Involvement of Spinal Serotonergic Pathways in Nociception but Not in Avoidance Learning

Overview

Journal Psychopharmacology (Berl)

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 1985 Jan 1

PMID 3001802

Authors

S O Ogren

O G Berge

C Johansson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The effects of selective lesions of the descending serotonergic (5-HT) pathways on analgesia and avoidance deficit induced by the 5-HT releasing compound p-chloroamphetamine (PCA, 2.5 mg/kg) were investigated in male rats. Intrathecal injection of 5,6-DHT (20 micrograms/rat) reduced the uptake of labelled 5-HT into spinal synaptosomes by approximately 85% but did not significantly affect the uptake of noradrenaline. The lesions produced a significant hyperalgesia and strongly attenuated the analgesic effect of PCA in the hot-plate test. In the flinch-jump test 5,6-DHT lesioned rats receiving PCA did not differ from the saline control group. Spinal lesioning did not, however, affect one-way active avoidance performance and did not prevent the marked impairment of avoidance performance induced by PCA. Thus, the avoidance deficit caused by PCA is independent of the descending serotonergic pathways and of the analgesia induced by PCA. These results support the view of a differential involvement of the ascending and descending serotonergic projections in behavioural processes controlled by aversive stimuli.

References

TENEN S . The effects of p-chlorophenylalanine, a serotonin depletor, on avoidance acquisition, pain sensitivity and related behavior in the rat. Psychopharmacologia. 1967; 10(3):204-19. DOI: 10.1007/BF00401382. View

Ogren S . Forebrain serotonin and avoidance learning: behavioural and biochemical studies on the acute effect of p-chloroamphetamine on one-way active avoidance learning in the male rat. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1982; 16(6):881-95. DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(82)90040-5. View

Roffman M, Lal H . Role of brain amines in learning associated with "amphetamine-state". Psychopharmacologia. 1972; 25(3):195-204. DOI: 10.1007/BF00422501. View

Hutson P, Tricklebank M, Curzon G . Enhancement of footshock-induced analgesia by spinal 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine lesions. Brain Res. 1982; 237(2):367-72. DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(82)90448-6. View

Berge O, Fasmer O, Hole K . Serotonin receptor antagonists induce hyperalgesia without preventing morphine antinociception. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1983; 19(5):873-8. DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(83)90096-5. View

Ogren S . Central serotonin neurones in avoidance learning: interactions with noradrenaline and dopamine neurones. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1985; 23(1):107-23. DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(85)90138-8. View

Steranka L, Barrett R . Facilitation of avoidance acquisition by lesion of the median raphe nucleus: evidence for serotonin as a mediator of shock-induced suppression. Behav Biol. 1974; 11(2):205-13. DOI: 10.1016/s0091-6773(74)90369-1. View

Berge O, Ogren S . Selective lesions of the bulbospinal serotonergic pathways reduce the analgesia induced by p-chloroamphetamine in the hot-plate test. Neurosci Lett. 1984; 44(1):25-9. DOI: 10.1016/0304-3940(84)90215-5. View

Lorens S . Some behavioral effects of serotonin depletion depend on method: a comparison of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine, p-chlorophenylalanine, p-choloroamphetamine, and electrolytic raphe lesions. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1978; 305:532-55. DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1978.tb31547.x. View

10.

Ogren S, Kohler C, Ross S, Srebro B . 5-Hydroxytryptamine depletion and avoidance acquisition in the rat. Antagonism of the long-term effects of p-chloroamphetamine with a selective inhibitor of 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake. Neurosci Lett. 2009; 3(5-6):341-7. DOI: 10.1016/0304-3940(76)90065-3. View

11.

Joyce D, Hurwitz H . AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOUR IN THE RAT AFTER 5-HYDROXYTRYPTOPHAN (5-HTP) ADMINISTRATION. Psychopharmacologia. 1964; 5:424-30. DOI: 10.1007/BF02193479. View

12.

Berge O, Fasmer O, Flatmark T, Hole K . Time course of changes in nociception after 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine lesions of descending 5-HT pathways. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1983; 18(4):637-43. DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(83)90293-9. View

13.

Messing R, Lytle L . Serotonin-containing neurons: their possible role in pain and analgesia. Pain. 1977; 4(1):1-21. DOI: 10.1016/0304-3959(77)90083-5. View

14.

Fibiger H, Mertz P, Campbell B . The effect of para-chlorophenylalanine on aversion thresholds and reactivity to foot shock. Physiol Behav. 1972; 8(2):259-63. DOI: 10.1016/0031-9384(72)90370-8. View

15.

Howe J, Yaksh T . Changes in sensitivity to intrathecal norepinephrine and serotonin after 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine (5,6-DHT) or repeated monoamine administration. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1982; 220(2):311-21. View

16.

Davis M, Strachan D, Kass E . Excitatory and inhibitory effects of serotonin on sensorimotor reactivity measured with acoustic startle. Science. 1980; 209(4455):521-3. DOI: 10.1126/science.7394520. View

17.

Watkins L, MAYER D . Organization of endogenous opiate and nonopiate pain control systems. Science. 1982; 216(4551):1185-92. DOI: 10.1126/science.6281891. View

18.

Kohler C, Ross S, Srebro B, Ogren S . Long-term biochemical and behavioral effects of p-chloroamphetamine in the rat. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1978; 305:645-63. DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1978.tb31554.x. View

19.

Berge O, Fasmer O, Tveiten L, Hole K . Selective neurotoxic lesions of descending serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways in the rat. J Neurochem. 1985; 44(4):1156-61. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1985.tb08738.x. View

20.

TYCE G, Yaksh T . Monoamine release from cat spinal cord by somatic stimuli: an intrinsic modulatory system. J Physiol. 1981; 314:513-29. PMC: 1249448. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.1981.sp013722. View