Effects of stress on the functional properties of pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT1B receptors in the rat brain

Numerous studies have clearly shown that the turnover and release of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) are increased under acute stressful conditions. Inasmuch as this latter process is under the control of a feedback mechanism involving the stimulation of presynaptic 5-HT1B autoreceptors, we have investigated the possible effects of acute restraint (40 min) on the functional properties of 5-HT1B receptors. The efficacy of the selective 5-HT1B receptor agonist 3-[1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyrid-4-yl]pyrrolo-[3,2-b]pyrid-5-one (CP-93,129) in inhibiting in vitro the K+-evoked release of [3H]5-HT, was significantly reduced in stressed rats as compared to naive animals. Similarly, the responsiveness of 5-HT1B receptors inhibiting the release of [3H]acetylcholine (presynaptic 5-HT1B heteroreceptors), was reduced by restraint. These effects were observed in the hippocampus, but using the inhibitory effect of CP-93,129 on forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity as an index of 5-HT1B receptor function, it could be shown that the 5-HT1B receptors located in the substantia nigra are also desensitized by stress. The number as well as the apparent affinity constant of 5-HT1B binding sites labelled by [125I]iodocyanopindolol, as measured by quantitative autoradiography and membrane binding, were similar in naive and restraint-stressed rats suggesting that the stress-induced desensitization of 5-HT1B receptors is not due to a reduced number of 5-HT1B binding sites. As stress is thought to be a causal factor for the etiology of anxiety and depression, these results support the potential involvement of 5-HT1B receptor dysfunction in the development of these neurological disorders.

Production and characterization of an antibody directed against the mouse 5HT1B receptor

We have developed a polyclonal antibody directed against a peptide located in the third intracellular loop of the 5HT1B receptor. Its characterization was carried out using NIH cells stably transfected with a eukaryotic expression vector containing the mouse 5HT1B receptor cDNA. The synthetic antigenic peptide had a unique sequence to the mouse 5HT1B receptor corresponding to amino acids 273-287 localized in the third intracellular loop. In dot blot analysis, antisera detected 2 ng to 2 micrograms of synthetic peptide at dilutions of 1/200-1/20,000 and bound antibody was visualized using an immunoperoxidase procedure. Preimmune serum showed no immunoreactivity to the synthetic peptide. NIH cells stably transfected expressing mouse 5HT1B receptor displayed an intense immunoreactivity with the antiserum. In contrast no immunoreactivity was seen in any of the control experiments. In the present study, we have produced a specific antibody which is an essential tool suitable for immunocytochemical applications such as regional distribution, anatomical localization and phenotypical characterization of the cells expressing the 5HT1B receptors in brain by double immunolabelling procedure.