title: Pindolol antagonises G-protein activation at both pre- and postsynaptic serotonin 5-HT1A receptors: a.
abstract: The arylalkylamine, pindolol, may potentiate the clinical actions of antidepressant agents. Although it is thought to act via blockade of 5-HT1A autoreceptors, its efficacy at these sites remains controversial. Herein, we evaluated the actions of pindolol at 5-HT1A autoreceptors and specific populations of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors employing [35S]GTPgammaS autoradiography, a measure of receptor-mediated G-protein activation. Both 8-OH-DPAT (1 microM) and 5-HT (10 microM) elicited a pronounced increase in [35S]GTPyS binding in the dorsal raphe nucleus, which contains serotonergic cell bodies bearing 5-HT1A autoreceptors. Pindolol abolished their actions. In the dentate gyrus, lateral septum and entorhinal cortex, structures enriched in postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors, 8-OH-DPAT (1 microM) and 5-HT (10 microM) also elicited a marked increase in [35S]GTPgammaS binding which was likewise blocked by pindolol. The antagonism of 5-HT-induced [35S]GTPgammaS labelling in the dentate gyrus was shown to be concentration-dependent, yielding a pIC50 of 5.82. Pindolol did not, itself, affect [35S]GTPgammaS binding in any brain region examined. In conclusion, these data suggest that, as characterised by [35S]GTPgammaS autoradiography, and compared with 5-HT and 8-OH-DPAT, pindolol possesses low efficacy at both pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychopharmacology, Institut de Recherches Servier, Croissy-sur-Seine Paris, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Newman-Tancredi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chaput
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Touzard
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Millan
mesh_terms: D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001665:Binding Sites; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004347:Drug Interactions; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010869:Pindolol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin; D010869:Pindolol; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins