CANNABIS PRODUCES WELL-RECOGNIZED BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS AND TWO TYPES OF G PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTORS (CB1 AND CB2) HAVE BEEN CHARACTERIZED WHICH BIND THE ACTIVE COMPONENTS OF CANNABIS.1 Still, the functional roles of endogenous ligands for CB1 and CB2 receptors remain poorly defined.2 Early observations suggest a potent neuromodulatory role for these endocannabinoids, including alterations in slee...

This paper is a specialized literature review of the pharmacology of serotonin, that focuses on pharmacodynamics. The main aspects discussed here are the metabolism and transport of serotonin, along with the structure and functions of 5-HT receptors and their clinical implications. We also included the substances that influence the serotonin neurotransmission and the autacoid function, which ma...

The serotonin 2A receptor is one of the most abundant serotonin receptors in the human CNS and is a target for drugs designed to treat psychiatric disorders (McCorvy and Roth, 2015). Significantly, levels of serotonin 2A receptors have been shown to be altered in the CNS of subjects with schizophrenia (Dean, 2003), major depressive disorders (Arora and Meltzer, 1989; Dean et al., 2014) and suic...

Neural progenitors differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) hold potentials for treating neurological diseases. Serotonin has potent effects on neuronal functions through multiple receptors, underlying a variety of neural disorders. Glutamate and GABA receptors have been proven functional in neurons differentiated from iPS, however, little is known about 5-HT receptor-mediated m...

The serotonin 2A receptor is one of the most abundant serotonin receptors in the human CNS and is a target for drugs designed to treat psychiatric disorders (McCorvy and Roth, 2015). Significantly, levels of serotonin 2A receptors have been shown to be altered in the CNS of subjects with schizophrenia (Dean, 2003), major depressive disorders (Arora and Meltzer, 1989; Dean et al., 2014) and suic...

Serotonin receptors have been found in several reproductive organs as well as in the central nervous system. Serotonin-binding sites have been demonstrated in duck ovarian follicles and the testis, hamster ovaries, human granulosa cells and mouse placenta. Local production of serotonin by the rat ovary, oviduct, uterus and testis has also been reported. We analyzed the expression of three types...

In helically-cut strips of cerebral arteries isolated from dogs, serotonin, tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptophan and tryptophan caused a dose-related contraction. The potency was in the order of serotonin greater than tryptamine much greater than 5-hydroxytryptophan = tryptophan. In femoral arterial strips, only serotonin and tryptamine produced contractions. In cerebral arteries, the dose-response ...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of migraine is 3-folds higher in females than in males, and it is intricately related to the levels of estrogen. Estrogen may regulate the expression of metabolic enzymes and receptors of serotonin and also calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which are implicated in migraine pathogenesis. PURPOSE To study the effects of estrogen on the components of serotonin sys...

Older adults are among the most vulnerable to adverse cognitive effects of psychotropic medications and, therefore, the personalization of psychotropic treatment based on adverse drug reactions in this demographic is of great importance. We examined changes on neuropsychological tests of attention attributable to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment in anxious older adults. W...