Effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) overexpression in hippocampal astrocytes of adult mice administered with vehicle or fluoxetine on serotonergic neuronal activity. (a, b) Extracellular levels of serotonin (5-HT) in the hippocampus and dorsal raphe (DR). Values are expressed as mean±s.e.m. of 5-HT levels in the hippocampus (fmol per 20 μl) (a) or in the DR (fmol per 10 μl) (b) of lenti-GFP (green fluorescent protein) and lenti-BDNF mice administered vehicle (VEH; p.o.) or fluoxetine (FLX, 18 mg kg−1 per day; p.o.) for 4 weeks (n=5–10 mice per group). (c, d) Electrophysiological activity of DR 5-HT neurons. (c) Scattergram depicting the firing frequency of all spontaneously active 5-HT neurons encountered during systematic electrode descents through the DR of lenti-GFP and lenti-BDNF mice administered with vehicle (VEH; p.o.) or fluoxetine (FLX, 18 mg kg−1 per day; p.o.) for 4 weeks (n=4–5 mice per group). Lenti-GFP vehicle (39 cells recorded), Lenti-GFP fluoxetine (50 cells recorded), lenti-BDNF vehicle (81 cells recorded) and lenti-BDNF fluoxetine (52 cells recorded). (d) Values are mean±s.e.m. of firing rate of DR 5-HT neurons in lenti-GFP and lenti-BDNF mice administered with vehicle or fluoxetine. (e–g) Functional activity of 5-HT1A autoreceptor in the DR. (e) Representative integrated firing rate histograms illustrating the effect of 8-OH-DPAT administrations in each group of mice. Note that at the end of each recording, the inhibitory effect of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT is reversed by the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY100635 (300 μg kg−1; subcutaneous (s.c.)). (f) Values are mean±s.e.m. of the percentage of decrease in DR 5-HT firing rate induced by the first dose of 8-OH-DPAT (100 μg kg−1; s.c.). (g) Hypothermic effects of 8-OH-DPAT (100 μg kg−1; s.c.) in lenti-GFP and lenti-BDNF mice administered with vehicle (VEH; p.o.) or fluoxetine (FLX, 18 mg kg−1 per day; p.o.) for 4 weeks. Values are mean±s.e.m. for each time point of body temperature change from baseline (°C). Baselines are calculated from the average from three temperature measures before 8-OH-DPAT administrations, each measure being performed with a 10-min interval (n=10–15 per group). **P<0.01 and ***P<0.001: significantly different from lenti-GFP mice administered with vehicle for 4 weeks. ##P<0.01 and ###P<0.001: significantly different from lenti-BDNF mice administered with vehicle. †P<0.05, ††P<0.01 and †††P<0.001: significantly different from lenti-GFP mice administered with fluoxetine.