title: Motor activity induces release of serotonin in the dorsal horn of the rat lumbar spinal cord.
abstract: Literature highlights that serotonergic descending pathways are implicated in somatosensory functions in the spinal cord and that serotonin (5-HT) in the dorsal horn might play a role in motor function through proprioceptive feedback. We hypothesized that 5-HT release in dorsal horn might represent an important factor in the completion of locomotion by facilitation of the spinocerebellar tract and/or by modulation of spinal reflex pathways. The present study demonstrates that during locomotor activity, 5-HT is released in layers II, III, IV, V of Rexed. Microdialysis in combination with HPLC was used to measure concentrations of neurotransmitters in the lumbar dorsal horn before, during, and after a treadmill running exercise. Our results show a significant 41% increase of 5-HT release within the dorsal horn during the exercise. 5-HT release is temporally related to exercise. The present study demonstrates that dorsal horn 5-HT release might modulate locomotion.
authors.affiliation: Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier, INSERM U-583, Montpellier, France. cgerin@uic.edu
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerin
authors.forename: Jean-Rene
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Teilhac
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Privat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis / Q000379:methods; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid