title: Serotonin regulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in select brain regions during acute psychological stress.
abstract: Previous studies suggest that serotonin (5-HT) might interact with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the stress response. However, the relationship between 5-HT and BDNF expression under purely psychological stress is unclear. In this study, one hour before psychological stress exposure, the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT or antagonist MDL73005, or the 5-HT2A receptor agonist DOI or antagonist ketanserin were administered to rats exposed to psychological stress. Immunohistochemistry andin situhybridization revealed that after psychological stress, with the exception of the ventral tegmental area, BDNF protein and mRNA expression levels were higher in the 5-HT1A and the 5-HT2A receptor agonist groups compared with the solvent control no-stress or psychological stress group in the CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, central amygdaloid nucleus, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, dentate gyrus, shell of the nucleus accumbens and the midbrain periaqueductal gray. There was no significant difference between the two agonist groups. In contrast, after stress exposure, BDNF protein and mRNA expression levels were lower in the 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor antagonist groups than in the solvent control non-stress group, with the exception of the ventral tegmental area. Our findings suggest that 5-HT regulates BDNF expression in a rat model of acute psychological stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou 7 People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: De-Guo
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China; Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Gong-Ying
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Qing
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Second Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Ruo
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Wenzhou 7 People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China; Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Chuan-Jun
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Department of Psychological Medicine, Chinese PLA Medical School, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Rong-Huan
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5023-1259
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: The Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Min-Jie
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9229-1591
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ye
keywords: 5-HT1A; 5-HT2A; brain-derived neurotrophic factor; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; psychological stress; serotonin