title: Serotonin modifies the spontaneous spiking activity of gracile nucleus neurons in rats: role of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors.
abstract: We tested the effects of microiontophoretic application of serotonin (5-HT) on the firing rate of neurons located in the gracile nucleus (GN) of rats. Application of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 agonists and antagonists respectively mimicked/ modulated and blocked the effects produced by the amine, respectively. Among the tested neurons, 88.2% modified their background firing activity in the presence of 5-HT. Responsive neurons decreased their mean firing activity (MFA) in 56.7% of cases and increased it in the remaining 43.3%. To ascertain the specificity of the effects induced by 5-HT, we utilized 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) and alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine (α-MET-5-HT), agonists for 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors, respectively. The microiontophoresis of 8-OH-DPAT modified the background firing rate of all GN neurons (100% of tested neurons) mimicking the decrease of MFA evoked by 5-HT. The application of a-MET-5-HT modified the MFA in 76.9% of tested neurons, decreasing it in 61.5% of cases and increasing in the remaining 23.1%. The decrease of MFA induced by 8-OH-DPAT was antagonized by application of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist N-[2-[-(2-Methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-2-pyridinylcyclohexanecarboxamide maleate salt (WAY100635), while application of 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserine tartrate (KET) antagonized only the increase of MFA induced by a-MET-5-HT. These results indicate that 5-HT is able to modulate the background firing activity of GN neurons by 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio-medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, I-95125 Catania, Italy - Email: clgrasso@unict.it.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li Volsi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barresi
mesh_terms: D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D007478:Iontophoresis; D007650:Ketanserin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; D044348:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT2; D012701:Serotonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058825:Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058829:Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058826:Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058830:Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010879:Piperazines; D011725:Pyridines; D044348:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT2; D058825:Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists; D058829:Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Antagonists; D058826:Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists; D058830:Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; C042390:alpha-methylserotonin; D012701:Serotonin; C090413:N-(2-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl)ethyl)-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide; D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin; D007650:Ketanserin