Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Clinical Investigation logoLink to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
. 1979 Aug;64(2):689–693. doi: 10.1172/JCI109510

Serotonin and the control of ventilation in awake rats.

E B Olson Jr, J A Dempsey, D R McCrimmon
PMCID: PMC372167  PMID: 156738

Abstract

In awake, unrestrained, intact rats, reserpine, para-chlorophenylalanine, 6-fluorotryptophan, and para-chloroamphetamine depleted whole brain serotonin and produced a substantial and sustained hyperventilation as evidenced by a 5--9 torr drop in PaCO2. Administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan to rats treated with para-chlorophenylalanine partially alleviated the hyperventilation. No change in ventilation was observed after alpha-methyltyrosine. 5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine produced contradictory results. On the basis of these pharmacological studies, we propose that some serotonin-mediated nerve transmissions might function under physiological conditions to inhibit the central nervous system output which controls normal breathing.

Full text

PDF
689

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Armijo J. A., Flórez J. The influence of increased brain 5-hydroxytryptamine upon the respiratory activity of cats. Neuropharmacology. 1974 Nov;13(10-11):977–986. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(74)90089-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Björklund A., Baumgarten H. G., Rensch A. 5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine: improvement of its selectivity for serotonin neurons in the CNS by pretreatment with desipramine. J Neurochem. 1975 Apr;24(4):833–835. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dempsey J. A., Forster H. V., Gledhill N., doPico G. A. Effects of moderate hypoxemia and hypocapnia on CSF [H+] and ventilation in man. J Appl Physiol. 1975 Apr;38(4):665–674. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1975.38.4.665. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Derenne J. P., Couture J., Iscoe S., Whitelaw A., Milic-Emili J. Occlusion pressures in men rebreathing CO2 under methoxyflurane anesthesia. J Appl Physiol. 1976 May;40(5):805–814. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1976.40.5.805. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Flórez J., Delgado G., Armijo J. A. Adrenergic and serotonergic mechanisms in morphine-induced respiratory depression. Psychopharmacologia. 1972;24(2):258–274. doi: 10.1007/BF00403646. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fuxe K., Jonsson G. Further mapping of central 5-hydroxytryptamine neurons: studies with the neurotoxic dihydroxytryptamines. Adv Biochem Psychopharmacol. 1974;10:1–12. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jouvet M. Biogenic amines and the states of sleep. Science. 1969 Jan 3;163(3862):32–41. doi: 10.1126/science.163.3862.32. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jéquier E., Lovenberg W., Sjoerdsma A. Tryptophan hydroxylase inhibition: the mechanism by which p-chlorophenylalanine depletes rat brain serotonin. Mol Pharmacol. 1967 May;3(3):274–278. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. McGeer E. G., Peters D. A., McGeer P. L. Inhibition of rat brain tryptophan hydroxylase by 6-halotryptophans. Life Sci. 1968 Jun 15;7(12):605–615. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(68)90082-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Moore K. E. Effects of alpha-methyltyrosine on brain catecholamines and conditioned behavior in guinea pigs. Life Sci. 1966 Jan;5(1):55–65. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(66)90187-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Olson E. B., Jr, Dempsey J. A. Rat as a model for humanlike ventilatory adaptation to chronic hypoxia. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1978 May;44(5):763–769. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1978.44.5.763. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. SPECTOR S., SJOERDSMA A., UDENFRIEND S. BLOCKADE OF ENDOGENOUS NOREPINEPHRINE SYNTHESIS BY ALPHA-METHYL-TYROSINE, AN INHIBITOR OF TYROSINE HYDROXYLASE. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1965 Jan;147:86–95. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Sanders-Bush E., Bushing J. A., Sulser F. Long-term effects of p-chloroamphetamine and related drugs on central serotonergic mechanisms. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1975 Jan;192(1):33–41. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sanders-Bush E., Massari V. J. Actions of drugs that deplete serotonin. Fed Proc. 1977 Jul;36(8):2149–2153. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sasa S., Blank C. L. Determination of serotonin and dopamine in mouse brain tissue by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Anal Chem. 1977 Mar;49(3):354–359. doi: 10.1021/ac50011a008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Stewart R. M., Growdon J. H., Cancian D., Baldessarini R. J. 5-hydroxytryptophan-induced myoclonus: increased sensitivity to serotonin after intracranial 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine in the adult rat. Neuropharmacology. 1976 Aug;15(8):449–455. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(76)90054-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Investigation are provided here courtesy of American Society for Clinical Investigation

RESOURCES