The role of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors in MDMA self-administration

<p>Rationale: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a less efficacious reinforcer than other drugs of abuse. However, following repeated self-administration, responding increases for some animals and efficacy becomes comparable to other drugs of abuse. MDMA-stimulated serotonin (5-HT) release was negatively associated with acquisition of MDMA self-administration, and a neurotoxic 5-HT lesion reduced the latency to acquire self-administration. These findings suggest that MDMA-produced 5-HT release is an important component of self-administration. The receptor mechanisms are not, however, well understood, although it has often been suggested that the mechanism involves 5-HT-mediated inhibition of dopamine. Both 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors are well localised to regulate dopamine release, and both have been implicated in modulating the reinforcing effects of many drugs of abuse. Objectives: The first objective was to establish specific behavioural assays to reflect 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor activation. Then, using the established behavioural assays, the aim was to determine the role of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors in the acquisition of MDMA self-administration. The impact of substantial MDMA self-administration on 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors was also assessed. Methods: Firstly, dose-effect relationships for the hyperactive response to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT (0 – 3.0 mg/kg) and the hyperactive and adipsic response to the 5-HT1B/1A receptor agonist, RU 24969 (0 – 3.0 mg/kg) were determined. Selectivity of these responses was determined by co-administration of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, or the 5-HT1B/1D receptor antagonist, GR 127935. Secondly, a pretreatment regimen of the RU 24969 (2 × 3.0 mg/kg/day, 3 days), which had been suggested to down-regulate 5-HT1B/1A receptors, was administered prior to self-administration testing. The effect of this manipulation on both the acquisition of MDMA self-administration, and the behavioural responses to 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor activation, was measured. A further study measured behavioural responses to 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B receptor agonists prior to self-administration, to determine whether the variability in these responses would predict the variability in the latency to acquisition of MDMA self-administration. Lastly, the effect of substantial MDMA self-administration (350 mg/kg) on dose-response curves for the behavioural effects of 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B receptor activation was assessed. Results: The hyperactive response to the 5-HT1B/1A receptor agonist, RU 24969, was blocked by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, but not the 5-HT1B receptor antagonist, GR127935. Similarly, the hyperactive response to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, was dose-dependently blocked by WAY 100635. GR 127935, but not WAY 100635, blocked the adipsic response to RU 24969. Repeated administration of RU 24969 produced rightward shifts in the dose-response curves for 8-OH-DPAT-produced hyperactivity and RU 24969-produced adipsia, and also greatly facilitated the acquisition of MDMA self-administration. However, there was no correlation between latency to acquire MDMA self-administration and the hyperactive response to 8-OH-DPAT or the adipsic response to RU 24969, and MDMA self-administration failed to alter these behavioural response to activation of 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B receptors. Conclusions: The hyperactive response to 8-OH-DPAT and the adipsic response to RU 24969 reflect activation of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors, respectively. The variability in acquisition of MDMA self-administration was reduced by a treatment that also down-regulated 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors, however there was no further indication that these receptors play a critical role in the self-administration of MDMA. Instead, it seems likely that other 5-HT receptors have a greater impact on MDMA self-administration.</p>

The role of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors in MDMA self-administration

<p>Rationale: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a less efficacious reinforcer than other drugs of abuse. However, following repeated self-administration, responding increases for some animals and efficacy becomes comparable to other drugs of abuse. MDMA-stimulated serotonin (5-HT) release was negatively associated with acquisition of MDMA self-administration, and a neurotoxic 5-HT lesion reduced the latency to acquire self-administration. These findings suggest that MDMA-produced 5-HT release is an important component of self-administration. The receptor mechanisms are not, however, well understood, although it has often been suggested that the mechanism involves 5-HT-mediated inhibition of dopamine. Both 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors are well localised to regulate dopamine release, and both have been implicated in modulating the reinforcing effects of many drugs of abuse. Objectives: The first objective was to establish specific behavioural assays to reflect 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor activation. Then, using the established behavioural assays, the aim was to determine the role of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors in the acquisition of MDMA self-administration. The impact of substantial MDMA self-administration on 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors was also assessed. Methods: Firstly, dose-effect relationships for the hyperactive response to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT (0 – 3.0 mg/kg) and the hyperactive and adipsic response to the 5-HT1B/1A receptor agonist, RU 24969 (0 – 3.0 mg/kg) were determined. Selectivity of these responses was determined by co-administration of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, or the 5-HT1B/1D receptor antagonist, GR 127935. Secondly, a pretreatment regimen of the RU 24969 (2 × 3.0 mg/kg/day, 3 days), which had been suggested to down-regulate 5-HT1B/1A receptors, was administered prior to self-administration testing. The effect of this manipulation on both the acquisition of MDMA self-administration, and the behavioural responses to 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor activation, was measured. A further study measured behavioural responses to 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B receptor agonists prior to self-administration, to determine whether the variability in these responses would predict the variability in the latency to acquisition of MDMA self-administration. Lastly, the effect of substantial MDMA self-administration (350 mg/kg) on dose-response curves for the behavioural effects of 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B receptor activation was assessed. Results: The hyperactive response to the 5-HT1B/1A receptor agonist, RU 24969, was blocked by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY 100635, but not the 5-HT1B receptor antagonist, GR127935. Similarly, the hyperactive response to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, was dose-dependently blocked by WAY 100635. GR 127935, but not WAY 100635, blocked the adipsic response to RU 24969. Repeated administration of RU 24969 produced rightward shifts in the dose-response curves for 8-OH-DPAT-produced hyperactivity and RU 24969-produced adipsia, and also greatly facilitated the acquisition of MDMA self-administration. However, there was no correlation between latency to acquire MDMA self-administration and the hyperactive response to 8-OH-DPAT or the adipsic response to RU 24969, and MDMA self-administration failed to alter these behavioural response to activation of 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B receptors. Conclusions: The hyperactive response to 8-OH-DPAT and the adipsic response to RU 24969 reflect activation of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors, respectively. The variability in acquisition of MDMA self-administration was reduced by a treatment that also down-regulated 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors, however there was no further indication that these receptors play a critical role in the self-administration of MDMA. Instead, it seems likely that other 5-HT receptors have a greater impact on MDMA self-administration.</p>

Chronic 5-HT2 receptor blockade unmasks the role of 5-HT1F receptors in the inhibition of rat cardioaccelerator sympathetic outflow

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) inhibits the rat cardioaccelerator sympathetic outflow by 5-HT1B/1D/5 receptors. Because chronic blockade of sympatho-excitatory 5-HT2 receptors is beneficial in several cardiovascular pathologies, this study investigated whether sarpogrelate (a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist) alters the pharmacological profile of the above sympatho-inhibition. Rats were pretreated for 2 weeks with sarpogrelate in drinking water (30 mg/kg per day; sarpogrelate-treated group) or equivalent volumes of drinking water (control group). Animals were pithed and prepared for spinal stimulation (C7-T1) of the cardioaccelerator sympathetic outflow or for intravenous (i.v.) bolus injections of noradrenaline. Both procedures produced tachycardic responses remaining unaltered after saline. Continuous i.v. infusions of 5-HT induced a cardiac sympatho-inhibition that was mimicked by the 5-HT receptor agonists 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT; 5-HT1/5A), CP 93,129 (5-HT1B), or PNU 142633 (5-HT1D), but not by indorenate (5-HT1A) in both groups; whereas LY344864 (5-HT1F) mimicked 5-HT only in sarpogrelate-treated rats. In sarpogrelate-treated animals, i.v. GR 127935 (310 μg/kg; 5-HT1B/1D/1F receptor antagonist) attenuated 5-CT-induced sympatho-inhibition and abolished LY344864-induced sympatho-inhibition; while GR 127935 plus SB 699551 (1 mg/kg; 5-HT5A receptor antagonist) abolished 5-CT-induced inhibition. These results confirm the cardiac sympatho-inhibitory role of 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D, and 5-HT5A receptors in both groups; nevertheless, sarpogrelate treatment specifically unmasked a cardiac sympatho-inhibition mediated by 5-HT1F receptors.

Serotonergic regulation of distention-induced ATP release from the urothelium

Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] is involved in both motor and sensory functions in hollow organs, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. However, the involvement of 5-HT in visceral sensation of the urinary bladder remains unknown. Because distention-induced ATP release from the urothelium plays an essential role in visceral sensation of the urinary bladder, we investigated the regulation of urothelial ATP release by the 5-HT signaling system. RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses of the urothelium revealed specific expression of 5-HT1D and 5-HT4 receptors. The addition of 5-HT did not affect urothelial ATP release without bladder distention, but it significantly reduced distention-induced ATP release by physiological pressure during urine storage (5 cmH2O). The inhibitory effect of 5-HT on distention-elicited ATP release was blocked by preincubation with the 5-HT1B/1D antagonist GR-127935 but not by the 5-HT4 antagonist SB-204070. mRNA encoding tryptophan hydroxylase 1 was detected in the urinary bladder by nested RT-PCR amplification, and l-tryptophan or the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram also inhibited ATP release, indicating that 5-HT is endogenously synthesized and released in the urinary bladder. The addition of GR-127935 significantly enhanced the distention-elicited ATP release 40 min after distention, whereas SB-204070 reduced the amount of ATP release 20 min after distention. These data suggest that 5-HT4 facilitates the distention-induced ATP release at an earlier stage, whereas 5-HT1D inhibits ATP release at a later stage. The net inhibitory effect of 5-HT indicates that the action of 5-HT on the urothelium is mediated predominantly by 5-HT1D.

Serotonergic modulation of murine fundic tone

Fundic tone is maintained through a balance of excitatory and inhibitory input to fundic smooth muscle. The aim of this study was to determine the role of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-HT receptors in modulating murine fundic tone. Muscle strips were prepared from the murine fundus. Intracellular recordings were made from circular smooth muscle cells, and the effects of 5-HT on tone and excitatory and inhibitory junction potentials evoked by electrical field stimulation (EFS) were determined. 5-HT induced a concentration-dependent contraction and smooth muscle depolarization that was tetrodotoxin resistant. The 5-HT1B/D receptor antagonists GR-127935 and BRL-155172 significantly inhibited 5-HT-induced contractions. The 5-HT1B/D agonist sumatriptan contracted murine fundic muscle. The 5-HT1A receptor agonist buspirone relaxed fundic smooth muscle, and the relaxation was inhibited by WAY-100135 but not by Nω-nitro-l-arginine or tetrodotoxin. 5-HT enhanced both the excitatory and inhibitory responses to EFS. The 5-HT3 receptor antagonist MDL-72222 partly inhibited both the excitatory and inhibitory response elicited by EFS, whereas the 5-HT4 receptor antagonist GR-113808 partly inhibited the EFS-evoked inhibitory response. The 5-HT reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine contracted smooth muscle strips, a contraction that was partially inhibited by GR-127935 and abolished by tetrodotoxin. In conclusion, the data suggest that 5-HT modulates murine fundic contractile activity through several different receptor subtypes. Sustained release of 5-HT maintains fundic tone through postjunctional 5-HT1B/D receptors. 5-HT3 receptors modulate excitatory neural input to murine fundic smooth muscle, and both 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 receptors modulate inhibitory neural input to murine fundic smooth muscle.

Extracellular superoxide enhances 5-HT-induced murine pulmonary artery vasoconstriction

Accumulating evidence suggests that changes in both 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor activity and in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in regulating pulmonary artery (PA) vascular responsiveness, particularly in the setting of pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, we hypothesized that increased levels of superoxide enhance 5-HT-induced PA constriction. With the use of a small-vessel bioassay, 5-HT (0.01–10 μM) induced a concentration-dependent vasoconstriction in isolated wild-type murine intrapulmonary arteries (100–150 μm diameter) that was enhanced by both removal of the endothelium and by treatment with either NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (30 μM) or xanthine (10 μM) + xanthine oxidase (0.005 U/ml). PA isolated from extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) knockout mice also showed enhanced constriction. On the other hand, PA constriction to 5-HT was attenuated by either the addition of GR-127935 (0.1 μM, a selective inhibitor of 5-HT1B/1Dreceptor) or copper/zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD, 150 U/ml) and in PA isolated from transgenic mice overexpressing human EC-SOD. With the use of both oxidative fluorescent confocal microscopy and lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence, superoxide levels were increased significantly after 5-HT-induced PA vasoconstriction. This increase in superoxide levels could be blocked by the exogenous addition of Cu/Zn SOD (150 U/ml) or by apocynin (30 μM, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase) but was not affected by gp91phoxknockout mice. Overall, our results are consistent with 5-HT increasing vascular smooth muscle superoxide production via an NADPH oxidase pathway that is independent of gp91phox, which leads to increases in extracellular superoxide levels, which in turn enhances 5-HT-induced murine pulmonary vasoconstriction.

Naratriptan Has a Selective Inhibitory Effect on Trigeminovascular Neurones at Central 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B/1D Receptors in the Cat: Implications for Migraine Therapy

The triptans are agonists at serotonin(5-HT) 1B/1D receptors; however, they are also active at 5-HT1A and 5-HT1F receptors. We conducted this series of experiments to further elucidate the site of action of naratriptan using a well-established animal model of trigeminovascular stimulation. Following electrical stimulation of the superior sagittal sinus of the cat, single cell responses ( n = 83) were recorded in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis. Most cells (91%) also responded to electrical and mechanical stimulation of cutaneous or mucosal facial receptive fields. The micro-iontophoretic application of naratriptan resulted in a significant suppression of the response to sagittal sinus stimulation (response suppressed by 47 ± 4%, P < 0.001). The effect of naratriptan was significantly attenuated by application of either the 5-HT1B/1D receptor antagonist GR-127935 ( P < 0.001) or the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635 ( P < 0.05). The response of single cells to receptive field stimulation was also suppressed by microiontophoretic application of naratriptan, but by only 20 ± 3%. Intravenous administration of naratriptan resulted in a similar selective suppression of sagittal sinus vs. receptive field responses in trigeminal neurones. These results indicate that naratriptan has a central effect in the trigeminovascular system, selectively inhibiting afferent activity in craniovascular neurones, via both 5-HT1B/1D and 5-HT1A receptors.