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.
Wu
C
C
Department of Pathological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
Singh
S K
SK
Dias
P
P
Kumar
S
S
Mann
D M
DM
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