title: Expression of the 5-HT2A serotoninergic receptor in human placenta and choriocarcinoma cells: mitogenic implications of serotonin.
abstract: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has diverse physiological functions and acts as a mitogen in a variety of cell types, including bovine placental cells. It exerts its mitogenic effect by interacting with a wide range of 5-HT receptor types. Previous studies have reported the presence of 5-HT(2) binding sites in human placental trophoblastic cells, but this has never been confirmed at the molecular level. In this study, we demonstrated that the 5-HT(2A) receptor subtype is fully expressed in the human choriocarcinoma cell lines JEG-3 and BeWo as well as in normal human placental tissue. DNA sequencing has confirmed that the 5-HT(2A) receptor present in these cell lines and tissues is identical to the human 5-HT(2A) receptor found in platelets and in the cerebral cortex. This receptor was localized by immunofluorescence on the plasma membrane, in JEG-3 and BeWo cells. Furthermore, MTT proliferation assays revealed a positive effect of 5-HT on the proliferation of JEG-3 and BeWo cells. These results suggest that 5-HT constitutes a potent mitogen for neoplastic placental cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, Canada.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sonier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavigne
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arseneault
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ouellette
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vaillancourt
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008934:Mitogens / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D012701:Serotonin