부산대학교 도서관

Abstract The brain 5-HT (serotonin) system and circulating corticosteroids are in close interaction and both are implicated in the pathogenesis of affective disorders. The 5-HT[sub 1A] receptor is thought to play a major role in this relationship. However, the recently cloned 5-HT[sub 7] receptor may also be involved, given its pharmacological similarities to the 5-HT[sub 1A] receptor and its high expression in corticolimbic structures. Using in situ hybridization histochemistry, we have investigated 5-HT[sub 7] and 5-HT[sub 1A] receptor mRNA expression in selected areas of the rat brain 7 days post-adrenalectomy. 5-HT[sub 7] receptor mRNA was increased in CA1 and CA3b after adrenalectomy, with no alterations in other hippocampal subfields or in retrosplenial cortex. Adrenalectomy was associated with a marked increase of 5-HT[sub 1A] receptor mRNA in dentate gyrus, CA3 and CA2, but not in CA1, nor in the raphe. These data indicate that circulating adrenal steroids have a inhibitory role on the expression of hippocampal 5-HT[sub 7] receptors as well as 5-HT[sub 1A], receptors, but the effect upon the two transcripts occurs in different subfields. The 5-HT[sub 7] receptor is an additional candidate for mediating the interactions between 5-HT and corticosteroids within the hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]