No abstract

Schizophrenia pathophysiology is associated with alterations in several neurotransmitter systems, particularly dopamine, glutamate and serotonin (5-HT). Schizophrenia patients also have disruptions in sensory gating, a brain information filtering mechanism in response to repeated sensory stimuli. Dopamine and glutamate have been implicated in sensory gating; however, little is known about the contribution of serotonin. We therefore investigated the effects of several psychoactive compounds that alter serotonergic neuronal activity on event-related potentials (ERP) to paired auditory pulses. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with cortical surface electrodes to measure ERPs to 150 presentations of two 85 dB bursts of white noise, 500 ms apart (S1 and S2). Saline-treated animals suppressed the response to S2 to less than 50% of S1. In contrast, treatment with the serotonin releaser, MDMA (ecstasy; 2.0mg/kg), the 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonist, DOI (0.5mg/kg), or the 5-HT1A/7 receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT (0.5mg/kg), caused an increase in S2/S1 ratios. Analysis of waveform components suggested that the S2/S1 ratio disruption by MDMA was due to subtle effects on the ERPs to S1 and S2; DOI caused the disruption primarily by reducing the ERP to S1; 8-OH-DPAT-induced disruptions were due to an increase in the ERP to S2. These results show that 5-HT receptor stimulation alters S2/S1 ERP ratios in rats. These results may help to elucidate the sensory gating deficits observed in schizophrenia patients.

Chronic estrogen replacement in OVX rats protected against sensory gating deficits caused by direct dopamine D1/D2 receptor stimulation. These data could indicate a possible mechanism by which estrogen exerts a protective action in schizophrenia.

Sensory gating deficits have been demonstrated in schizophrenia, but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. In the present study, we used disruption of paired-pulse gating of evoked potentials in rats by the administration of (±)-3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) to study serotonergic and dopaminergic mechanisms involved in auditory sensory gating deficits. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were instrumented with cortical surface electrodes to record evoked potential changes in response to pairs of 85dB tones (S1 and S2), 500msec apart. Administration of MDMA eliminated the normal reduction in the amplitude of S2 compared to S1, representing disruption of auditory sensory gating. Pretreatment of the animals with the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, SCH23390, the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, haloperidol, the serotonin (5-HT)1A receptor antagonist, WAY100635, or the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, ketanserin, all blocked the effect of MDMA, although the drugs differentially affected the individual S1 and S2 amplitudes. These data show involvement of both dopaminergic and serotonergic mechanisms in disruption of auditory sensory gating by MDMA. These and previous results suggest that MDMA targets serotonergic pathways, involving both 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, leading to dopaminergic activation, involving both D1 and D2 receptors, and ultimately sensory gating deficits. It is speculated that similar interactive mechanisms are affected in schizophrenia.