Receptor mechanisms in increased sensitivity to serotonin agonists after dihydroxytryptamine shown by electronic monitoring of muscle twitches in the rat
Psychopharmacology January 1, 1979 R. Malcolm Stewart, Alexander Campbell, Günther Sperk et al. 43 citations
Rats whose serotonin-producing neurons were destroyed by the chemical 5,7-DHT developed muscle twitching (myoclonus) after receiving L-5-HTP or a serotonin-like drug. The twitching was dose-dependent and blocked by serotonin antagonists. Even large serotonin increases in intact rats did not cause twitching unless an enzyme was first inhibited. Repeated drug doses reduced the response, and this reduction was blocked by a serotonin antagonist, while repeated antagonist pretreatment increased the response. The findings suggest that after serotonin nerve damage, changes in postsynaptic receptors underlie behavioral supersensitivity, and restoring serotonin or stimulating its receptors may suppress the development of supersensitivity at the receiving membranes.