title: Innervation of holothurian body wall muscle: inhibitory effects and localization of 5-HT.
abstract: We investigated innervation to body wall muscles as well as distribution of 5-HT (serotonin) and its effects on longitudinal muscles of body wall (LMBW) of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. With serial sections we found neural branches and fibers extending from hyponeural part of radial nerve towards LMBW and circular muscles of body wall. With the aqueous aldehyde (Faglu) method yellow fluorescence indicating indolamines was observed in LMBW and in the mesentery connecting LMBW to the body wall. With indirect immunohistochemistry 5-HT-like immunoreactivity was observed in LMBW and in mesentery. These results strongly suggested that both LMBW and mesentery contained 5-HT. The effects of monoamine neurotransmitters were studied in LMBW. Putative neurotransmitters tested were 5-HT, adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, and DOPA at the concentration of 10(-6) M. The application of 5-HT caused no contraction or relaxation, but it inhibited the contraction induced by 10(-6)-10(-5) M acetylcholine (ACh). Catecholamines were ineffective by themselves and had no effects on the contraction induced by ACh. The present histological, histochemical, and pharmacological studies strongly suggested that holothurian LMBW was innervated by inhibitory serotonergic neurons of the hyponeural nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamori
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Motokawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000737:chemistry; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D012616:Sea Cucumbers; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D012701:Serotonin