Acute fasting induced antidepressant-like effects. However, the exact brain region and mechanism of these actions are still largely unknown. Therefore, in this study the antidepressant-like effects of acute fasting on c-Fos expression and BDNF levels were investigated. Consistent with our previous findings, immobility time was remarkably shortened by 9 hrs fasting in the forced swimming test. F...

The neurotransmitter systems mediating spinal locomotion in response to epidural spinal cord stimulation (ES) have not been identified. Here, we examine the role of the serotonergic system in regulating locomotor behavior of decerebrated cats during ES at L4-L5. ES elicited coordinated, weight-bearing, hindlimb stepping with plantar foot placement on a moving treadmill belt. Ketanserin [a 5-hyd...

Ferulic acid is a caffeic acid derivative and a common phenolic compound quite abundant in various medicinal plants that used for pain relief. The antinociceptive effect of ferulic acid has been shown; however, the action mechanisms of ferulic acid still remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible mechanism of action of ferulic acid-induced antinociception i...

Pharmacologic profiling of serotonin (5HT) receptors of bovine lateral saphenous vein has shown that cattle grazing endophyte-infected (Neotyphodium coenophialum) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) have altered responses to ergovaline, 5HT, 5HT2A, and 5HT7 agonists. To determine if 5HT receptor activity of tall fescue alkaloids is affected by grazing endophyte-free (EF), wild-type [Kentucky-31 (...

Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are known to stimulate the production of new neurons in the hippocampus (HPC) by increasing synaptic concentration of serotonin (5-HT). The delay in the appearance of antidepressant effects corresponds to the time required to generate new neurons. However, it is not clear which of the many serotonergic receptors in the HPC are responsible for the en...

1. The possibility of 5-HT2 receptor modulation of central 5-HT1A receptor function has been examined using the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) behavioural syndrome induced by 5-HT1A receptor active drugs in rats. 2. The 5-HT2/5-HTIC antagonist ritanserin (0.1-2 mg kg-1) increased the 5-HT behavioural syndrome induced by submaximally effective doses of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DP...

A core aspect of the human self is the attribution of personal relevance to everyday stimuli enabling us to experience our environment as meaningful [1]. However, abnormalities in the attribution of personal relevance to sensory experiences are also critical features of many psychiatric disorders [2, 3]. Despite their clinical relevance, the neurochemical and anatomical substrates enabling mean...

BACKGROUND Serotonin (5-HT) 1A and 2A receptors have been associated with dysfunctional emotional processing biases in mood disorders. These receptors further predominantly mediate the subjective and behavioral effects of psilocybin and might be important for its recently suggested antidepressive effects. However, the effect of psilocybin on emotional processing biases and the specific contribu...

The superior temporal gyrus (STG) is strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, particularly with regards to auditory hallucinations. In this study, using in situ quantitative autoradiography in postmortem tissue, we investigated the binding of the [3H]ketanserin to 5-HT(2A) receptors and [3H]mesulergine to 5-HT(2C) receptors in the left STG of 8 male schizophrenic patients co...

This study evaluates the vasoactive effects and mechanisms of action of serotonin on epicardial arteries in awake dogs chronically instrumented with miniature piezoelectric dimension crystals on the proximal circumflex coronary artery. Serotonin (2-16 micrograms) infused as a bolus in the left atrium effected a dose-related biphasic response, which was characterized by an initial increase in ve...