Serotonin 1A receptors, serotonin transporter binding and serotonin transporter mRNA expression in the brainstem of depressed suicide victims.

Suicide and depression are associated with reduced serotonergic neurotransmission. In suicides, there is a reduction in serotonin transporter (SERT) sites and an increase in postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptors in localized regions of the prefrontal cortex. In depression, there is a diffuse decrease in SERT binding throughout the dorsoventral extent of the prefrontal cortex. Serotonergic innervation of the prefrontal cortex arises predominantly from neurons in the brainstem dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). We, therefore, examined postmortem SERT binding and mRNA expression, as well as 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor binding in the DRN of 10 matched pairs of controls and depressed suicide victims. The concentration of SERT sites, SERT mRNA, and 5-HT(1A) binding was not different between controls and suicides (p >.05). In the DRN of suicides, the volume of tissue defined by 5-HT(1A) binding was 40% smaller than controls. An index of the total number of 5-HT(1A) receptors (receptor binding x volume of receptor distribution) was 43.3% lower in the DRN of suicides, compared with controls. The suicide group had 54% fewer DRN neurons expressing SERT mRNA compared with controls. In the serotonin neurons that expressed the SERT gene, expression per neuron was greater in suicides. Less total 5-HT(1A) and SERT binding is consistent with results of in vivo studies in depression. Less feedback inhibition of serotonin DRN firing via 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors and enhancement of serotonin action due to less uptake of serotonin, is consistent with compensatory changes in response to hypofunction in depressed suicides.     

Regulation of serotonin release by GABA and excitatory amino acids

Regulation of serotonin release by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate was examined by microdialysis in unanaesthetized rats. The GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol, or the glutamate receptor agonists kainate, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolaproprionate or N-methyl-D-aspartate were infused into the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) while extracellular serotonin was measured in the DRN and nucleus accumbens. Muscimol produced decreases, and the glutamate receptor agonists produced increases in serotonin. To determine if these receptors have a tonic influence on serotonergic neurons, glutamate or GABA(A) receptor antagonists were infused into the DRN. Kynurenate, a nonselective glutamate receptor blocker, produced a small, 30% decrease in serotonin. A similar decrease was obtained with combined infusion of AP-5 and DNQX into the DRN. The GABAA receptor blocker bicuculline produced an approximately three-fold increase in DRN serotonin. In conclusion, glutamate neurotransmitters have a weak tonic excitatory influence on serotonergic neurons in the rat DRN. However, the predominate influence is mediated by GABA(A) receptors.     

The progesterone metabolite allopregnanolone potentiates GABA(A) receptor-mediated inhibition of 5-HT neuronal activity.

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is the origin of much of the 5-HT innervation of the forebrain. The activity of DRN 5-HT neurons is regulated by a number of receptors including GABA(A) and 5-HT(1A) inhibitory receptors and by excitatory alpha(1)-adrenoceptors. Using in vitro electrophysiological recording we investigated the action of progesterone and its metabolite, allopregnanolone on receptor-mediated responses of DRN 5-HT neurons. Neither allopregnanolone nor progesterone affected the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor agonist-induced firing. Allopregnanolone also had no effect on the inhibitory response to 5-HT. However, allopregnanolone significantly potentiated the inhibitory responses to GABA(A) receptor agonists. Progesterone did not enhance GABA(A) receptor-meditated inhibitory responses. Thus, the neuroactive metabolite of progesterone, allopregnanolone, has the ability to cause potentiation of GABA(A)-mediated inhibition of DRN 5-HT neurons. This effect on 5-HT neurotransmission may have relevance for mood disorders commonly associated with reproductive hormone events, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder and postpartum depression.     

Aging alters in a region-specific manner serotonin transporter sites and 5-HT(1A) receptor-G protein interactions in hamster brain

Key proteins regulating serotonergic activity, specifically the serotonin transporter and 5-HT(1A) receptor, were examined in the midbrain raphe nuclei of young (3-4 months) and old (17-19 months) hamsters (N=7-10/group). An age-related decrease in the maximal density of serotonin transporter sites labelled with [(3)H]paroxetine (fmol/mg protein, Old: 396+/-13; Young: 487+/-27) was observed in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) but not the median raphe nucleus (MRN), without affecting the affinity of [(3)H]paroxetine. In the DRN and MRN, the stimulation of [(35)S]GTP gamma S binding by the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT, or the number of 5-HT(1A) receptor sites labeled with [(3)H] MPPF, was not different in old versus young animals. Thus in the DRN, aging decreased serotonin transporter sites without changing 5-HT(1A) receptor activation of G proteins or 5-HT(1A) receptor density. In the CA(1) region of hippocampus, 8-OH-DPAT-stimulated [(35)S]GTP gamma S binding was increased in the older animals (% above basal, Old: 141+/-21; Young: 81+/-17) without changing specific [(3)H] MPPF binding sites, suggesting that the capacity of 5-HT(1A) receptors to activate G proteins is enhanced. Aging also appears to enhance this capacity in the dentate gyrus, because this region exhibited a constant level of 8-OH-DPAT-stimulated [(35)S]GTP gamma S binding in spite of an age-related decrease in the number of [(3)H] MPPF binding sites (fmol/mg protein, Old: 203+/-21; Young: 429+/-51).     

The role of noradrenergic tone in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the mouse in the acute behavioral effects of antidepressant drugs.

Serotonin neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) receive dense noradrenergic innervation and are under tonic activation by noradrenergic input. Thus, afferent noradrenergic input to the DRN could modify the antidepressant effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) by regulating serotonergic transmission. This study investigated whether noradrenergic innervation of the DRN contributes to the acute behavioral effects of different types of antidepressant drugs in the mouse tail suspension test (TST). Noradrenergic terminals in the DRN were destroyed selectively by the local application of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the presence of noradrenergic fibers in the mouse DRN, that 6-OHDA-induced destruction of noradrenergic terminals was confined to the DRN, and serotonergic cell bodies were not affected by 6-OHDA treatment. The antidepressants tested included the SSRIs, fluoxetine and citalopram, and the norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NRI) desipramine. The behavioral effects of fluoxetine (20 mg/kg, IP) were blocked by the destruction of noradrenergic terminals. In contrast, pretreatment with 6-OHDA did not alter the ability of citalopram (20 mg/kg, IP) or desipramine (10 mg/kg, IP) to reduce immobility in the TST. Destruction of noradrenergic projections from the locus ceruleus (LC) by DSP-4 treatment did not alter the behavioral effects of any of the antidepressants tested, or the presence of noradrenergic terminals in the DRN, thus indicating that noradrenergic pathways originating from the LC do not mediate the acute behavioral effects of antidepressants in this test. Thus, afferent noradrenergic activity at the level of the DRN can modulate serotonergic transmission in forebrain structures and the behavioral effects of SSRIs, such as fluoxetine, which use noradrenergic input to the DRN to increase forebrain serotonin.     

Melatonin modulates nitric oxide-regulated WNK-SPAK/OSR1-NKCC1 signaling in dorsal raphe nucleus of rats

The sleep-wake cycle is regulated by the alternating activity of sleep- and wake-promoting neurons. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) secretes 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin), promoting wakefulness. Melatonin secreted from the pineal gland also promotes wakefulness in rats. Our laboratory recently demonstrated that daily changes in nitric oxide (NO) production regulates a signaling pathway involving with-no-lysine kinase (WNK), Ste20-related proline alanine rich kinase (SPAK)/oxidative stress response kinase 1 (OSR1), and cation-chloride co-transporters (CCC) in rat DRN serotonergic neurons. This study was designed to investigate the effect of melatonin on NO-regulated WNK-SPAK/OSR1-CCC signaling in wake-inducing DRN neurons to elucidate the mechanism underlying melatonin’s wake-promoting actions in rats. Ex vivo treatment of DRN slices with melatonin suppressed neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression and increased WNK4 expression without altering WNK1, 2, or 3. Melatonin increased phosphorylation of OSR1 and the expression of sodium-potassium-chloride co-transporter 1 (NKCC1), while potassium-chloride co-transporter 2 (KCC2) remained unchanged. Melatonin increased the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2, serotonin-synthesizing enzyme). The present study suggests that melatonin may promote its wakefulness by modulating NO-regulated WNK-SPAK/OSR1-KNCC1 signaling in rat DRN serotonergic neurons.     

Effects of the pesticide methoxychlor on gene expression in the liver and testes of the male largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The organochlorine pesticide methoxychlor (MXC) is an environmental estrogen known to stimulate the expression of the egg-yolk protein, vitellogenin (Vtg) in fish species. To begin to understand the underlying mechanisms for how MXC exerts its deleterious effects on the endocrine system, male largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were treated with 2.5, 10, or 25mg/kg MXC and compared to fish pair-treated with 1mg/kg 17 beta-estradiol (E2), and vehicle control. Fish were sacrificed 24, 48, or 72 h following treatment. The liver and testes were then assayed for changes in expression of the three bass estrogen receptors (ERs alpha, beta a, and beta b) in tissues, as well as Vtg and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A isoform 68 in the liver and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) in the testes. In the liver, significant increases in gene expression were seen for each of the genes measured by 24 h and each returned to the level of the vehicle by 72 h. Total testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylase activity, reflective of CYP3A activity, was also increased by 24h for all of the exposures. In the testes, ER alpha was unaffected by any treatment, ERbetaa was up-regulated only by MXC, peaking at 24h for the 2.5 and 10mg/kg MXC and at 48 h for the 25mg/kg MXC treatment. By 72 h, the MXC effects had disappeared, while E2 significantly decreased the expression of ER beta a mRNA. ER beta b expression in the testes was stimulated by all concentrations of MXC by 24 h and the effect remained up to 72 h, whereas E2 had no effect. Finally, StAR expression was also found to be decreased by E2 and all MXC treatments. However, the effect on StAR expression by E2 occurred within 24h, while the effect by all concentrations of MXC was not seen until 72 h after treatment. The stimulatory effects of E2 and 25mg/kg MXC on the expression of the ERs in the liver were opposite to the responses seen in the testes, suggesting an inverted relationship between these two tissue types. These results provide a possible mechanism showing that alterations in reproductive signaling in male fish by xenoestrogens not only increase Vtg expression in the liver, but may also decrease reproductive success by muting some of the estrogen signals required for sperm production.     

Nicotine stimulation of dorsal raphe neurons: effects on laterodorsal and pedunculopontine neurons.

Previous studies showed that nicotine suppresses the ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) spikes of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in cats. This effect may depend on stimulation of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) serotoninergic neurons that inhibit the pedunculopontine (PPT) and laterodorsal tegmental (LDT) cholinergic neurons, generators of PGO spikes. For testing this hypothesis 37 experiments were performed in rat midbrain slices. Nicotine (2 mM), administered locally into DRN, significantly increased the firing rate of 81.1% DRN neurons and serotonin release while simultaneously and significantly decreasing the firing rate of 80.8% LDT neurons and of 81.8% PPT neurons. The inhibition of LDT neurons by nicotine administered into DRN was blocked by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (140 nM) administered into LDT. These results indicate that nicotine inhibits the activity of LDT and PPT neurons and consequently the generation of PGO spikes through stimulation of DRN serotoninergic neurons.     

Implication of 5-HT7 receptor in prefrontal circuit assembly and detrimental emotional effects of SSRIs during development

Altered development of prefrontal cortex (PFC) circuits can have long-term consequences on adult emotional behavior. Changes in serotonin homeostasis during critical periods produced by genetic or pharmacological inactivation of the serotonin transporter (SERT, or Slc6a4), have been involved in such developmental effects. In mice, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), administered during postnatal development cause exuberant synaptic connectivity of the PFC to brainstem dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) circuits, and increase adult risk for developing anxiety and depressive symptoms. SERT is transiently expressed in the glutamate neurons of the mouse PFC, that project to the DRN. Here, we find that 5-HTR7 is transiently co-expressed with SERT by PFC neurons, and it plays a key role in the maturation of PFC-to-DRN synaptic circuits during early postnatal life. 5-HTR7-KO mice show reduced PFC-to-DRN synaptic density (as measured by array-tomography and VGLUT1/synapsin immunocytochemistry). Conversely, 5-HTR7 over-expression in the developing PFC increased PFC-to-DRN synaptic density. Long-term consequences on depressive-like and anxiogenic behaviors were observed in adults. 5-HTR7 over-expression in the developing PFC, results in depressive-like symptoms in adulthood. Importantly, the long-term depressive-like and anxiogenic effects of SSRIs (postnatal administration of fluoxetine from P2 to P14) were not observed in 5-HTR7-KO mice, and were prevented by co-administration of the selective inhibitor of 5-HTR7, SB269970. This study identifies a new role 5-HTR7 in the postnatal maturation of prefrontal descending circuits. Furthermore, it shows that 5-HTR7 in the PFC is crucially required for the detrimental emotional effects caused by SSRI exposure during early postnatal life.Subject terms: Synaptic development, Depression     

Allopregnanolone and ganaxolone increase the firing activity of dorsal raphe nucleus serotonergic neurons in female rats

Accumulating evidence suggest a reciprocal interaction between neurosteroids, especially 5alpha-pregnan-3alpha-ol,20-one (3alpha,5alpha-THP, allopregnanolone), and the serotonergic (5-HT) system. Both 5-HT and neurosteroids seem to play an important role in the pathophysiology of major depression. We have previously shown that a 7-d treatment with 3alpha,5alpha-THP drastically increases the spontaneous firing activity of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) 5-HT neurons in female rats. This study was thus undertaken to better characterize this modulation and to assess the effects of ganaxolone, a synthetic analogue of 3alpha,5alpha-THP. Female rats received 50 microg/kg.d of 3alpha,5alpha-THP or ganaxolone for 3 and 7 days. Others received 3alpha,5alpha-THP concomitantly with the antiprogestin RU486 (50 microg/kg.d, each), which was also administered alone. Acute experiments were also carried out with a single injection of 3alpha,5alpha-THP (1 microg/kg). Finally, both 3alpha,5alpha-THP and ganaxolone (50 microg/kg.d) were administered along with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram (10 mg/kg.d). In-vivo extracellular unitary recordings of 5-HT neurons from the DRN, revealed that 3alpha,5alpha-THP and ganaxolone increased their firing activity after 3 and 7 d of treatment. A 7-d treatment with RU486 had the same effect. Furthermore, an increase could be seen as soon as after 30-60 min following a single injection with 3alpha,5alpha-THP. Interestingly, both 3alpha,5alpha-THP and ganaxolone prevented the citalopram-induced reduction in firing activity after 3-d treatments. These data demonstrate the ability of 3alpha,5alpha-THP and ganaxolone to positively modulate the firing activity of DRN 5-HT neurons in female rats. Moreover, these results suggest that these neuroactive steroids might represent interesting adjuvants in the treatment of mood disorders in female patients.     

Different actions for acute and chronic administration of mirtazapine on serotonergic transmission associated with raphe nuclei and their innervation cortical regions

The atypical antidepressant, mirtazapine enhances noradrenergic transmission, but its effects on serotonergic transmission remain to be clarified. The present study determined the effects of acute and chronic administration of mirtazapine on serotonergic transmissions in raphe nuclei and their innervation regions, frontal and entorhinal cortex, using multiple-probes microdialysis with real-time PCR and western blotting. Acute administration of mirtazapine did not affect extracellular serotonin level in raphe nuclei or cortex; however, chronic administration increased extracellular serotonin level in raphe nuclei without affecting that in cortex. Blockade of 5-HT1A receptor, but not that of the 5-HT2A/2C receptor, enhanced the effects of acute administration of mirtazapine on extracellular serotonin level in raphe nuclei. Chronic mirtazapine administration reduced the inhibitory function associated with somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptor in raphe nuclei, but enhanced postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor in serotonergic innervated cortical regions. Chronic administration reduced the expression of mRNA and protein of serotonin transporter and 5-HT1A receptor in raphe nuclei, but not in the cortices. These results suggested that acute administration of mirtazapine probably activated serotonergic transmission, but its stimulatory action was abolished by activated inhibitory 5-HT1A receptor. Chronic administration of mirtazapine resulted in increased extracellular serotonin level via reduction of serotonin transporter with reduction of somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptor function in raphe nuclei. These pharmacological actions of mirtazapine include its serotonergic profiles as noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA).     

Presynaptic 5-HT1A is Related to 5-HTT Receptor Density in the Human Brain

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin) is an important neurotransmitter for a number of brain functions and widely distributed throughout the brain. Physiological and pharmacological relationship between 5-HT1A receptors and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) in the regulation of 5-HT neurotransmission has now been documented. A relationship between 5-HT1A receptors and 5-HTT is also suggested by the pathophysiology of depression and the mechanism of action of antidepressants. We have scanned 42 healthy adults with both [11C] WAY-100635 and [11C] DASB to investigate the anatomical co-distribution of multiple serotonergic markers. We hypothesized that lower 5-HTT densities in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and limbic regions will be accompanied by lower 5-HT1A receptor density in the same regions, contributing to the 5-HT1A receptor desensitization. In addition, variations in DRN 5-HT1A receptor density can theoretically influence the density and/or function of other serotonin receptor subtypes and the 5-HTT consequent to changes in serotonergic tone. In a comparatively large sample of volunteers, we have shown that the relationship between 5-HT1A and 5-HTT PET indices was complex. We were unable to demonstrate robust, intra-regional relationships between 5-HT1A and 5-HTT densities. Inter-regionally, DRN 5-HT1A receptors were related to cortical (temporal and frontal regions) and paralimbic (insula), but not limbic 5-HTT. This latter finding may reflect differences in 5-HT tone between individuals, and highlights probable substrates sensitive to variations in DRN 5-HT function.     

Chronic intermittent nicotine treatment dose-dependently alters serotonergic neurons response to citalopram in the rat

Acetylcholine nicotinic systems and serotonergic systems are known to interact. In rodents, acute and chronic nicotine treatments have consequences on several aspects of the activity of dorsal raphe serotonin (DRN 5-HT) neurons. One hypothesis is that states of functioning of DRN 5-HT neurons (firing rate and sensitivity) vary as a function of nicotine dose and mode of administration during chronic nicotine treatment. In the present study, the firing rate and sensitivity of DRN 5-HT neurons were investigated using single (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) or multiple (3 injections of 0.7 mg/kg) daily injections of nicotine over 10 days. The sensitivity of neurons was tested by the cumulative dose of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram necessary to inhibit their firing. The activity of neurons was tested during treatment, and then 24 and 48 h after nicotine withdrawal. The results show that, on day 10, DRN 5-HT neurons were desensitized (reduced response to citalopram) after chronic single daily injection treatments with the high dose of nicotine (1 mg/kg), while their sensitivity remained unaltered after single daily injections with the low dose (0.5 mg/kg), and after the multiple daily injection paradigm. None of the treatments altered the firing rate of DRN 5-HT neurons. The dose-dependent and time-dependent alterations of serotonergic neurons sensitivity after chronic nicotine treatments are likely the consequences of long-term adaptations of nicotinic receptors. The desensitization of DRN 5-HT neurons after chronic single daily injections of 1 mg/kg of nicotine suggests an antidepressant-like effect of chronic nicotine.     

Suppression of lordotic responsiveness in the female rat during mesencephalic electrical stimulation

The effects of biphasic electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic median (MRN) and dorsal raphe (DRN) nuclei, as well as the adjacent periaqueductal gray (PAG), on lordotic behavior were investigated in ovariectomized rats primed with three daily injections of estradiol benzoate (2 micrograms). Animals were tested between 4-8 hours after a progesterone (0.5 mg) injection on day four which normally facilitates high levels of receptivity during this period. Although stimulation of the MRN had no significant effect on lordosis, DRN activation at 100 Hz (0.5 msec pulse duration) or 10 Hz (2 msec pulse duration) caused a marked and immediate suppression (53% and 56%, respectively) in receptivity. This suppression does not appear to be due to activation of serotoninergic neurons originating in the DRN since pretreatment with an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis (parachlorophenylalamine, 320 mg/kg) essentially did not modify the suppression, thus providing no evidence in support of an inhibitory role for serotonin in lordotic behavior. Activation within the PAG adjacent to the DRN at 10 Hz (0.5 or 2 msec pulse duration) produced an immediate, dramatic decrease (81% and 80%, respectively) in receptivity. The suppressions induced by DRN and PAG stimulation appear most likely to be due to activation of a descending pathway inhibitory to the lordosis reflex at medullary or spinal cord levels.     

Hepatobiliary transporter expression in intercellular adhesion molecule 1 knockout and Fas receptor-deficient mice after common bile duct ligation is independent of the degree of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Liver injury in intercellular adhesion molecule 1 knockout (ICAM(-/-)) and Fas receptor-deficient (lpr) mice is markedly reduced after common bile duct ligation (CBDL) due to significantly reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. Liver injury in CBDL rodents is counteracted by adaptive hepatobiliary transporter induction. Since hepatobiliary transporter expression in obstructive cholestasis may be regulated not only by accumulating bile acids but also by inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress, we hypothesized that differences in the inflammatory response may affect hepatobiliary transporter expression in CBDL, which would contribute to reduced liver injury. Therefore, expression of major hepatobiliary transporters (Ntcp, Bsep, Mrp2-4, Ost alpha/beta) was determined by Taqman RT-PCR and Western blotting in sham-operated animals and 3 days after CBDL in wild-type, ICAM(-/-) and lpr mice of the endotoxin-sensitive C57BL/6 and the endotoxin-resistant C3H/HeJ strains. CBDL resulted in a significant decrease of Ntcp in all genotypes. Canalicular transporters Bsep and Mrp2 were repressed only in the endotoxin-sensitive strain regardless of the genotype. Mrp3 was moderately induced in ICAM(-/-), lpr, and endotoxin-resistant mice, whereas Mrp4 was only induced in the endotoxin-resistant strain. Ost beta was massively induced in all CBDL mice, whereas Ost alpha was reduced. In conclusion, markedly reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in CBDL ICAM(-/-) and lpr mice does not profoundly affect hepatobiliary transporter expression. Therefore, transporter expression does not account for reduced liver injury in ICAM(-/-) and lpr mice. Induction of the adaptive transporter response after CBDL is independent of the degree of the inflammatory response. Rather, retention of biliary constituents may determine transporter expression in CBDL.     

Regeneration of serotonin from 5-methoxytryptamine by polymorphic human CYP2D6

Polymorphic cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is expressed in several types of central neurons but its function in human brain is currently unknown. Using recombinant enzymes and CYP2D6-transgenic mice, we established that 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MT), a metabolite and precursor of melatonin, is a specific and high-turnover endogenous substrate of CYP2D6. This potent serotonergic neuromodulator in numerous physiological systems binds tightly to recombinant CYP2D6 enzyme with an equilibrium dissociation constant (K(s)) of 23.4 micromol/l, and is O-demethylated to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) with a high turnover of 51.7 min(-1) and low Michaelis-Menten constant of 19.5 micromol/l. The production of 5-HT from 5-MT catalyzed by CYP2D6 was inhibited by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and their inhibition potency (K(i), micromol/l) decreased in the order of fluoxetine (0.411) > norfluoxetine (1.38) > fluvoxamine (10.1) > citalopram (10.9). Liver microsomes prepared from CYP2D6-transgenic mice showed about 16-fold higher 5-MT O-demethylase activity than that from wild-type mice. After the intravenous co-administration of 5-MT (10 mg/kg) and pargyline (20 mg/kg), serum 5-HT level was about 3-fold higher in CYP2D6-transgenic mice than wild-type mice. When dosed with alpha,alpha,beta,beta-d -5-MT, alpha,alpha,beta,beta-d4-5-HT was detected in transgenic mouse serum, and its content was much higher than wild-type mouse. alpha,alpha,beta,beta-d4-5-HT was not produced in CYP2D6-transgenic mice pretreated with quinidine. The regeneration of 5-HT from 5-MT provides the missing link in the serotonin-melatonin cycle. Up to 10% of the population lacks this enzyme. It is proposed that this common inborn error in 5-MT O-demethylation to serotonin influences a range of neurophysiologic and pathophysiologic events.     

Substance P neurokinin 1 receptor activation within the dorsal raphe nucleus controls serotonin release in the mouse frontal cortex

Preclinical studies suggest that substance P (SP) neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor antagonists are efficient in the treatment of anxiety and depression. This therapeutic activity could be mediated via stimulation of serotonin (5-HT) neurons located in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), which receive important SP-NK1 receptor immunoreactive innervations. The present study examined the effects of intraraphe injection of SP on extracellular 5-HT levels in the frontal cortex, ventral hippocampus, and DRN by using intracerebral microdialysis in conscious mice. Intraraphe SP injection dose dependently decreased cortical 5-HT release, whereas no effects were detected in the ventral hippocampus. Cortical effects were blocked by the selective NK1 receptor antagonist N-[[2-methoxy-5-[5-(trifluoromethyl)tetrazol-1-yl]phenyl]methyl]-2-phenylpiperidin-3-amine (GR205171) and completely dampened in mice lacking NK1 receptors. Furthermore, genetic (in knockout 5-HT1A(-/-) mice) or pharmacological inactivation of 5-HT1A autoreceptors blocked cortical responses to SP. Contrasting with its cortical effects, intraraphe SP injection increased 5-HT outflow in the DRN in wild-type mice; this effect was potentiated by a local perfusion of the selective 5-HT1A antagonist N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-2-pyridinylcyclohexanecarboxamide (WAY100635). Finally, SP-induced changes in frontal cortex and DRN dialysate 5-HT levels were blocked by the DRN perfusion of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)/kainate ionotropic receptor antagonist 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX). These data support the hypothesis that SP-induced over-activation of 5-HT1A autoreceptors within the DRN limits cortical 5-HT release. A better knowledge of the complex relationship between tachykininergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic systems within the DRN might help better understand the pathophysiology and subsequent treatment of depression.     

The opioid antagonist naltrexone inhibits activity and alters expression of alpha7 and alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptors in hippocampal neurons: implications for smoking cessation programs

This study was designed to investigate whether naltrexone, an opioid antagonist that has been evaluated clinically as a co-adjuvant in smoking cessation programs, affects function and expression of neuronal nicotinic receptors (nAChRs). Whole-cell current recordings from rat hippocampal neurons in culture and in slices demonstrated that alpha7 nAChRs can be inhibited non-competitively by naltrexone (IC(50) approximately 25 microM). The voltage dependence of the effect suggested that naltrexone acts as an open-channel blocker of alpha7 nAChRs. Naltrexone also inhibited activation of alpha4beta2 nAChRs in hippocampal neurons; however its IC(50) was higher ( approximately 141 microM). At a concentration as high as 300 microM (which is sufficient to block by 100% and 70% the activity of alpha7 and alpha4beta2 nAChRs, respectively), naltrexone had no effect on kainate and AMPA receptors, blocked by no more than 20% the activity of NMDA and glycine receptors, and reduced by 35% the activity of GABA(A) receptors. A 3-day exposure of cultured hippocampal neurons to naltrexone (30 microM) or nicotine (10 microM, a concentration that fully desensitized alpha7 nAChRs) resulted in a 2-fold increase in the average amplitude of alpha7 nAChR-subserved currents. Naltrexone did not augment the maximal up-regulation of alpha7 nAChRs induced by nicotine, indicating that both drugs act via a common mechanism. In addition to increasing alpha7 nAChRs-mediated responses per neuron, nicotine increased the number of neurons expressing functional non-alpha7 nAChRs (probably alpha4beta2 nAChRs); this effect was blocked by naltrexone (0.3 and 30 microM). Therefore, naltrexone may affect dependence on cigarette smoking by differentially altering function and expression of alpha7 and alpha4beta2 nAChRs in the central nervous system.     

Dependence of serotonin release in the locus coeruleus on dorsal raphe neuronal activity

The serotonergic innervation of the locus coeruleus paetly derives from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Using the push-pull superfusion technique, we investigated whether and to what extent the release of serotonin and the extracellular concentration of its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the locus coeruleus are influenced by the neuronal activity of the DRN. In anaesthetized rats, a push-pull cannula was inserted into the locus coeruleus, which was continuously superfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF). Serotonin and 5-HIAA levels in the superfusate were determined by HPLC combined with electrochemical detection. Electrical stimulation (5 Hz, 300 μA, 1 ms) of the DRN for 5 min, or its chemical stimulation by microinjection of glutamate (3.5 nmol, 50 nl), led to an increased release of serotonin in the locus coeruleus and to a slight (2 mmHg) decrease in blood pressure. Superfusion of the locus coeruleus with tetrodotoxin (1 μM) abolished the increase in the release rate of serotonin evoked by electrical stimulation of the DRN, while the slight fall in blood pressure was not influenced. Thermic lesion (75 °C, 1 min) of the DRN elicited a pronounced decline in serotonin release rate within the locus coeruleus, the maximum decrease being 52%. The decrease in the release of serotonin was associated with a long-lasting rise in blood pressure. Microinjection of the serotonin neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5 μg, 250 nl) into the DRN led to an initial increase in the serotonin release rate that coincided with a short-lasting fall in blood pressure. Subsequently, the release of serotonin was permanently reduced and was associated with hypertension. Microinjection of the 5-HT_1A receptor agonist (±)-8-hydroxy-dipropylaminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT; 7.5 nmol, 50 nl) into the DRN led to a long-lasting reduction of the release rate of serotonin in the locus coeruleus. Microinjection of 8-OH-DPAT into the DRN also slightly lowered blood pressure (3 mmHg). Neither stimulations nor lesion of the DRN, nor microinjection of 8-OH-DPAT into this raphe nucleus, altered the extracellular concentration of 5-HIAA. Judging from the present biochemical results it appears that the serotonergic afferents to the locus coeruleus originate to more than 50% from cell bodies located in the DRN. The neuronal serotonin release in the locus coeruleus is modulated by 5-HT_1A receptors lying within the DRN. Changes in blood pressure and release of serotonin elicited by stimulating or lesioning the DRN point to the importance of serotonergic neurons extending between this raphe nucleus and the locus coeruleus in central cardiovascular control. Received: 5 November 1998 / Accepted: 21 February 1999     

Neuronal tryptophan hydroxylase mRNA expression in the human dorsal and median raphe nuclei: major depression and suicide.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicide are associated with deficient serotonergic neurotransmission. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the rate-limiting biosynthetic enzyme for serotonin. Previously, we reported elevated levels of TPH protein in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of depressed suicides and now examine expression of neuronal TPH2 mRNA in a cohort of matched controls and depressed suicides (n = 11 pairs). DRN TPH2 mRNA was measured by densitometric analysis of autoradiograms from in situ hybridization histochemistry experiments. TPH2 mRNA is confirmed as the raphe-specific isoform of TPH in human brain, and is expressed in neurons throughout the anteroposterior extent of the DRN and median raphe nucleus (MRN). TPH2 mRNA expression correlates with TPH protein distribution in the DRN, and has a negative correlation with age. In drug-free suicides, TPH2 expression is 33% higher in the DRN and 17% higher in the MRN as compared to matched nonpsychiatric controls. Higher levels of TPH2 mRNA were found throughout the entire extent of the rostrocaudal axis of the DRN, and were not specific to any single subnucleus. Higher TPH2 mRNA expression may explain more TPH protein observed in depressed suicides and reflect a homeostatic response to deficient brain serotonergic transmission.