Involvement of the Dorsal Hippocampus 5-HT1A Receptors in the Regulation of Depressive-Like Behaviors in Hemiparkinsonian Rats

BACKGROUND

Depression is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disturbances in Parkinson's disease (PD), but its pathophysiology is not definite. Lines of evidence have indicated that the hippocampus and serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptors are related to the regulation of depression.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the present study was to observe the effect of 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal hippocampus (dHIP) on PD-related depression in rats.

METHODS

Unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesioning of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) was used to establish the hemiparkinsonian rat model. The effects of intra-dHIP injection of the 5-HT1A receptor -agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(dipropylamino)tetralin hydrobromide (8-OH-DPAT) or antagonist WAY-100635 on depressive-like behaviors were observed in sucrose preference and forced swim tests in control and lesioned rats. Monoamine levels including dopamine (DA), 5-HT, and noradrenaline (NA) in depression-related brain regions were determined by a neurochemical method in all groups.

RESULTS

Behavioral results showed that MFB lesions induced depressive-like behaviors. Intra-dHIP injection of 8-OH-DPAT produced antidepressant effects, while WAY-100635 induced or increased the depressive-like behaviors in both control and the lesioned rats. Neurochemical results found that intra-dHIP injection of 8-OH-DPAT significantly increased DA and 5-HT levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), lateral habenula (LHb), ventral hippocampus and amygdala in the lesioned group and decreased NA levels in the mPFC and LHb in the control group. Moreover, after injection of WAY-100635, NA levels in all these regions of the lesioned group were significantly increased.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that hippocampal 5-HT1A receptors regulate depression and PD-related depression by neurochemical mechanisms.

Dose related effects of buspirone on pain, learning / memory and food intake

The present study concerned extending the therapeutic use of buspirone for treating pain and improving cognition. Effects of single and repeated administration of buspirone were therefore monitored on pain threshold in the hot plate test and on spatial memory in the water maze test in rats. Effects on cumulative food intake were also monitored. The drug was administered intraperitoneally in doses of 0.1, 0.3, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg. We found that single and repeated administration of buspirone in doses of 0.1 mg/kg decreased pain threshold in the hot plate test, while doses of 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg increased it. Effects of single and repeated administration were not different. A dose of 0.3 mg/kg had no effect. Food intake increased following single as well as repeated administration of 0.1 mg/kg buspirone; higher doses had no effect. Low doses (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg) improved acquisition and retention of memory in the water maze test, while memory extinction was reduced. Higher doses had either no effect (1.0 mg/kg) or impaired (2.0 mg/kg) performance in this test. The results suggest potential therapeutic use of selected doses of buspirone as an analgesic and nootropic drug.

Role of serotonin 1A receptors in the median raphe nucleus on the behavioral consequences of forced swim stress

Despite the intense research on the neurobiology of stress, the role of serotonin (5-HT)1A receptors still remains to be elucidated. In the hippocampus, post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors activation induces anxiolytic effects in animals previously exposed to stressful situations. However, little is known about somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors in the median raphe nucleus (MRN). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of 5-HT1A receptors located in the MRN in rats exposed to forced swim stress. After recovering from surgery, rats were forced to swim for 15 min in a cylinder. Intra-MRN injections of saline, 8-OH-DPAT (3 nmol/0.2 µL) and/or WAY-100635 (0.3 nmol/0.2 µL) were performed immediately before or after pre-exposure or 24 h later (immediately before test). Non-stressed rats received the same treatment 24 h or 10 min before test. Our data showed that 8-OH-DPAT increased latency to display immobility while decreasing time spent immobile in almost all experimental conditions. These effects were not prevented by previous treatment with WAY-100635. No effects of different treatments were described in non-stressed animals. Taken together, our data suggest that in addition to activation of 5-HT1A, 5-HT7 receptors may also be involved in the behavioural consequences of exposure to swim stress.