In this study, we report that 5-HT(1A) receptors are already present in fractions of axonal growth cones, from the normal rat fetal brain (E-17). Also, in utero undernourished (UN) rat pups at birth show a noteworthy enhancement in the B(max) of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and [3H]8-hydroxy-(2-N,N-dipropilamin)-tetralin (([3H])8-OH-DPAT), in the brainstem and cerebral cortex up to the second week after birth. Afterwards, there is a significant decrease in the binding of these ligands. [125I]Cyanopindolo binding in the cerebral cortex only showed a decrease in the same period. An elevation of brain serotonin in both regions was also present. These findings together, suggest that the mechanisms of regulation of serotonergic receptors' expression during the period studied, may not depend on the amount of neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft, because in the early UN brain it would be expected only a lower receptor's density due to the chronic serotonin increase. On this basis, we propose that developmental activation of brain serotonin biosynthesis observed in early UN animals may disrupt the mechanism regulating the expression of 5-HT receptors during development.
The purpose of the present study was the characterization of the receptors participating in the regulatory mechanism of glial Na+/K+-ATPase by serotonin (5-HT) in rat brain. The activity of the Na+ pump was measured in four brain regions after incubation with various concentrations of serotoninergic agonists or antagonists. A concentration-dependent increase in enzyme activity was observed with the 5-HT1A agonist R (+)-2-dipropylamino-8-hydroxy-1,2,3, 4-tetrahydronaphthalene hydrobromide (8-OH-DPAT) in homogenates or in glial membrane enriched fractions from cerebral cortex and in hippocampus. Spiperone, a 5-HT1A antagonist, completely inhibited the response to 8-OH-DPAT but had no effect on Na+/K+-ATPase activity in cerebellum where LSD, a 5-HT6 agonist, elicited a dose-dependent response similar to that of 5-HT. In brainstem, a lack of response to 5-HT and other agonists was confirmed. Altogether, these results show that serotonin modulates glial Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the brain, apparently not through only one type of 5-HT receptor. It seems that the receptor system involved is different according to the brain region. In cerebral cortex, the response seems to be mediated by 5-HT1A as well as in hippocampus but not in cerebellum where 5-HT6 appears as the receptor system involved.
In the present work the cytosolic, membrane-bound and the total activities of brain sialidases were measured in fetal axonal growth cone particles and in various brain regions during brain development. The developmental profile showed an important activity in the prenatal and perinatal periods as well as in specific differentiating structures like the axonal growth cones from the fetal brain. Interestingly membrane-bound activity was higher than the cytosolic activity, starting from 50-60% at birth and increasing thereafter. Cytosolic activity was almost at adult levels at birth and did not show a further significant increase thereafter. Our results strongly suggest the commitment of membrane-bound sialidase activity in early neurodifferentiating phenomena like axogenesis, probably regulating the turnover of glycoconjugates like gangliosides at the presynaptic period, since high activity was observed in neuroblast's derived membranes and in the perinatal period.
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