Serotonin 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub> receptors: Role in (+)-MDMA sensitization and distribution in the ventral tegmental area
| dc.contributor.advisor | Kathryn A. Cunningham, Ph.D. | en_US |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | T. Celeste Napier, Ph.D. | en_US |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Mary L. Thomas, Ph.D. | en_US |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Joel P. Gallagher, Ph.D. | en_US |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Golda A. Kevetter-Leonard, Ph.D. | en_US |
| dc.creator | Marcy Jo Bubar | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2011-12-20T16:04:29Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2008-04-03 | en_US |
| dc.date.available | 2011-12-20T16:04:29Z | |
| dc.date.created | 2005-03-30 | en_US |
| dc.date.issued | 2005-03-09 | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Serotonin (5-HT) released consequent to acute (+)-3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine [(+)-MDMA; \"ecstasy\"] administration stimulates 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub> receptors (5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R) to exert inhibitory influence on (+)-MDMA-induced behaviors. Thus, changes in 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R responsiveness upon repeated intermittent exposure to (+)-MDMA may contribute to the development and/or expression of behavioral sensitization. We tested the hypothesis that intermittent exposure to (+)-MDMA or the 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R agonist MK 212 results in enhanced (+)-MDMA-evoked locomotor activity (\"behavioral sensitization\") concurrent with decreased functional responsiveness of the 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R. Male Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with saline, (+)-MDMA, or MK 212 for 7 days revealed that (+)-MDMA or MK 212 pretreatment results in transient tolerance to MK 212-induced hypomotility, indicating loss of 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R responsiveness, that coincides with enhanced (+)-MDMA-evoked hyperactivity at an early (24 h) withdrawal time-point. This suggests a role for 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R in the induction and early expression of (+)-MDMA sensitization. While behavioral sensitization in (+)-MDMA-pretreated rats was transient and paralleled the time-course of diminished 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R responsiveness, MK 212-pretreated rats displayed persistent (> 2 wks) enhancement of (+)-MDMA-evoked hyperactivity despite recovery of 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R responsiveness. The loss of 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R responsiveness at 24h withdrawal was not linked to reduced 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R protein expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), or prefrontal cortex in either (+)-MDMA- or MK 212-pretreated rats. However, an up-regulation of 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R protein expression was observed in the VTA at 2 wks withdrawal in MK 212-pretreated rats, which may contribute to the persistence of (+)-MDMA-evoked hyperactivity. The ability of 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R to limit the expression of (+)-MDMA-evoked hyperactivity is attributable to the inhibitory influence of 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R upon VTA dopamine (DA) neuron firing and DA release in the NAc. This effect may be mediated indirectly via depolarization of GABA neurons. However, we revealed (via double-label immunofluorescence and retrograde tracing) that 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R are located on both GABA and DA neurons in the VTA, a subset of which project to the NAc. Thus, the potential for a direct stimulatory effect of 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R upon DA mesocorticoaccumbens pathway activation also exists. This may predominate under certain conditions, such as in response to repeated 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R stimulation, as a result of modifications in 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub>R responsiveness. | en_US |
| dc.format.medium | electronic | en_US |
| dc.identifier.other | etd-03302005-192144 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2152.3/75 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | en_US |
| dc.rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the TDL web site by The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works. | en_US |
| dc.subject | tyrosine hydroxylase | en_US |
| dc.subject | glutamic acid decarboxylase | en_US |
| dc.subject | FluoroGold | en_US |
| dc.title | Serotonin 5-HT<sub/>2C</sub> receptors: Role in (+)-MDMA sensitization and distribution in the ventral tegmental area | en_US |
| dc.type.genre | dissertation | en_US |
| dc.type.material | text | en_US |
| thesis.degree.department | Pharmacology and Toxicology | en_US |
| thesis.degree.grantor | The University of Texas Medical Branch | en_US |
| thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | en_US |
| thesis.degree.name | PhD | en_US |