title: The distribution of serotonergic nerves in microencephalic rats treated prenatally with methylazoxymethanol.
abstract: Prenatal exposure of pregnant rats to methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) induces microencephaly in the offspring. In the present study of these microencephalic rats (MAM rats) we used quantitative autoradiography to investigate [3H] paroxetine binding sites, which are a selective marker of serotonin (5-HT) transporters (5-HTT). The binding in the accumbens, cortex, hippocampus, and dorsolateral thalamus was significantly increased in MAM rats, compared to the control rats, while there was a significant decrease in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the MAM rats. The levels of 5-HTT mRNA in the dorsal raphe nuclei were analyzed by in situ hybridization, which revealed a significant decrease in 5-HTT mRNA-positive neurons in the MAM rats compared to the control rats. The results imply serotonergic hyperinnervation in the cerebral hemispheres of MAM rats, while a target-dependent secondary degeneration of 5-HT neurons might be induced in the dorsal raphe nuclei of MAM rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan. ykodamas@momo.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hagino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001665:Binding Sites; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008746:Methylazoxymethanol Acetate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D013788:Thalamus / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C493232:Slc6a4 protein, rat; D012701:Serotonin; D017374:Paroxetine; D008746:Methylazoxymethanol Acetate; C030667:methylazoxymethanol