title: Role of 5-HT1A receptor in insular cortex mediating stress - induced visceral sensory dysfunction.
abstract: 5-HT1A receptors (HTR1As) in the insular cortex are thought to be related with the generation of stress-induced functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), but its mechanism is not clear. Visceral hypersensitivity is one important pathophysiological mechanism of FGIDs. This study aimed to explore the role of HTR1As in mediating stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity and its mechanism in the insular cortex.
  
  
  
  Visceral hypersensitivity rat model was established by water avoidance stress (WAS) and the visceral sensitivity was measured by electromyogram. The activities of HTR1As were regulated by microinjecting the HTR1A agonist and antagonist into the insular cortex. The expression levels of 5-HT, HTR1A, N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor subtype 2B (NR2B) and c-fos were observed by RT-PCR, Western Blot and immunohistochemical staining.
  
  
  
  In WAS rats, the expression levels of 5-HT and HTR1As in the insular cortex were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that in sham WAS and normal rats, but the levels of c-fos and NR2B were significantly higher (p < 0.05). After microinjecting HTR1As agonist into the insular cortex of WAS rats, the visceral sensitivity and the expression levels of NR2B and c-fos in insular cortex significantly decreased (p < 0.05).
  
  
  
  The HTR1As-NR2B signal pathway of insular cortex plays an important role in regulating stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A / Q000502:physiology*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D059265:Visceral Pain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A
keywords: 5-HT1A receptor; functional gastrointestinal disorders; insular cortex; stress; visceral hypersensitivity