5-hydroxytryptamine and vascular disease.
The release of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) from aggregating platelets may trigger acute vasospastic episodes of larger arteries, which can lead to tissue ischemia, particularly in the coronary and cerebral circulations. In hypertensive humans and animals, 5-HT may play a role in the maintenance of the chronic increase in peripheral resistance. This is suggested by the observations that 1) in several models of chronic hypertension there is a specific increase in the responsiveness of the blood vessel wall to the vasoconstrictor properties of 5-HT and a delayed tachyphylaxis to the monoamine; 2) the ability of hypertensive animals to clear 5-HT from the blood is reduced, and the platelets of hypertensive patients take up less 5-HT than those of normotensive humans; their activation to release 5-HT is accelerated; and 3) ketanserin, a 5-HT2-serotonergic antagonist devoid of agonistic properties, lowers arterial blood pressure in hypertensive humans and animals.
D000818:Animals; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000097:blood; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
D012701:Serotonin; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase