cinanserin and alpha-methylserotonin

In the present study, effects of the serotonergic system of the dorsal hippocampus (CA1) on harmaline-induced amnesia were examined. A single-trial step-down passive avoidance task was used for the assessment of memory retention in adult male NMRI mice. Pre-training intra-peritoneal (i.p.) administration of harmaline (1mg/kg) induced impairment of memory retention. Moreover, intra-CA1 administration of 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonist, CP94253 (5 ng/mouse), 5-HT1B/1D receptor antagonist, GR127935 (0.05 and 0.5 ng/mouse), 5-HT2A/2B/2C receptor agonist, α-methyl 5-HT (0.5 ng/mouse) and 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, cinancerine (0.5 ng/mouse) impaired memory acquisition, but did not affect locomotor activity and tail flick. Furthermore, pre-training intra-CA1 injection of subthreshold dose of CP94253 (0.05 ng/mouse) or GR127935 (0.005 ng/mouse) reversed impairment of memory acquisition induced by harmaline (1 mg/kg, i.p.). However, pre-training intra-CA1 infusion of subthreshold dose of α-methyl 5-HT (0.005 ng/mouse) or cinancerine (0.005 ng/mouse) with the administration of harmaline (0.5 and 1 mg/kg, i.p.) heighten impairment of memory acquisition. These findings implicate the involvement of CA1 serotonergic mechanism in harmaline-induced impairment of memory acquisition.

Topics: Amnesia; Animals; CA1 Region, Hippocampal; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Cinanserin; Harmaline; Male; Memory; Mice, Inbred Strains; Oxadiazoles; Piperazines; Pyridines; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1D; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2B; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; Serotonin; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Antagonists

The appearance of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin; 5-HT) in the cerebral cortex coincides with developmental events such as cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. We tested the hypothesis that 5-HT plays a role in these events by examining rat cortical progenitor cells in vitro. Using bromodeoxyuridine incorporation we found that 5-HT did not affect the proliferation of these cells, but a cell survival assay indicated that it promoted their survival. The observed survival effect was mimicked by the 5-HT2a/2c receptor agonist alpha-methyl-5-HT and blocked by the 5-HT2a receptor antagonist cinanserin. Consistent with increased survival was the finding, using the terminal transferase nick end labeling method, of reduced cell death in cultures exposed to 5-HT. Immunohistochemical analysis with cell-specific markers revealed that the effect of 5-HT was directed specifically to the glutamate-containing neuronal population and not to any other cortical cell types. These results indicate that 5-HT does not exert its effects on dividing neuroepithelial cells in the developing cortex, but rather on postmitotic neurons.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Cell Differentiation; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Cerebral Cortex; Cinanserin; Glutamic Acid; Neurons; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; Receptors, Serotonin; Serotonin; Stem Cells