Desensitization of 5-HT1A autoreceptors induced by neonatal DSP-4 treatment

To examine the effect of noradrenergic lesion on the reactivity of central 5-HT1A receptors, DSP-4 (50 mg/kg) was administered neonatally 30 min after zimelidine (10 mg/kg) administration. 5-HT1A autoreceptors are involved in the regulation of serotonin (5-HT) synthesis. In HPLC assay R-(+)-8-OH-DPAT (0.03 mg/kg) significantly decreased 5-HT synthesis rate in striatum, hypothalamus and frontal cortex of control, whilst nonsignificantly in DSP-4-lesioned adult rats (10–12 weeks old). To determine which type of receptor, pre- or postsynaptically located, is involved in the attenuated response to 5-HT1A receptors' agonist, behavioral tests were conducted. R-(+)-8-OH-DPAT (0.015 mg/kg) caused hyperphagia of control rats, but did not change feeding of DSP-4 treated rats. R-(+)-8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg/kg) induced hypothermia and “5-HT1A syndrome” in both control and DSP-4-lesioned animals. The nature of this phenomenon is attributable to the presynaptic adaptive mechanism and suggests the desensitization of 5-HT1A autoreceptors of rats with neonatal lesion of the central noradrenergic system.