Development of resistance to serotonin-induced itch in bile duct ligated mice.
Cholestatic itch can be severe and significantly impair the quality of life of patients. The serotonin system is implicated in cholestatic itch; however, the pruritogenic properties of serotonin have not been evaluated in cholestatic mice. Here, we investigated the serotonin-induced itch in cholestatic mice which was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL). Serotonin, sertraline or saline were administered intradermally to the rostral back area in BDL and sham operated (SHAM) mice, and the scratching behaviour was videotaped for 1 hour. Bile duct ligated mice had significantly increased scratching responses to saline injection on the seventh day after surgery. Additionally, serotonin or sertraline significantly induced scratching behaviour in BDL mice compared to saline at day 7 after surgery, while it did not induce itch at day 5. The scratching behaviour induced by serotonin or sertraline was significantly less in BDL mice compared to SHAM mice. Likewise, the locomotor activity of BDL or SHAM mice was not significantly different from unoperated (UNOP) mice on the fifth and seventh day, suggesting that the scratching behaviour was not affected by motor dysfunctions. Our data suggest that despite the potentiation of evoked itch, a resistance to serotonin-induced itch is developed in cholestatic mice.
Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neurosciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Sattar
S
Ostadhadi
Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Nazgol-Sadat
NS
Haddadi
Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neurosciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Arash
A
Foroutan
Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
Ehsan
E
Azimi
Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
Sarina
S
Elmariah
Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neurosciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ahmad-Reza
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8001-5565
AR
Dehpour
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000601:surgery*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000150:complications; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008026:Ligation / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D012701:Serotonin
cholestasis; itch; mice; serotonin