title: Noradrenergic stimulation of serotonin release from rat pineal glands in vitro.
abstract: The pharmacodynamics of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) uptake and release were studied in rat pineal glands. Initially, uptake was tested by incubating pineals with several concentrations of [3H]5-HT. The incubation media also contained [14C]mannitol to which cells are impermeable. Since [14C]mannitol accumulates only in extracellular spaces, the radio-labelled sugar was used to determine the differential distribution of [3H]5-HT in pineal compartments. Intracellular accumulation of 3H in pineal glands increased linearly as a function of time for [3H]5-HT concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 mumol/l. The ratio of 3H to 14C also increased for the same time-interval, indicating that the glands accumulated [3H]5-HT preferentially in non-extracellular spaces. [3H]5-HT accumulated in pineal glands which were denervated for more than 7 days before testing, suggesting that uptake is not restricted to adrenergic terminals but also occurs in pinealocytes. In addition to uptake, spontaneous and noradrenaline-stimulated release of [3H]5-HT was tested in perifusion and/or step-transfer systems. Spontaneous release of [3H]5-HT was biphasic consisting of rapid and slower efflux phases. In contrast, release of [14C]mannitol was monophasic, characterized exclusively by rapid efflux. Since [14C]mannitol does not enter cells, the rapid and slower phases of [3H]5-HT efflux may represent release from pineal extracellular and intracellular compartments respectively. The identity of [3H]5-HT in pineal glands and perifusion media was confirmed by thin-layer chromatography. When L-noradrenaline was added to the perifusion media, [3H]5-HT efflux during the slower phase of release was significantly increased above the non-stimulated state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129.
authors: V J
authors: VJ
authors: Aloyo
authors: R F
authors: RF
authors: Walker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013562:Sympathectomy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D009638:Norepinephrine