title: Serotonin and blood pressure regulation.
abstract: 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) was discovered more than 60 years ago as a substance isolated from blood. The neural effects of 5-HT have been well investigated and understood, thanks in part to the pharmacological tools available to dissect the serotonergic system and the development of the frequently prescribed selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors. By contrast, our understanding of the role of 5-HT in the control and modification of blood pressure pales in comparison. Here we focus on the role of 5-HT in systemic blood pressure control. This review provides an in-depth study of the function and pharmacology of 5-HT in those tissues that can modify blood pressure (blood, vasculature, heart, adrenal gland, kidney, brain), with a focus on the autonomic nervous system that includes mechanisms of action and pharmacology of 5-HT within each system. We compare the change in blood pressure produced in different species by short- and long-term administration of 5-HT or selective serotonin receptor agonists. To further our understanding of the mechanisms through which 5-HT modifies blood pressure, we also describe the blood pressure effects of commonly used drugs that modify the actions of 5-HT. The pharmacology and physiological actions of 5-HT in modifying blood pressure are important, given its involvement in circulatory shock, orthostatic hypotension, serotonin syndrome and hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1317, USA. wattss@msu.edu
authors.forename: Stephanie W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: Shaun F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Robert Patrick
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Barman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000503:physiopathology; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D020230:Serotonin Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology; D012769:Shock / Q000503:physiopathology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D012701:Serotonin