Investigation of a Novel Serotonin Receptor System in the Mammalian Brain.

摘要

Serotonin receptors control important biochemical and physiological processes in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. These receptors are associated with tryptamine-induced clonic seizures, serotonin behavioral syndrome, contraction of smooth muscle, action of antidepressant, and action of hallucinogenic drugs. Serotonin receptors are not classified into several subtypes mainly by radioligand binding studies. Among those serotonin receptor subtypes, 5HT1C and 5HT2 receptors are now known to couple to increased turnover of phosphatidylinositol as a second messenger system, and are closely related with respect to pharmacological characteristics. The objectives of our proposed research were to study the physiological and metabolic consequences of activation of a newly discovered brain neurotransmitter receptor system, the serotonin 5HT1c receptor system which was found to be abundant in the choroid plexus. To approach to this goal, we proposed to investigate the relationship between 5HT1c receptor and other mammalian brain serotonin receptors with regard to the detailed molecular consequences of activation of phosphoinositide turnover. Our ultimate goal is to provide a better understanding of neurotoxic action at a variety of brain serotonin receptor sites, using 5HT1C receptor in the choroid plexus as a model system, because the choroid plexus is the major route of neurotoxins across the blood-brain barrier.