete recovery of their firing activity and a desensitization of their somatodendritic 5-HT_1A autoreceptors, as assessed using microiontophoretic applications of 5-HT and 8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propylamino)tetraline (8-OH-DPAT) onto 5-HT neurons. The same degree of desensitization was obtained when ipsapirone was administered with repeated injections (7.5 mg/kg b.i.d., s.c. × 14 days). In contrast, the two modalities of ipsapirone adminsitration left unaltered the responsiveness of CA₃ pyramidal neurons to microiontophoretic applications of 5-HT and 8-OH-DPAT. In conclusion, long-term administration of ipsapirone most likely increases 5-HT neurotransmission by enhancing the tonic activation of postsynaptic 5-HT_1A receptors. Therefore, the use of sustained release preparation of 5-HT_1A receptor agonists should not alter their therapeutic effectiveness in anxiety and affective disorders since the same effects on 5-HT_1A receptor functions were produced in this rat model by the sustained and the repeated modes of administration of ipsapirone. Received: 24 September 1996 / Accepted: 28 April 1997     

Effect of prolonged administration of tianeptine on 5-HT neurotransmission: an electrophysiological study in the rat hippocampus and dorsal raphe

Extracellular unitary recordings of dorsal hippocampus CA₃ pyramidal neurons and of dorsal raphe 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurons were used to assess the effect of tianeptine, a putative antidepressant, on the efficacy of 5-HT neurotransmission. Sustained tianeptine administration (20 mg/kg/day, s.c. × 14 days) did not modify the firing activity of 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphe. Their responsiveness to the intravenous injection of LSD, an agonist of the somatodendritic 5-HT autoreceptor, and of 8-OH-DPAT, a selective 5-HT_1A agonist, was also unaffected by this treatment. The responsiveness of CA₃ pyramidal neurons to microiontophoretic application of 5-HT remained unchanged after sustained tianeptine administration, but it was markedly enhanced in rats treated with repeated electroconvulsive shocks. Finally, the duration of suppression of firing activity of CA₃ pyramidal neurons produced by electrical stimulation of the ascending 5-HT pathway, delivered at 1 Hz and 5 Hz, was not modified in rats treated with tianeptine. Methiothepin, an antagonist of the terminal autoreceptor enhanced the effectiveness of 5-HT pathway stimulation to the same extent in control and tianeptinetreated rats. The present results indicate that, administered at a dose known to stimulate 5-HT reuptake (20 mg/kg/day, s.c.; by minipump), and for a period of time (14 days) for which other antidepressant treatments have been shown to enhance 5-HT function, tianeptine does not modify the efficacy of 5-HT synaptic transmission in the rat hippocampus.     

The serotonin (5-HT) autoreceptor in the hippocampus of the rabbit: role of 5-HT biophase concentration

Slices of hippocampus from the rabbit were preincubated with [3H]5-HT), then superfused continuously and twice stimulated electrically. The stimulation-evoked overflow of tritium was inhibited by the 5-HT autoreceptor ligands 5-carboxamido-tryptamine (5-COHT), 5-HT, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyl-tryptamine (5-MeOMT), (+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), methysergide and (+/-)-cyanopindolol in a concentration-dependent manner. These effects were competitively inhibited by the 5-HT autoreceptor antagonists, metitepin and metergoline. (+/-)-Cyanopindolol also reduced the evoked release of 5-HT from slices of cortex from the rat. The inhibitor of the uptake of 5-HT, 6-nitroquipazine diminished the autoreceptor-mediated depression of release of 5-HT. In cortex tissue from the rat, 6-nitroquipazine reversed the decreased release of 5-HT, due to (+/-)-cyanopindolol, to a facilitation. The disinhibition of the release of 5-HT by autoreceptor antagonists was further enhanced by 6-nitroquipazine. Non-linear regression analysis of concentration-response curves for 5-COHT yielded the following pKd of endogenous 5-HT at the autoreceptor: 7.753 +/- 0.116. This value corresponds to the pKd of 5-HT at the 5-HT1B binding site. The 5-HT biophase concentration at the autoreceptor of 10(-8.220 +/- 0.132)M was markedly enhanced by 6-nitroquipazine (10(-6)M) to 10(-7.476 +/- 0.132)M. It is concluded that the 5-HT autoreceptor belongs to the 5-HT1B subtype of receptor; the corresponding 5-HT biophase concentration can be estimated quantitatively; 8-OH-DPAT decreased the evoked release of 5-HT through both 5-HT autoreceptors and alpha 2-heteroreceptors and (+/-)-cyanopindolol acts as partial agonist at the 5-HT autoreceptor.     

Functional characterization of 5-HT1D autoreceptors on the modulation of 5-HT release in guinea-pig mesencephalic raphe, hippocampus and frontal cortex.

1. The aims of the present study were (i) to characterize further the pharmacology of 5-HT1D autoreceptors modulating 5-HT release in guinea-pig mesencephalic raphe, hippocampus and frontal cortex; (ii) to determine whether 5-HT1D receptors in the mesencephalic raphe are located on 5-HT neurones; (iii) to determine whether 5-HT1D autoreceptors are coupled to G proteins; and (iv) to assess their sensitivity following long-term 5-HT reuptake blockade and inhibition of type-A monoamine oxidase. 2. In mesencephalic raphe, hippocampus and frontal cortex slices, the 5-HT1D/1B receptor agonist, sumatriptan and the 5-HT1 receptor agonist, 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MeOT) but not the 5-HT1B receptor agonist, CP93129, inhibited electrically the evoked release of [3H]-5-HT in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect was antagonized by the 5-HT1D/1B receptor antagonist GR127935 in the three structures, but not by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, (+)-WAY100635 in mesencephalic raphe slices. These results confirm the presence of functional 5-HT1D autoreceptors controlling 5-HT release within the mesencephalic raphe as well as in terminal regions. 3. The inhibitory effect of sumatriptan on K(+)-evoked release of [3H]-5-HT was not reduced by the addition of the Na+ channel blocker, tetrodotoxin to the superfusion medium, suggesting that these 5-HT1D receptors in the mesencephalic raphe are located on 5-HT neurones and may be considered autoreceptors. 4. The in vitro treatment with the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) was used to determine whether these 5-HT1D autoreceptors are coupled to G proteins. The inhibitory effect of sumatriptan on electrically evoked release of [3H]-5-HT was attenuated in NEM-pretreated slices from mesencephalic raphe, hippocampus and frontal cortex, indicating that the 5-HT1D autoreceptors activated by sumatriptan are coupled to G proteins in these three structures. Taken together with our previous results, this suggests that, in addition to the 5-HT1D autoreceptor activated by sumatriptan, another subtype of 5-HT autoreceptor is activated by 5-MeOT in the hippocampus. 5. Following a 3-week treatment with the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, paroxetine (10 mg kg-1 day-1) and a 48 h washout period, the electrically evoked release of [3H]-5-HT was enhanced in mesencephalic raphe, hippocampus and frontal cortex slices. There was an attenuation of the capacity of sumatriptan to inhibit the evoked release of [3H]-5-HT from mesencephalic raphe slices but not from frontal cortex and hippocampus slices. Only in the latter structure was the suppressant effect of 5-MeOT attenuated. After a 3-week treatment with the reversible type-A monoamine oxidase inhibitor, befloxatone (0.75 mg kg-1 day-1) and 48 h washout period, the effectiveness of sumatriptan and 5-MeOT on the evoked release of [3H]-5-HT was unaltered in the same brain structures. 6. The enhancement of [3H]-5-HT release by long-term paroxetine treatment is possibly due to a desensitization of 5-HT1D autoreceptors activated by sumatriptan in mesencephalic raphe and by terminal 5-HT autoreceptors activated by 5-MeOT in hippocampus. In the case of the frontal cortex, it appears that 5-MeOT and sumatriptan may act on the same 5-HT1D autoreceptor which is not desensitized either after paroxetine or befloxatone treatment, as previously reported.     

Presynaptic and postsynaptic modifications of the serotonin system by long-term administration of antidepressant treatments. An in vivo electrophysiologic study in the rat.

The neurobiologic mechanisms whereby the long-term administration of different antidepressant treatments enhance the efficacy of 5-HT synaptic transmission was investigated using an electrophysiologic paradigm in chloral hydrate anesthetized rats. Repeated electroconvulsive shocks (ECS; administered every other day for 14 days) as well as the sustained 21-day administration of the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine (10 mg/kg/day) and of the selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) reuptake blocker paroxetine (5 mg/kg/day), increased the suppressant effect of the electrical stimulation of the afferent 5-HT pathway on the firing activity of CA3 hippocampus pyramidal neurons. The long-term treatments with imipramine and ECS, but not with paroxetine, increased the responsiveness of postsynaptic CA3 hippocampus pyramidal neurons to the microiontophoretic application of 5-HT and to that of the selective 5-HT1A receptor ligand 8-OH-DPAT. In contrast, the long-term treatment with paroxetine, but not with imipramine or ECS, attenuated the negative feedback exerted by terminal 5-HT autoreceptors on 5-HT release. This was indicated by two series of experiments. First, the capacity of the acute intravenous injection of the terminal 5-HT autoreceptor antagonist methiothepin to increase the efficacy of the stimulation was abolished in paroxetine-treated rats. Second, the decreased suppressant effect on pyramidal neuron firing activity usually obtained by increasing the frequency of the stimulation from 1 to 5 Hz (shown to be due to an increase in terminal 5-HT autoreceptor activation at the higher frequency) was also reduced in paroxetine-treated rats. The present data confirm and extend those of previous electrophysiologic studies showing that an enhanced 5-HT synaptic transmission is a common end result of long-term administration of various types of antidepressant treatments. Furthermore, they suggest that the mechanisms underlying this enhanced synaptic transmission differ according to the type of treatment administered. Tricyclic antidepressants and ECS enhance 5-HT synaptic transmission by increasing the sensitivity of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors, whereas selective 5-HT reuptake blockers produce this effect by reducing the function of terminal 5-HT autoreceptors, thereby increasing the amount of 5-HT released per stimulation-triggered action potential.     

Desensitization of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors induced by neonatal DSP-4 treatment.

To examine the effect of noradrenergic lesion on the reactivity of central 5-HT(1A) receptors, DSP-4 (50 mg/kg) was administered neonatally 30 min after zimelidine (10 mg/kg) administration. 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors are involved in the regulation of serotonin (5-HT) synthesis. In HPLC assay R-(+)-8-OH-DPAT (0.03 mg/kg) significantly decreased 5-HT synthesis rate in striatum, hypothalamus and frontal cortex of control, whilst nonsignificantly in DSP-4-lesioned adult rats (10-12 weeks old). To determine which type of receptor, pre- or postsynaptically located, is involved in the attenuated response to 5-HT(1A) receptors' agonist, behavioral tests were conducted. R-(+)-8-OH-DPAT (0.015 mg/kg) caused hyperphagia of control rats, but did not change feeding of DSP-4 treated rats. R-(+)-8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg/kg) induced hypothermia and "5-HT(1A) syndrome" in both control and DSP-4-lesioned animals. The nature of this phenomenon is attributable to the presynaptic adaptive mechanism and suggests the desensitization of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors of rats with neonatal lesion of the central noradrenergic system.     

In-vivo modulation of central 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT1A) receptor-mediated responses by the cholinergic system

The aim of the present study was to investigate a putative modulation of rat 5-HT system by the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine using in-vivo electrophysiological and behavioural techniques. In the dorsal raphe nucleus, administration of atropine (1 mg/kg i.v.) prevented the suppressant effect of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) on the spontaneous firing activity of 5-HT neurons, suggesting that atropine could induce an attenuation of somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors responsiveness. The 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT decreased both immobility in the forced swim test and the body core temperature. Pre-treatment with atropine (5 and 10 mg/kg i.p.) enhanced antidepressant-like effect of 8-OH-DPAT (1 mg/kg s.c.) and reduced 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg/kg s.c.)-induced hypothermia. In conclusion, the present study reports a functional role of muscarinic receptors in the modulation of pre- and post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors mediated responses.     

Single-dose 8-OH-DPAT pretreatment does not induce tachyphylaxis to the 5-HT release-reducing effect of 5-HT1A autoreceptor agonists.

It has recently been suggested that central 5-HT1A autoreceptors are already desensitised after single-dose 5-HT1A agonist treatment. In turn, this would lead to an attenuated feedback suppression of transmitter release from 5-HT neurones, and thus to enhanced 5-HT synaptic transmission. In the present study in vivo brain microdialysis techniques were used in an attempt to test this hypothesis. The results show that single-dose pretreatment with the reference 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(din-propylamino)tetralin, 8-OH-DPAT, (i) did not significantly alter the baseline output of 5-HT in the rat ventral hippocampus 24 h later, and (ii) did not alter the release-reducing response to 5-HT1A agonist (8-OH-DPAT, ipsapirone or BMY 7378) challenge under the same conditions. These observations indicate that the functional responsiveness of the 5-HT release-controlling 5-HT1A autoreceptors is maintained after bolus 8-OH-DPAT pretreatment. When related to the acute 8-OH-DPAT-induced reduction in raphe 5-HT1A radioligand binding density recently reported by others, the present results are consistent with a large functional overcapacity of this 5-HT1A receptor population. The mechanism by which 5-HT1A receptor-mediated hypothermia and hyperphagia are rapidly attenuated by a previous large single dose of a 5-HT1A receptor agonist remains to be explained.     

Responses of hippocampal pyramidal cells to putative serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B agonists: a comparative study with dorsal raphe neurons

In low cerveau isolé transected rats, the effects of microiontophoretic application of putative serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B agonists on the spontaneous firing rate of CA1 pyramidal cells were compared to those of 5-HT. In contrast to the large current-dependent suppression of unit activity observed with 5-HT, the 5-HT1A compounds, ipsapirone, 8-OH-DPAT (8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin) and LY 165163 (p-aminophenylethyl-m-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine) and the 5-HT1B compounds, mCPP (m-chlorophenylpiperazine) and TFMPP (trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine), produced only weak inhibition of spontaneous firing. Conversely, using identical ejection parameters, ipsapirone and LY 165163 (previously reported) and 8-OH-DPAT were as effective as 5-HT in inhibiting markedly the baseline activity of serotonergic dorsal raphe neurons; mCPP and TFMPP (previously reported) were only weakly active. In view of the minor suppressant effects of the 5-HT1A agonists on the firing of pyramidal cells, a modulatory role for these compounds was sought. Excitation of pyrimadal cells, induced by microiontophoretic application of glutamate, was attenuated by ipsapirone and 8-OH-DPAT; however, when directly compared in the same cells, ipsapirone was no more effective than the 5-HT1B agonist, mCPP. In summary, the inability of CA1 pyramidal cells to distinguish the actions of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B ligands is in sharp contrast to the striking differences observed for these compounds with dorsal raphe neurons. Consistent with these findings is the idea that 5-HT1A compounds are full agonists on dorsal raphe neurons but only partial agonists on pyramidal cells.     

Neurochemical and behavioural evidence for mediation of the hyperphagic action of 8-OH-DPAT by 5-HT cell body autoreceptors

Administration of 60 micrograms/kg s.c. of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a dose previously shown to cause hyperphagia in satiated rats (but not to cause the 5-HT behavioural syndrome) decreased 5-HIAA and 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio in several brain regions, the most marked effects being in pons + medulla oblongata, a region containing 5-HT cell bodies and ascending 5-HT axons. Micro-infusion of 8-OH-DPAT (250 and 500 ng) into the dorsal or medial raphe nuclei significantly increased food intake and feeding duration but did not produce the 5-HT behavioural syndrome. Results suggest that 8-OH-DPAT induced hyperphagia is mediated via a agonist action on somatodendritic 5-HT autoreceptors.     

Modification of serotonin neuron properties in mice lacking 5-HT1A receptors

Using null mutant mice for the 5-HT1A receptor (5-HT1A-/-), extracellular electrophysiological recordings were first conducted to evaluate the impact of its genetic deletion on the firing rate of dorsal raphe 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurons. Experiments were also done using brain slices to assess whether any compensation phenomenon had taken place in key receptors known to control 5-HT and norepinephrine release. The mean firing rate of 5-HT neurons was nearly doubled in 5-HT1A-/- mice, although 65% of the neurons were firing in their normal range. In preloaded brain slices, the 5-HT1D/B receptor agonist sumatriptan equally inhibited the electrically evoked release of [3H]5-HT in mesencephalic slices (containing the dorsal and median raphe) from wildtype and 5-HT1A-/- mice. The 5-HT1B receptor agonist CP 93129 (1,4-dihydro-3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-4-pyridinyl)-5H-pyrrol (3, 2-b) pyridin-5-one) and the alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist UK14,304 (5-bromo-N-(4, 5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-6-quinoxalinamine) produced the same inhibitory effect in both groups of mice in hippocampus and frontal cortex slices. No difference was observed on the UK14,304-mediated inhibition of [3H]norepinephrine from preloaded slices of the two latter structures between the two groups of mice. In conclusion, the loss of control of the 5-HT1A autoreceptor in 5-HT1A-/- mice lead to a significant enhancement of 5-HT neuronal firing, but it did not alter 5-HT or norepinephrine release in any of the brain structures examined. In addition, it was not associated with changes in the function of 5-HT1D and 5-HT1B autoreceptors and of alpha2-adrenergic heteroreceptors on 5-HT neurons, nor of that of alpha2-adrenoceptors on norepinephrine terminals.     

Enhancement of serotonin(1A) receptor function following repeated electroconvulsive shock in young rat hippocampal neurons in vitro

Effects of repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS) treatment on 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) response were investigated to elucidate the ECS-induced changes, which may be related to antidepressant effects, using electrophysiological methods with hippocampal slices in vitro. ECS was applied to Wistar rats once daily for 14 d from 3 wk of age (ECS group). Control animals did not receive ECS (control group). Twenty-four hours after the final ECS treatment, hippocampal slices were prepared for intracellular recording analysis. Application of 5-HT (0.1-30 μm) caused a dose-dependent hyperpolarization in hippocampal CA1 neurons. 5-HT-induced hyperpolarization in the ECS group was significantly greater than that in the control group. Furthermore, 8-OH-DPAT [8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin], a 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, also induced significantly larger hyperpolarization in the ECS group than in the control group. These results suggest that repeated ECS treatment enhances function of the 5-HT(1A) receptor for 5-HT. This supports the hypothesis that enhanced 5-HT(1A) receptor function, at least in part, contributes to the effectiveness of ECS treatment for depression directly and/or indirectly.     

Electrophysiological evidence for the tonic activation of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and norepinephine (NE) neurons have reciprocal connections. These may thus interfere with anticipated effects of selective pharmacological agents targeting these neurons. The main goal of the present study was to assess whether the somatodendritic 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor is tonically activated by endogenous 5-HT in anesthetised rats, using in vivo extracellular unitary recordings. In rats with their NE neurons lesioned using 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and in controls administered the NE reuptake inhibitor desipramine to suppress NE neuronal firing, the alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine no longer inhibited 5-HT neuron firing, therefore indicating the important modulation of the firing activity of 5-HT neurons by NE neurons. In control rats, the administration of the potent and selective 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist WAY 100,635 ((N-[2-[4(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethy]-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydroxychloride) (100 microg/kg, i.v.) did not modify the spontaneous firing activity of 5-HT neurons, but in NE-lesioned rats using either 6-OHDA or DSP-4, WAY 100,635 produced a mean firing increase of 80 and 69%, respectively. When desipramine and D-amphetamine were used in control rats to prevent alterations in the availability of NE in the dorsal raphe, again WAY 100,635 produced a significant disinhibition of the firing of 5-HT neurons (83 and 53%, respectively). These data support the notion that the NE system tonically activates the firing activity of 5-HT neurons. When the fluctuations of the function of NE neurons normally produced by WAY 100,635 were prevented, a tonic activation of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors by endogenous 5-HT was unmasked.     

Inhibition of dorsal raphe cell firing by MDL 73005EF, a novel 5-HT1A receptor ligand.

The effect of a novel ligand for the 5-HT1A receptor subtype, MDL 73005EF, on the firing rate of serotonergic dorsal raphe neurons was assessed in rat midbrain slices maintained in vitro. Superfusion with MDL 73005EF inhibited neuronal firing in a concentration-dependent manner. Based upon IC50 values, MDL 73005EF was equipotent with buspirone (129 +/- 34 vs. 97 +/- 8 nM, respectively) but significantly less potent than 8-OH-DPAT (8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propylamino)tetralin; 7 +/- 2 nM). Pretreatment with (-)-propranolol (1 microM), a mixed 5-HT1A/B receptor antagonist, blocked by 50% the inhibition of unit activity elicited by MDL 73005EF. Taken together, these data suggest that MDL 73005EF is an agonist at the somatodendritic autoreceptor on dorsal raphe neurons, a 5-HT1A receptor which regulates in part the pacemaker activity of these cells. The results are discussed in the context of receptor reserve, recently proposed to explain apparent discrepancies in the actions of agonists at pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT1A sites.     

Dorsal raphe microinjection of 5-HT and indirect 5-HT agonists induces feeding in rats

Previous work has shown that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor agonists such as 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) reduce 5-HT neurotransmission and induce feeding in rats. The effects of 8-OH-DPAT appear to be mediated in part in the dorsal raphe nucleus by serotonergic somatodendritic autoreceptors which normally regulate impulse flow in 5-HT dorsal raphe neurons. The present experiments sought to examine whether suppression of dorsal raphe serotonergic neural activity induced by exogenously applied, or endogenously released 5-HT would increase feeding. Free-feeding rats were microinjected in the dorsal raphe with 5-HT, the 5-HT releasing compound d-fenfluramine, the 5-HT re-uptake inhibitor zimelidine, or the type-A monoamine oxidase inhibitor brofaromine. Dose dependent increases in food intake over a 1 h period were found following treatment with 5-HT and the three indirectly acting compounds. Thus, increased serotonergic activity within the dorsal raphe increases feeding, presumably by inhibiting the activity of dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons. In addition the effects of 5-HT were blocked by pretreatment with haloperidol, indicating the involvement of a dopaminergic mechanism in mediating the effects of feeding of a suppression in dorsal raphe 5-HT neural activity. The results are discussed in terms of the general role which serotonergic neurons arising from the dorsal raphe may play in behavioural inhibition.     

The relation of central 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors: low dose agonist-induced selective tolerance in the rat.

To study the purported relation of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors, we chronically injected rats with a low dose of selective 5-HT agonists to induce behavioral tolerance and then tested for cross-tolerance. Acutely, in naive rats, both the putative 5-HT2 agonist DOI and 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT induced some behaviors of the "serotonin syndrome" but the two drugs could be differentiated. Only DOI evoked shaking behavior, "skin jerks" (spinal myoclonus), and hyperthermia. Only 8-OH-DPAT induced flat body posture, head weaving, hypothermia, and occasional hindlimb hyperextension (dystonic posture). Both drugs, especially 8-OH-DPAT, evoked forepaw tapping. Chronic (21 day) treatment with DOI prevented DOI-evoked behaviors but not behaviors evoked by 8-OH-DPAT. Behaviors evoked by 8-OH-DPAT and not DOI decreased significantly after chronic 8-OH-DPAT treatment. Development of selective tolerance suggests that putative selective 5-HT2 and 5-HT1A agonists exert both shared and distinctive behavioral effects through separate sites whose relation is behavior-specific. For some behaviors (forepaw myoclonus, shaking behavior, thermoregulation), there is a functional interaction between 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 sites, while for other behaviors (skin jerks, flat body posture, head weaving), there is no interaction.     

Involvement of somatodendritic 5-HT(1A) receptors in Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-induced hypothermia in the rat

Previously, it has been reported that modulating serotonergic neurones by use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) can alter the hypothermic response produced by Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect that activation or antagonism of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT(1A)) receptors has on Delta(9)-THC-induced hypothermia. Delta(9)-THC (0.5, 2 and 5 mg/kg iv) decreased body temperature in a dose-related manner. Whilst having no significant effect on body temperature when administered 40 min prior to vehicle injection, the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl) cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY 100635; 1 mg/kg sc) significantly potentiated the hypothermia produced by 2 and 5 mg/kg Delta(9)-THC. In order to investigate whether this effect was due to antagonism at somatodendritic autoreceptors in midbrain raphe nuclei, WAY 100635 or the 5-HT(1A) agonist 8-hydroxy-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) was microinjected into either the median raphe nuclei (MRN) or dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN) 40 min prior to Delta(9)-THC injection. Following microinjection into the DRN, neither WAY 100635 (0.5 nmol/0.5 microl/10 s) nor 8-OH-DPAT (15.2 nmol/0.5 microl/10 s) had any significant effect on Delta(9)-THC-induced hypothermia. However, WAY 100635 when microinjected into the MRN significantly potentiated Delta(9)-THC-induced hypothermia, and 8-OH-DPAT microinjected into the MRN significantly inhibited Delta(9)-THC-induced hypothermia. It is suggested from these studies that the potentiation of Delta(9)-THC-induced hypothermia by WAY 100635 when administered peripherally is mainly due to antagonism at somatodendritic 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors in the MRN.     

Selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, locally administered into the dorsal raphe nucleus increased extracellular acetylcholine concentrations in the medial prefrontal cortex of conscious rats.

The effects of a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), directly administered into the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) on acetylcholine (ACh) release in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of freely moving rats were investigated by using a microdialysis technique. 8-OH-DPAT (1.0 and 5.0 micrograms) administered into DR significantly increased extracellular ACh concentrations in mPFC in a dose-dependent manner with a maximal increase to 215% and 237% of basal level, respectively, whereas a 0.1 microgram dose of this drug failed to exert such an increase. The present study suggests that the stimulation of somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors in DR is involved in an enhancement in ACh release in mPFC.     

Pertussis toxin blocks 5-HT1A and GABAB receptor-mediated inhibition of serotonergic neurons

To examine the role of guanine nucleotide binding (G) proteins in receptor-mediated inhibition of serotonin (5-HT) neurons, we intracerebrally injected pertussis toxin (0.5-1.0 microgram) into rat midbrain in a region immediately rostral to the dorsal raphe nucleus. The baseline firing rate of extracellularly recorded 5-HT neurons was not significantly affected by pertussis toxin treatment. However, in comparison to saline-injected controls, pertussis toxin-injected animals showed markedly blunted sensitivity to agonists that act at 5-HT autoreceptors (isapirone, 5-HT and LSD) and to baclofen, a GABAB agonist. This pertussis toxin-induced blunting of sensitivity was demonstrated in vivo (with intravenous and iontophoretic application of drugs) and in vitro in the dorsal raphe brain slice preparation. The sensitivity of iontophoretically applied GABA itself was not significantly decreased with pertussis toxin treatment, consistent with evidence that GABA administered in this manner acts on dorsal raphe cells mainly through GABAA receptors. Our data provide strong evidence for the role of a pertussis toxin substrate(s) (presumably a G protein(s] in mediating the inhibition induced by the autoreceptor and GABAB receptor on 5-HT neurons in rat dorsal raphe nucleus.