title: Activation of presynaptic 5-HT3 receptors facilitates glutamatergic synaptic inputs to area postrema neurons in rat brain slices.
abstract: Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were performed to investigate the serotonergic modulation of neurotransmitter release onto rat area postrema neurons in vitro. The bath application of serotonin (5-HT; 50 microM) or phenylbiguanide (PBA; 50 microM), a potent 5-HT3 receptor agonist, increased the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) or miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) in 35 of 83 neurons (42%). These increases occurred in all electrophysiological cell classes. No cells exhibited a decrease in EPSC frequency. The majority of responding cells showed no inward currents during the application of serotonergic agonists (n = 34/35). However, the amplitude of mEPSCs was increased in 11/11 cells with 5-HT or 3/11 cells with PBA. ICS-205,930, a potent 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, markedly suppressed the 5-HT-induced facilitation of sEPSCs (n = 5) or mEPSCs (n = 5). An increase in the frequency of mEPSCs after PBA exposure was found, even with media containing Cd2+ (50 microM) or zero Ca2+. mEPSCs and evoked EPSCs were completely blocked in media containing the non-NMDA ionotropic receptor antagonist, CNQX (10 microM), indicating that EPSCs were glutamate events. These results suggest that glutamate release is increased in the area postrema by presynaptic 5-HT3 receptor activation. Furthermore, we present evidence that 5-HT3 receptor activation may be able to directly release glutamate from terminals, bypassing a requirement for voltage-dependent calcium entry into terminals. Such a mechanism may contribute to the chemosensitive function of area postrema neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Physiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama, Japan. mfuna@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funahashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mitoh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matsuo
mesh_terms: D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D031608:Area Postrema / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001645:Biguanides / Q000494:pharmacology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000819:agonists* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058827:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonists; D058831:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D000077526:Tropisetron
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D001645:Biguanides; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D007211:Indoles; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic; D058827:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonists; D058831:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D012701:Serotonin; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000077526:Tropisetron; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; C008846:phenyl biguanide