Oh, the places you'll go! My many colored serotonin (apologies to Dr. Seuss)

Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] has a truly fascinating history in the cardiovascular world. Discovered in the blood, 5-HT has long been appropriately regarded as a vasoconstrictor. A multitude of in vitro studies of isolated vessels support that addition of 5-HT causes vascular contraction....

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Published in:American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology Vol. 311; no. 5; p. H1225
Main Author: Watts, Stephanie W
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01.11.2016
Subjects:
Animals
Arteries - drug effects
Arteries - physiology
Blood Pressure - drug effects
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
Hypertension - physiopathology
Rats
Serotonin - history
Serotonin - pharmacology
Serotonin - physiology
Vasoconstriction - drug effects
Vasoconstriction - physiology
Vasodilation - drug effects
Vasodilation - physiology
arteries
blood pressure
veins
serotonin
5-HT receptors
ISSN:1522-1539, 1522-1539
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] has a truly fascinating history in the cardiovascular world. Discovered in the blood, 5-HT has long been appropriately regarded as a vasoconstrictor. A multitude of in vitro studies of isolated vessels support that addition of 5-HT causes vascular contraction. In only a few cases was 5-HT a vasodilator. Moreover, the potency and threshold of 5-HT causing contraction is increased in arteries from hypertensive vs. normotensive subjects, both animal and human. As such, we and others have hypothesized that 5-HT would contribute to hypertension by elevating arterial tone. In stark contrast to these decades of findings, we observed that a chronic infusion of 5-HT into conscious rats caused a reduction in blood pressure and nearly normalized blood pressure of experimentally hypertensive rats. Going back to the early work of Irvine Page, one of the scientists who discovered 5-HT, reveals an early recognized but never understood ability of 5-HT to reduce systemic blood pressure. Our laboratory, in collaboration with colleagues around the world, has dedicated itself to understanding the mechanisms of 5-HT-induced reduction in blood pressure. This manuscript takes you through a brief history of the discovery of 5-HT, in vitro serotonergic pharmacology of blood vessels, in vivo work with 5-HT and our studies that suggests the venous vasculature, potentially in combination with small arterioles, may be important to the actions of 5-HT in reducing blood pressure. 5-HT has certainly ended up in a place I never expected it to go.
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ISSN:1522-1539
1522-1539
DOI:10.1152/ajpheart.00538.2016