Modulation of the firing activity of rat serotonin and noradrenaline neurons by (+/-)pindolol.
BACKGROUND
(+/-)Pindolol is a beta-adrenergic/5-HT1A receptor antagonist used in combination with certain antidepressant drugs to accelerate the onset of the antidepressive response.


METHODS
The aim of the present study was to assess, using an in vivo electrophysiologic paradigm, the effect of (+/-)pindolol on the spontaneous firing activity of rat dorsal raphe serotonin (5-HT) and locus coeruleus noradrenaline (NA) neurons.


RESULTS
(+/-)Pindolol did not modify the firing activity of dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons at low doses (10 and 200 micrograms/kg, i.v.), but it prevented the suppressant effect of the 5-HT autoreceptor agonist lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD, 10 micrograms/kg, i.v.) but not that of the 5-HT1A receptor 8-hydroxy-N,N-dipropyl-aminotetralin (8-OHDPAT, 5 micrograms/kg, i.v.). At a higher dose (500 micrograms/kg, i.v.), (+/-)pindolol decreased 5-HT neuronal firing and this effect was reversed by the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635 (100 micrograms/kg, i.v.), suggesting that it could act as a partial 5-HT1A autoreceptor agonist. In the locus coeruleus, the high dose of (+/-)pindolol decreased the firing activity of NA neurons and this effect was reversed by the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist MDL 100907 (200 micrograms/kg, i.v.). Finally, both a lesion of NA neurons and the administration of MDL 100907 prevented the suppressant effect of (+/-)pindolol on the firing of 5-HT neurons.


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that, at low doses, (+/-)pindolol acts as a somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptor antagonist whereas at a higher dose, it decreases the tonic excitatory input from NA neurons to 5-HT neurons.
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D010869:Pindolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*