Korean J Androl.  2000 Aug;18(2):111-115.

Effect of Alpha-2 Receptor Blocker on Serotonin Release in Rat Hippocampal Slices

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Urology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University. yssong@hosp.sch.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
It is known that alpha-2 receptor is found at the presynaptic serotonergic nervous system and a consequence of increased activation of alpha-2 receptor decreases the serotonin release. So Alpha-2 blockers may have the effect on the release of serotonin. The major serotonergic innervation is found at the hippocampus. This study was performed to investigate the effect of the alpha-2 receptor blocker to serotonin release in rat hippocampus.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The hippocampus from the male rat brain was sliced. After 30 minutes preincubation in the normal buffer, the slices were incubated for 20 minutes in a buffer containing 0.1 microM[3H]5-HT for uptake, and washed. After administration of alpha 2 receptor blockers, yohimbine (10-5M), the release of [3H]5-HT into the buffer was measured, the radioactivities in each buffer and the tissue were counted and the results were expressed as a percentage of the total activity. The value of released [3H]5-HT was expressed as percent of the value at 50 minutes when a steady state of [3H]5-HT release was obtained.
RESULTS
After adminstration of yohimbine (10-5M), the values(mean+/-SE, %) were 147.5+/-9.2 at 60 minutes and 143.8+/-7.3 at 70 minutes compared to the values of control group, 96.6+/-1.9 at 60 minutes and 89.6+/-2.3 at 70 minutes. The release was increased significantly after adminstration of yohimbine.
CONCLUSIONS
Alpha-2 receptor blockers increased the release of serotonin. It is suggested that the consideration of the increase of serotonin release by alpha-2 receptor blockers may be helpful to understand the effect of serotonin on sexual function.

Keyword

Alpha-2 receptor blockers; Serotonin; Hippocampus

MeSH Terms

Animals
Brain
Hippocampus
Humans
Male
Nervous System
Radioactivity
Rats*
Serotonin*
Yohimbine
Serotonin
Yohimbine
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