title: Early life stress affects the serotonergic system underlying emotional regulation.
abstract: Traumatic events in early life are implicated in an increased risk of psychiatric diseases, such as depression and anxiety disorders. Serotonin is thought to play a central role in stress-induced psychiatric diseases. Serotonergic systems, including neural organization and receptor function, could dramatically change with each developmental stage. Here, we reviewed the persistent influence of early life stress on emotional regulation, focusing on the serotonergic system in rats. An aversive stimulus, foot shock (FS), during the early postnatal period (2-3 weeks after birth) produced behavioral, neuroanatomical and electrophysiological changes accompanied by serotonergic dysfunction, especially functional impairment of the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT)1A receptor in the cortico-limbic area. These findings suggest that normalization of the cortico-limbic serotonergic function has therapeutic potential for early stress-induced emotional disturbance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shikanai
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Togashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; D012701:Serotonin