Background: Reelin plays an important role in the regulation of synaptic plasticity in adulthood. Administration of 5-metoxytryptamine (5MT), an agonist of serotonin receptors, during natal and neonatal periods results in decreased reelin expression. In adulthood, reelin is expressed by GABAergic neurons.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to reveal the effect of elevated serotonergic stimulation on the expression of reelin and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD1) in adulthood as well as on depressive behavior and spatial cognitive abilities in adult female rats.
Methods: Rats were injected with 5MT. A forced swimming test was used for evaluation of the depressive behavior and Morris water maze test was used for evaluation of spatial cognition. Brains were used for measuring the expression of reelin and GAD1.
Results: We found a significant decrease in reelin expression in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex of 5MT-treated rats. GAD1 expression was decreased in the cerebellum of 5MT-treated rats. 5MT-treated rats reached a lower immobility score in the forced swimming test. The Morris water maze test did not reveal any significant differences.
Conclusion: We have shown that administration of serotonin receptor agonist resulted in a decreased RELN and GAD1 expression in the cerebellum of adult female rats. We propose that this phenomenon might be relevant in the pathogenesis of autism (Fig. 3, Ref. 38). Full Text in free PDF www.bmj.sk.