Abstract
Background: Acute stress has profound effects on serotonergic activity, but it is
not known whether alterations in the serotonin system can predispose individuals to
exaggerated stress responses. We examined the regulation of 5-HT1B and 5-HT1A mRNA in two rodent models of differential sensitivity to stress: congenital learned
helplessness (cLH) and handling and maternal separation (HMS).
Methods: 5-HT1B and 5-HT1A mRNAs in brain tissue sections were quantitated by in situ hybridization from control,
stress-sensitive, and stress-resistant male rats in the HMS model and stress-sensitive
and stress-resistant rats (both males and females) in the cLH model. Dorsal raphe
nucleus, striatum, and hippocampus were examined.
Results: The main result was that dorsal raphe 5-HT1B mRNA was substantially elevated (63–73%) in male rats in the stress-resistant group
of both models compared with stress-sensitive animals. 5-HT1B mRNA in female rats did not differ between groups in the cLH model. There were no
differences in 5-HT1A mRNA between HMS groups.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that 5-HT1B autoreceptor regulation is altered in animals with diminished stress reactivity.
These results suggest that 5-HT1B autoreceptors in unstressed and acutely stressed animals differ, indicating the importance
of state versus trait changes in serotonin function in animal models of anxiety and
depression.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 3,
2001
Received in revised form:
November 21,
2001
Received:
October 17,
2001
Identification
Copyright
© 2002 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
