title: Serotonin receptor activation enhances neurite outgrowth of thalamic neurones in rodents.
abstract: Serotonin (5-HT) has been shown to influence the development of the rodent barrel field by affecting the patterning of thalamic axons in the somatic sensory cortex. To determine whether this is a direct effect on thalamocortical neurones, we analyzed primary thalamic cultures taken from E15 mouse embryos. We show that 5-HT enhances neurite outgrowth of thalamic neurones. The sodium channel blocker, TTX, blocks these effects, whereas the selective 5-HT1B agonist CGS-12066A maleate reproduced 5-HT's effect. Using PCR and immunocytochemistry, we found that 5-HT1B receptors are already expressed by thalamic neurones at E15, and that this expression is maintained in vitro. These results suggest that 5-HT-1B receptor activation directly affects the growth of thalamocortical axons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University Medical School, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lotto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Upton
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaspar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists