Enhancement of 5-hydroxytryptamine turnover in descending serotonergic neurons of shambling mutant mice.
The concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and its metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), in descending serotonergic neurons of shambling mice, which are neurologically mutant showing trunk instability and hind limb incoordination, were studied by use of both biochemical and fluorescence histochemical methods. 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations in the brain stem and spinal cord of the shambling mice were significantly higher than those of the normal mice. In the fluoresence histochemistry, the density of indoleamine fluorescence in ventral cell perikarya in the lumbar spinal cord of the shambling mice was higher than that of normal mice. The present results may show enhancement of 5-HT turnover in descending serotonergic neurons of the shambling mice, and the changes in descending serotonergic neurons seem relevant to the abnormal motor function of the animals.
Kumazawa
T
T
National Institute of Neuroscience, Kodaira, Tokyo 187, Japan.
Adachi
K
K
Ando
K
K
Oda
S
S