title: AMPA and NMDA receptor regulation of firing activity in 5-HT neurons of the dorsal and median raphe nuclei.
abstract: The glutamatergic regulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neuronal activity has not been extensively studied. Here, we used extracellular single unit recording in midbrain slices to examine glutamate receptor mediated effects on 5-HT neuronal activity in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and the median raphe nucleus (MRN). Alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA; 1 and 3 microm) concentration-dependently increased firing in 5-HT neurons in both the DRN and the MRN. The response to AMPA was blocked by the AMPA receptor antagonist, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3(1H-4H)-dione (DNQX; 10 microm) but not the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5; 50 microm). NMDA (10-100 microm) also increased 5-HT neuronal firing in a concentration-dependent manner in both the DRN and MRN; a response that was blocked by AP-5 (50 microm). In some DRN neurons the NMDA response was partially antagonized by DNQX (10 microm) suggesting that NMDA, as well as directly activating 5-HT neurons, evokes local release of glutamate, which indirectly activates AMPA receptors on 5-HT neurons. Responses of DRN 5-HT neurons to AMPA and NMDA were enhanced by the gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA)(A) receptor antagonist, bicuculline (50 microm), suggesting that both AMPA and NMDA increase local release of GABA. Finally in the DRN the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist, WAY100635 (100 nm), failed to enhance the response of 5-HT neurons to AMPA and caused only a small increase in the excitatory response to NMDA suggesting a low degree of tonic activation of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors even when 5-HT neuronal firing rate is high.
authors.affiliation: Psychobiology Research Group, School of Neurology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry, The Medical School, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. sasha.gartside@ncl.ac.uk
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Gartside
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McQuade
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Judge
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D017660:Autoreceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011149:Pons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017660:Autoreceptors; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D012701:Serotonin; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid