Activated astrocytes display increased 5-HT2a receptor expression in pathological states.
In human brain tissues from patients dying with cerebral infarction, hypertensive encephalopathy, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease there is an activation of astrocytes. Such activated astrocytes display GFAP and strong 5-HT(2A), but not 5-HT(2B) or 5-HT(2C), receptor immunoreactivity; this 5-HT(2A) reaction has not been observed in normal, nonactivated astrocytes. It is suggested that an up-regulation of 5-HT(2A) receptors may be part of an early response reaction in astrocytes, possibly designed to maintain homeostasis or to induce secondary message pathways involving trophic factors or glycogenolysis.
Department of Pathological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
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Wu
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Singh
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Dias
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Kumar
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Mann
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D044403:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2B; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D015854:Up-Regulation
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D044403:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2B; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin