The Effects of Methamphetamine on the Development of Serotonergic System in Rats

• Main Authors: Yuan-Ling Huang, 黃苑菱
• Other Authors: Hwan-Wun Liu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/83428507963698945817

碩士 === 國防醫學院 === 生物及解剖學研究所 === 93 === The type 3 serotonin (5-HT3) receptor is the only ligand-gated ion channel receptor for serotonin in vertebrate. 5-HT3A subunit expresses in central and peripheral neurons in the adult rats. In contrast, 5-HT3B subunit only presents in peripheral neurons. Methamphetamine (METH) is an illicit drug that has long been known to damage monoaminergic systems in the mammalian brain. The use of METH and its derivatives could induce deficits of neonate during pregnancy. The present study, immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) are used for examining the METH effects on the development of the both dopaminergic (DA) and serotonergic neurons (5-HT), and 5-HT3 receptor subunits during the early, middle and late pregnant stage in rats. The current results show that body weight appears to be decreased with METH-treatment in later gestation. The DA are 54.0 ± 3.6% (mean ± S.E,M) decreased in the substantia nigra, and 5-HT are 25.1± 4.3% decreased in raphe nucleus followed METH-treated at late gestation. In striatum, the 5-HT3A subunit mRNA expression has been 89.9 ± 9.9 % and 92.1 ± 5.0 % attenuated at middle and late gestation injection with METH respectively. The 5-HT3B subunit mRNA expression is 84.5 ± 2.2% to completely inhibited at newborn pups but recover week after birth during middle and late gestation treated with METH on CNS. The current results demonstrate that METH could reduce DA and 5-HT development and down regulate 5-HT3 receptor subunits gene expression during early development.