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Microdialysis was used to assess the involvement of postsynaptic 5-hydroxytryptamine(1A) (5-HT1A) receptors in the regulation of extracellular 5-HT in the amygdala. Local infusion of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist flesinoxan (0.3, 1, 3 muM) for 30 min into the amygdala maximally decreased 5-HT to 50% of basal level. Systemic administration of citalopram (10 mu mol/kg) increased 5-HT to 175% of basal revel. Local infusion of 1 muM of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100.635 into the amygdala augmented the effect of citalopram to more than 500% of basal 5-HT level. 5-HT1A receptor responsiveness after chronic citalopram treatment was determined in two ways. First, by local infusion of 1 muM flesinoxan for 30 min into the amygdala, which showed a significant 63% reduction in response (area under the concentration-time curve; AUC) for the citalopram group compared to the saline group. Second, by systemic administration of citalopram (10 mu mol/kg), which increased 5-HT to 350% of basal level. The effect was larger than in untreated animals, but more important, local infusion of 1 muM WAY 100.635 into the amygdala now failed to augment the effect of citalopram. Both the flesinoxan and WAY 100.635 data suggest an involvement of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor-mediated feedback in the amygdala, which diminishes following chronic citalopram treatment.

Existing antidepressant treatments suffer from a limited efficacy and a slow onset of action. Some first-generation antidepressant drugs are still among the most effective treatments. Several neurobiological adaptive mechanisms are involved in the delayed action of antidepressants. Among these, a negative feed-back involving somatodendritic autoreceptors plays an important role in such delay. In the case of the SSRIs, the prevention of this effect with 5-HT1A autoreceptor antagonists enhances their effects at experimental level. Open-label and placebo-controlled trials with the mixed β-adrenoceptor/5-HT1A antagonist pindolol support that this agent reduces the latency to achieve a clinical improvement when used in combination with SSRIs. Displacement studies support that this action is mediated by its interaction with 5-HT1A receptors. The design of clinical trials for the evaluation of fast-acting antidepressants is critical. The use of loose criteria of response may result in a poor discriminating power. Conversely, stringent clinical criteria may be more helpful in revealing the differences between treatments. The data of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing fluoxetine plus placebo and fluoxetine plus pindolol suggests that the use of sustained response (i.e., one maintained until the end of the trial) is critical for the establishment of differences between treatments. Other factors, such as a placebo lead-in phase or the frequency of visits, appear to play a minor role. Overall, these data indicate that faster antidepressant drugs can be obtained through a better knowledge of their actions in CNS.

Background: We investigated the combination of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with the beta -adrenoceptor/serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) antagonist pindolol, based on the concept that 5-HT1A receptor blockade would eliminate the need for desensitization of presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors and therefore hasten the onset of action and improve the efficacy of SSRIs. However, since pindolol plasma levels after 2.5 mg three times a day are about 60 nmol/L, and the K-i for the 5-HT1A receptor is 30 nmol/L, it is questionable whether pindolol levels in the brain would be sufficient to antagonize 5-HT1A receptors. Using microdialysis in the guinea pig, we correlated brain and plasma levels of pindolol with its capability of augmenting paroxetine-induced increases in brain 5-HT levels. In addition, central beta -receptor antagonism of pindolol was studied by investigating blockade of beta -agonist-induced increases in brain cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) formation. Methods: Using microdialysis and jugular vein catheterization, we studied the ability of systemically administered pindolol to antagonize central 5-HT1A and beta -adrenoceptors, while simultaneously monitoring pindolol plasma and brain concentrations. Results: Augmentation of paroxetine-induced increases in extracellular 5-HT levels in the ventral hippocampus was only observed at steady stare plasma levels exceeding 7000 nmol/L (concurrent brain levels 600 nmol/L). In contrast, antagonism of beta -agonist-induced increases of brain cAMP levels was already observed at pindolol plasma levels of 70 nmol/L (concurrent brain levels

Publicada errata en: Erratum: Control of serotonergic function in medial prefrontal cortex by serotonin-2A receptors through a glutamate-dependent mechanism (The Journal of Neuroscience (2001) (9856-9866)), Journal of Neuroscience 22(3): i (2002), We examined the in vivo effects of the hallucinogen 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (DOI). DOI suppressed the firing rate of 7 of 12 dorsal raphe (DR) serotonergic (5-HT) neurons and partially inhibited the rest (ED(50) = 20 microg/kg, i.v.), an effect reversed by M100907 (5-HT(2A) antagonist) and picrotoxinin (GABA(A) antagonist). DOI (1 mg/kg, s.c.) reduced the 5-HT release in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to 33 +/- 8% of baseline, an effect also antagonized by M100907. However, the local application of DOI in the mPFC increased 5-HT release (164 +/- 6% at 100 microm), an effect antagonized by tetrodotoxin, M100907, and BAY x 3702 (5-HT(1A) agonist) but not by SB 242084 (5-HT(2C) antagonist). The 5-HT increase was also reversed by NBQX (AMPA-KA antagonist) and 1S,3S-ACPD (mGluR 2/3 agonist) but not by MK-801 (NMDA antagonist). AMPA mimicked the 5-HT elevation produced by DOI. Likewise, the electrical-chemical stimulation of thalamocortical afferents and the local inhibition of glutamate uptake increased the 5-HT release through AMPA receptors. DOI application in mPFC increased the firing rate of a subgroup of 5-HT neurons (5 of 10), indicating an enhanced output of pyramidal neurons. Dual-label fluorescence confocal microscopic studies demonstrated colocalization of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptors on individual cortical pyramidal neurons. Thus, DOI reduces the activity of ascending 5-HT neurons through a DR-based action and enhances serotonergic and glutamatergic transmission in mPFC through 5-HT(2A) and AMPA receptors. Because pyramidal neurons coexpress 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptors, DOI disrupts the balance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs and leads to an increased activity that may mediate its hallucinogenic action.

Using microdialysis, receptor autoradiography and in situ hybridization, we examined the effects of fluoxetine alone or with WAY-100635 on: (a) extracellular 5-HT in frontal cortex; and (b) density and sensitivity of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors in rat brain. WAY-100635 (0.3 mg/kg, s.c.) doubled the increase in extracellular 5-HT produced by fluoxetine (3 mg/kg, i.p.) in frontal cortex. Two-week minipump treatments with these daily doses significantly raised extracellular 5-HT to 275 +/- 33% (fluoxetine) and 245 +/- 10% (fluoxetine plus WAY-100635) of controls. Fluoxetine 3 mg/kg.day desensitized dorsal raphe 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors, an effect prevented by the concurrent WAY-100635 administration. However, WAY-100635 (alone or with fluoxetine) did not change 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor sensitivity. The density of 5-HT(1A) receptors and its encoding mRNA, was unaffected by these treatments. These results suggest that prolonged blockade of 5-HT(1A) receptors in vivo prevents the autoreceptor desensitization induced by fluoxetine but does not result in receptor sensitization.

We investigated the effects of the novel 5-HT1A receptor agonist BAY x 3702 on the serotonergic function in rat brain using single unit recordings in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) of anesthetized rats and in vivo microdialysis in freely moving rats. The administration of BAY x 3702 (0.25-4 microg/kg i.v.) suppressed the firing activity of 5-HT neurones. This effect was antagonized by a low dose of the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635 (5 microg/kg i.v.). In microdialysis experiments, BAY x 3702 (10-100 microg/ kg s.c.) reduced dose-dependently the 5-HT output in the dorsal and median raphe (MnR) nucleus, dorsal hippocampus (DHPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in a regionally selective manner. Maximal effects were observed in the MnR and mPFC, with reductions to approximately 15% of baseline at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg s.c. The decrease in 5-HT output produced in the DR and DHPC was more moderate, to 45% of baseline at 0.1 mg/kg s.c. BAY x 3702. WAY 100635 (0.3 mg/kg s.c.) completely antagonized the effect of BAY x 3702 (30 microg/kg s.c.). The application of BAY x 3702 in the DR (1-100 microM) reduced the local 5-HT output to 25% of baseline. In rats implanted with two dialysis probes (in DR and mPFC) the application of BAY x 3702 (30 microM) in the DR reduced the 5-HT output in the DR and that in mPFC. These effects were significantly antagonized by the co-perfusion of WAY 100635 (100 microM) in the DR. Overall, these results indicate that the systemic administration of BAY x 3702 reduces the 5-HT release with high potency through the activation of midbrain 5-HT1A receptors., Work supported by grants from BAYER S.A. and the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS 98/0697). O. Berton was recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from INSERM (France)

Many physiological and biochemical measurements can be performed noninvasively in humans with modern imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). This review focuses on the monitoring of drug-receptor interactions in patients and healthy volunteers with PET. Such studies depend on the availability of a suitable radioligand; they are already possible for classical and atypical neuroleptics, anxiolytics, antidepressants, anticholinergics, antihistamines, antiepileptics, beta-blockers and hypnotic drugs. In Phase I-II human studies, measurements of plasma pharmacokinetics can be combined with images of receptor occupancy and be quantitatively related to pharmacologic effects which are induced in the same subjects. Optimal dosing schedules can be defined and valuable information for the design of Phase III studies can be acquired. Moreover, the effect of interventions (e.g. change of dose, additional medication) can be predicted. Medical imaging techniques will play an increasing role in clinical pharmacology and allow well-informed go/no-go decisions in future drug development.

[Carbonyl-C-11]WAY-100635 (WAY) has proved to be a very useful radioligand for the imaging of brain 5-HT1A receptors in human brain in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET). WAY is now being applied widely for clinical research and drug development. However, WAY is rapidly cleared from plasma and is also rapidly metabolised. A comparable radioligand, with a higher and more sustained delivery to brain, is desirable since these properties might lead to better biomathematical modelling of acquired PET data. There are also needs for other types of 5-HT1A receptor radioligands, for example, ligands sensitive to elevated serotonin levels, ligands labelled with longer-lived fluorine-18 for distribution to "satellite" PET centres, and ligands labelled with iodine-123 for single photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) imaging. Here we describe our progress toward these aims through the exploration of WAY analogues, including the development of [carbonyl-C-11]desmethyl-WAY (DWAY) as a promising, more brain-penetrant radioligand for PET imaging of human 5-HT1A receptors, and (pyridinyl-6-halo)-analogues as promising leads for the development of radiohalogenated ligands. NUCL MED BIOL 27;5:449-455, 2000. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Using brain microdialysis, we compared the relative role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) blockade and somatodendritic 5-HT1A and/or terminal 5-HT1B autoreceptor activation in the control of 5-HT output. Fluoxetine (10 mg kg−1 i.p.) doubled the 5-HT output in frontal cortex and dorsal hippocampus. The 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635, (0.3 mg kg−1 s.c.) potentiated the effect of fluoxetine only in frontal cortex (to ∼500 % of baseline). Methiothepin (10 mg kg−1 s.c.) further enhanced the 5-HT rise induced by fluoxetine+WAY 100635, to 835±179% in frontal cortex and 456±24% in dorsal hippocampus. Locally applied, methiothepin potentiated the fluoxetine-induced 5-HT rise more in the former area. The selective 5-HT1B receptor antagonist SB-224289 (4 mg kg−1 i.p.) enhanced the effect of fluoxetine (10 mg kg−1 i.p.) in both areas. As with methiothepin, SB-224289 (4 mg kg−1 i.p.) further enhanced the 5-HT increase produced by fluoxetine+WAY 100635 more in frontal cortex (613±134%) than in dorsal hippocampus (353±59%). Locally applied, fluoxetine (10–300 μm; EC50=28–29 μm) and citalopram (1–30 μm; EC50=1.0–1.4 μm) increased the 5-HT output two to three times more in frontal cortex than in dorsal hippocampus. These data suggest that the comparable 5-HT increase produced by systemic fluoxetine in frontal cortex and dorsal hippocampus results from a greater effect of reuptake blockade in frontal cortex that is offset by a greater autoreceptor-mediated inhibition of 5-HT release. As a result, 5-HT autoreceptor antagonists preferentially potentiate the effect of fluoxetine in frontal cortex.

We assessed the role of GABAB receptors in the control of serotonergic (5-HT) neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) by using microdialysis in vivo and intra- and extracellular recording in vitro in the rat. The GABAB agonist R(+)baclofen (but not the inactive S(-)enantiomer) enhanced the 5-HT output in the DRN (4.7-fold at 15 mg/kg s.c.) and, to a much lesser extent, striatum of unanesthetized rats. Phaclofen (2 mg/kg s.c.) antagonized the effects of 6 mg/kg R(+)baclofen in dorsal striatum. Using dual-probe microdialysis, R(+)baclofen (0.1–100 μM) applied in the DRN enhanced the local 5-HT output (4.5-fold at 100 μM) but decreased that in striatum at 100 μM. At concentrations higher than 100 μM there was a moderate decrement in the elevation of 5-HT in the DRN. In midbrain slices, bath R(+)baclofen exerted a biphasic effect on DRN 5-HT neurons. Consistent with a reduced striatal 5-HT release when infused in the DRN, R(+)baclofen (0.1–30 μM) induced an outward current in 5-HT neurons (IC50 = 1.4 μM). Lower R(+)baclofen concentrations (0.01–1 μM) preferentially reduced GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (20 μM) in 5-HT neurons (IC50 = 72 nM). Using extracellular recordings, R(+)baclofen (300 nM) enhanced the ability of NMDA to induce firing in a subpopulation of serotonergic neurons. These results are consistent with a preferential activation by a low concentration of R(+)baclofen of presynaptic GABAB receptors on GABAergic afferents that could disinhibit 5-HT neurons and increase 5-HT release

The optically pure enantiomers of the potential atypical antipsychotic agents 5-methoxy-2-[N-(2-benzamidoethyl)-N-n-propylamino]tetralin (5-OMe-BPAT, 5) and 5-methoxy-2-{N-[2-(2,6-dimethoxy)benzamidoethyl]-N-n-propylamino}tetralin [5-OMe-(2,6-di-OMe)-BPAT, 6] were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro binding affinities at alpha(1)-, alpha(2)-, and beta-adrenergic, muscarinic, dopamine D-1, D-2A,D- and D-3, and serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors. In addition, their intrinsic efficacies at serotonin 5-HT1A receptors were established in vitro. (S)- and (R)-5 had high affinities for dopamine D2A, D3, and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors: moderate affinities for alpha(1)-adrenergic and serotonin 5-HT2 receptors, and no affinity (K-i > 1000 nM) for the other receptor subtypes. (S)- and (R)-6 had lower affinities for the dopamine D-2A and the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor, compared to (S)- and (R)-5, and hence showed some selectivity for the dopamine D3 receptor. The interactions with the receptors were stereospecific, since the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor preferred the (S)-enantiomers, while the dopamine D-2A and D-2 receptors preferred the (R)-enantiomers of 5 and 6. The intrinsic efficacies at the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor were established by measuring their ability to inhibit VIP-induced cAMP production in GH(4)ZD10 cells expressing serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. Both enantiomers of 5 behaved as full serotonin 5-HT1A receptor agonists in this assay, while both enantiomers of 6 behaved as weak partial agonists. The potential antipsychotic properties of (S)- and (R)-5 were evaluated by establishing their ability to inhibit d-amphetamine-induced locomotor activity in rats, while their propensity to induce extrapyramidal side-effects (EPS) in man was evaluated by determining their ability to induce catalepsy in rats. Whereas (R)-5 was capable of blocking d-amphetamine-induced locomotor activity, indicative of dopamine D-2 receptor antagonism, (S)-5 even enhanced the effect of d-amphetamine, suggesting that this compound has dopamine D-2 receptor-stimulating properties. Since both enantiomers also were devoid of cataleptogenic activity, they are interesting candidates for further exploring the dopamine D-2/serotonin 5-HT1A hypothesis of atypical antipsychotic drug action. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of a single rapid-rate transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) exposure on neurotransmitter binding sites in the rat brain 24 h after the stimulation were examined. Quantification by in vitro-autoradiography showed no differences for H-3-paroxetine binding (5-HT uptake sites) between rTMS-treated, sham and control animals. In contrast, the number of 5-HT1A binding sites (labeled with H-3-8-OH-DPAT) were selectively increased in the rTMS-group with significantly higher B-MAX values in the frontal cortex, the cingulate cortex, and the anterior olfactory nucleus. A non-specific increase in NMDA binding sites (labeled with I-125-MK-801) in rTMS and sham animals was observed in the hippocampal formation. A selective increase of these binding sites after rTMS was detected in the ventromedial hypothalamus, the basolateral amygdala and layers 5-6 of the parietal cortex. These findings imply that a single rTMS exposure can result in persistent effects on NMDA and 5-HT1A binding sites even 24 h after stimulation and therefore may be of relevance with respect to the therapeutic action of rTMS reported from clinical studies. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The present study has examined several characteristics of the release of 5-HT in the median raphe nucleus in terms of its dependence of nerve impulse, provenance of a vesicular storage fraction as well as the regulatory role played by 5-HT1A receptors. Tetrodotoxin (1 microM) and reserpine (5 mg kg(-1), i.p.) virtually suppressed the output of 5-HT. The administration of EEDQ (10 mg kg(-1), i.p.) did not alter the basal release of 5-HT but abolished the reduction of 5-HT release induced by 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg kg(-1), s.c.). The perfusion of 1-100 microM of 8-OH-DPAT or the novel 5-HT1A agonist BAY x 3702 decreased the efflux of 5-HT, whereas the perfusion of the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635 failed to alter 5-HT release. The decrease in dialysate 5-HT induced by 100 microM 8-OH-DPAT was reversed by the concurrent perfusion of 100 microM WAY-100635. Also, the perfusion of 100 microM WAY-100635 for 2 h inhibited partly the reduction of 5-HT release evoked by the systemic administration of 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg kg(-1)). These results indicate that extracellular 5-HT in the median raphe nucleus is stored in vesicles and released in an impulse-dependent manner. Also, the basal release of 5-HT in the median raphe nucleus does not appear to be under the tonic control of somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors by endogenous 5-HT. Instead, this feedback mechanism seems to be triggered when an excess of the transmitter or a 5-HT1A agonist is present in the extracellular space of the median raphe nucleus.

[carbonyl-C-11]Desmethyl-WAY-100635 (DWAY) is possibly a low-level metabolite appearing in plasma after intravenous administration of [carbonyl(11)C]WAY-100635 to human subjects for positron emission tomographic (PET) imaging of brain 5-HT1A receptors. In this study we set out to assess the ability of DWAY to enter brain in vivo and to elucidate its possible interaction with 5-HT1A receptors. Desmethyl-WAY-100635 was labelled efficiently with carbon-11 (t(1/2) = 20.4 min) in high specific radioactivity by reaction of its descyclohexanecarbonyl analogue with [carbonyl-C-11] cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride. The product was separated in high radiochemical purity by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and formulated for intravenous injection. Rats were injected intravenously with DWAY, sacrificed at known times and dissected to establish radioactivity content in brain tissues. At 60 min after injection, the ratios of radioactivity concentration in each brain region to that in cerebellum correlated with previous in vitro and in vivo measures of 5-HT1A receptor density. The highest ratio was about 22 in hippocampus. Radioactivity cleared rapidly from plasma; HPLC analysis revealed that DWAY represented 55% of the radioactivity in plasma at 5 min and 33% at 30 min. Only polar radioactive metabolites were detected. Subsequently, a cynomolgus monkey was injected intravenously with DWAY and examined by PET. Maximal whole brain uptake of radioactivity was 5.7% of the administered dose at 5 min after injection. The image acquired between 9 and 90 min showed high radioactivity uptake in brain regions rich in 5-HT1A receptors (e.g. frontal cortex and neocortex), moderate uptake in raphe nuclei and low uptake in cerebellum. A transient equilibrium was achieved in cortical regions at about 60 min, when the ratio of radioactivity concentration in frontal cortex to that in cerebellum reached 6. The corresponding ratio for raphe nuclei was about 3. Radioactive metabolites appeared rapidly in plasma, but these were all more polar than DWAY, which represented 52% of the radioactivity in plasma at 4 min and 20% at 55 min. In a second PET experiment, in which a cynomolgus monkey was pretreated with the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY-100635, at 25 min before DWAY injection, radioactivity in all brain regions was reduced to that in cerebellum. Autoradiography of post mortem human brain cryosections after incubation with DWAY successfully delineated 5-HT1A receptor distribution, Receptor-specific binding was eliminated in the presence of the selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT [(+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-dipropylaminotetralin]. These findings show that: (a) intravenously administered DWAY is well able to penetrate brain in rat and monkey, (b) DWAY is a highly effective radioligand for brain 5-HT1A receptors in rat and monkey in vivo and for human brain in vitro, and (c) the metabolism and kinetics of DWAY appear favourable to successful biomathematical modelling of acquired PET data. Thus, DWAY warrants further evaluation as a radioligand for PET studies of 5-HT1A receptors in human brain.

[FR]Les inhibiteurs de recapture sélectifs de la sérotonine (IRSS) bloquent l'activité du transporteur de la 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (5-HT) dépendante du sodium ; ils augmentent ainsi la concentration des mono-amines dans la fente synaptique. Le long délai (deux à quatre semaines) pour que les propriétés antidépressives se manifestent correspondrait au temps nécessaire à la désensibilisation fonctionnelle des autorécepteurs 5-HT1A des noyaux du raphé. La mesure des concentrations cérébrales extracellulaires des mono-amines par la technique de microdialyse cérébrale in vivo vient conforter cette hypothèse ; chez le rat, l'administration aiguë d'IRSS augmente les concentrations extracellulaires de 5-HT à proximité des corps cellulaires et des dendrites des neurones sérotoninergiques (noyaux du raphé), plutôt qu'à proximité des terminaisons neuronales (cortex frontal) : la forte densité d'autorécepteurs 5-HT1A dans cette région explique la mise en jeu d'un rétrocontrôle freinant la décharge des neurones 5-HT dans les terminaisons neuronales en aval ; mais, lorsqu'ils sont administrés de façon chronique, les IRSS peuvent augmenter plus largement les concentrations extracellulaires de 5-HT dans les régions terminales. En outre, la co-administration d'un antagoniste des autorécepteurs 5-HT1A et d'un IRSS réduit fortement le délai d'apparition de l'effet antidépresseur (inférieur à une semaine)., [EN]A new generation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) has recently been introduced in therapeutics as antidepressant drugs. The pharmacological properties of these drugs have extensively been demonstrated in vitro, but limited data had provided direct support for the ability of these compounds to inhibit serotonin reuptake selectively in vivo. In recent years, in vivo cerebral microdialysis coupled to very sensitive analytical methods such as liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection has permitted the measurement of basal serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) levels in extracellular fluid from various brain areas. Thus, this method allowed us to observe increases in extracellular serotonin concentrations following acute systemic or local administration of SSRI. Surprisingly, low doses of SSRI (i.e. 1 mg/kg or less) induced, in rats, a significant increase in extracellular 5-HT in the cell body-containing raphe region but not in forebrain regions where serotoninergic nerve terminals are mainly located. The enhancement in serotoninergic neurotransmission depends on the brain area studied and the dose of the SSRI administered to rats: as an adaptive response to the increased amount of serotonin in extracellular fluid, serotonin neurons decrease their firing rate and release of the neurotransmitter to limit the magnitude of the activation of the serotoninergic system. Some recently described in vivo microdialysis experiments suggested that somatodendritic 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors mainly located in the raphe are involved in the release-attenuating properties of 5-HT uptake blockers. Conversely, large increases in extracellular 5-HT levels have been observed following chronic treatment with SSRI: serotonin autoreceptors may have desensitized during the long-term treatment, so that serotoninergic neurotransmission may increase further after 2-4 weeks of treatment with SSRI. That phenomenon may account for the delayed efficacy of antidepressant drugs reported in rodents as well as in human.

5-HT1A receptor agonists reduce firing-dependent terminal 5-HT synthesis and release by activating somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors. We have examined the effects of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n- propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT, 0.1 mg/kg s.c.) on in vivo striatal 5-HT release in conscious rats with somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors inactivated by the application of pertussis toxin in the dorsal raphe nucleus. The uncoupling of 5-HT1A receptors from hyperpolarizing potassium channels was demonstrated by the inability of the intra-raphe application of citalopram to reduce striatal release (control animals had a 47% reduction, an effect prevented by previous treatment with the 5-HT1A antagonist (-)-tertatolol). Yet 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg/kg s.c.) decreased striatal 5-HT release by 66% (peak effect) in pertussis toxin-treated rats, a value comparable to that found in naive animals (74%). This raises the possibility that other 8-OH-DPAT-sensitive serotonergic receptors different from 5-HT1A autoreceptors may be involved in the control of terminal 5-HT release.

The characteristics of the serotonin (5-HT) output in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei of the rat were studies using in vivo microdialysis. The basal output of 5-HT increased after KCl was added to the perfusion fluid. In contrast, neither the omission of calcium ions nor the addition of 0.5 microM tetrodotoxin affected dialysate 5-HT or 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). Reserpine did not decrease the output of 5-HT and 5-HIAA 24 h later and p-chloroamphetamine increased 5-HT in both vehicle- and reserpine-treated rats severalfold. 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), at 1 or 10 microM, perfused into the raphe did not change the outputs of 5-HT or 5-HIAA. Higher doses (0.1, 1, and 10 mM) increased extracellular 5-HT in the raphe, probably via an inhibition of uptake. In animals bearing two probes (raphe nuclei and ventral hippocampus), only the 10 mM dose of 8-OH-DPAT perfused into the raphe decreased the hippocampal output of 5-HT and 5-HIAA. The systemic injection of 0.1 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT decreased dialysate 5-HT and 5-HIAA in the raphe and hippocampus. These results suggest that extracellular 5-HT in raphe nuclei originates from a cytoplasmic pool and is not dependent on either nerve impulse of 5-HT neurons or local activation of 5-HT1A receptors.

International audience; The tritiated derivative of the potent antihypertensive agent, 5-methyl-urapidil, was used as a radioligand in binding studies with rat brain membranes and tissue sections. Serotonin and prazosin inhibited [3H]5-methyl-urapidil binding to membranes from the rat hippocampus, cerebral cortex and brainstem biphasically, leading to the definition of serotonin high-affinity and prazosin high-affinity [3H]5-methyl-urapidil binding sites. Comparison of these serotonin-sensitive [3H]5-methyl-urapidil binding sites with the 5-HT1A sites labelled by [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT) revealed striking similarities regarding pharmacological properties, respective densities and regional distribution. On the other hand, the prazosin-sensitive [3H]5-methyl-urapidil binding sites should correspond to the alpha 1A-subtype of adrenoceptors which has recently been defined. Detailed autoradiographic investigations allowed the detection of 5-HT1A sites labelled by both [3H]5-methyl-urapidil and [3H]8-OH-DPAT in the posterior raphe nuclei (pallidus and obscurus) which are possibly involved in the hypotensive action of 5-methyl-urapidil. These data demonstrate that [3H]5-methyl-urapidil is a useful radioligand for the visualization and quantification of both 5-HT1A serotonin receptors and alpha 1A-adrenoceptors in the central nervous system.

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the hemizygous deletion of 28 genes on chromosome 7, including the general transcription factor GTF2IRD1. Mice either hemizygously (Gtf2ird1 +/− ) or homozygously (Gtf2ird1 −/− ) deleted for this transcription factor exhibit low innate anxiety, low aggression and increased social interaction, a phenotype that shares similarities to the high sociability and disinhibition seen in individuals with WBS. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of serotonin (5-HT) on the major output neurons of the prefrontal cortex in Gtf2ird1 −/− mice and their wildtype (WT) siblings. Prefrontal 5-HT receptors are known to modulate anxiety-like behaviors, and the Gtf2ird1 −/− mice have altered 5-HT metabolism in prefrontal cortex. Using whole cell recording from layer V neurons in acute brain slices of prefrontal cortex, we found that 5-HT elicited significantly larger inhibitory, outward currents in Gtf2ird1 −/− mice than in WT controls. In both genotypes, these currents were resistant to action potential blockade with TTX and were suppressed by the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, suggesting that they are mediated directly by 5-HT1A receptors on the recorded neurons. Control experiments suggest a degree of layer and receptor specificity in this enhancement since 5-HT1A receptor-mediated responses in layer II/III pyramidal neurons were unchanged as were responses mediated by two other inhibitory receptors in layer V pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, we demonstrate GTF2IRD1 protein expression by neurons in layer V of the prefrontal cortex. Our finding that 5-HT1A-mediated responses are selectively enhanced in layer V pyramidal neurons of Gtf2ird1 −/− mice gives insight into the cellular mechanisms that underlie reduced innate anxiety and increased sociability in these mice, and may be relevant to the low social anxiety and disinhibition in patients with WBS and their sensitivity to serotonergic medicines.