The Relationship between Hypertension and Central Serotonergic Nervous System Activity in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

  • Kim, Sung-Jin (Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University) ;
  • Ko, Kwang-Ho (Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University)
  • Published : 1988.10.01

Abstract

Relationship between the maintenance of hypertension and central serotonergic nervous system activity in opontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was studied. Serotonin turnover-rates were measured in 5 brain areas as an index of serotonergic neuronal activity and compared at the ages of 14 weeks in two types of animals; (1) spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) (2) normotensive wistar kyoto rats (WKY). In 14-week old SHR, central serotonin turnover rate was significantly lower in telencephalon, hypothalamus/thalamus and midbrain than normotensive rat, but significantly higher in cerebellum. There were no significant differences between serotonin turnover rate in pons/medulla of SHR and that of normotensive rat. THese data suggest that the abnormally lower turnover rates of serotonin in telencephalon, hypothalamus/thalamus and midbrain may be one of the underlying neuronal factors for manifestation of hypertension in SHR.

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