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Midbrain slices containing the dorsal and medial raphe nuclei were prepared from rat brain in order to study serotonergic-GABAergic interaction. The slices were loaded with either [3H] serotonin or [3H]GABA, superfused and the electrically induced efflux of radioactivity was determined. The GABAA receptor agonist muscimol (3 to 30 μM) and the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen (30 and 100 μM) inhibited [3H]serotonin and [3H]GABA release. These effects of muscimol were reversed by the GABAA antagonists bicuculline (100 μM). The GABAB antagonist phaclofen (100 μM) also antagonized the baclofen-induced inhibition of [3H]serotonin and [3H]GABA release. Phaclofen by itself increased [3H]serotonin release but it did not alter [3H]GABA overflow. Muscimol (10 μM) and baclofen (100 μM) also inhibited [3H]serotonin release after depletion of GABAergic neurons by isoniazid pretreatment. These findings indicate the presence of postsynaptic GABAA and GABAB receptors located on serotonergic neurons. The 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT (0.01 to 1 μM) and the 5-HT1B receptor agonist CGS-12066A (0.01 to 1 μM) inhibited the electrically stimulated [3H]serotonin and [3H]GABA release. The 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100135 (1 μM) was without effect on [3H]serotonin and [3H]GABA efflux by itself but it reversed the 8-OH-DPAT-induced transmitter release inhibition. During KCl (22 mM)-induced depolarization, tetrodotoxin (1 μM) did not alter the inhibitory effect of CGS-12066A (1 μM) on [3H]GABA release, it did blocked, however, the ability of 8-OH-DPAT (1 μM) to reduce [3H]GABA efflux. After depletion of raphe serotonin neurons by p-chlorophenylalanine pretreatment, CGS-12066A (1 μM) still inhibited [3H]GABA release whereas in serotonin-depleted slices, 8-OH-DPAT (1 μM) was without effect on the release. We conclude that reciprocal influence exists between serotonergic projection neurons and the GABAergic interneurons or afferents in the raphe nuclei and these interactions may be mediated by 5-HT1A/B and GABAA/B receptors. Both synaptic and non-synaptic neurotransmission may be operative in the 5-HTergic-GABAergic reciprocal interaction which may serve as a local tuning in the neural connection between cerebral cortex and midbrain raphe nuclei.

We prepared slices from midbrain containing the raphe nuclei and from hippocampus of rats. The brain slices were loaded with [3H]serotonin and superfused in order to measure the release of radioactivity at rest and in response to electrical stimulation. No difference was observed in the resting and stimulated fractional release of tritium in the somatodendritic and axon terminal parts of serotonergic neurons. The selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT decreased the electrically induced tritium efflux from raphe nuclei slices preloaded with [3H]serotonin, and this inhibition was reversed by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist (+)WAY-100135. The 5-HT1B receptor agonist CGS-12066B but not 8-OH-DPAT, inhibited the stimulation-evoked tritium efflux from hippocampal slices after labeling with [3H]serotonin. The electrical stimulation-evoked tritium efflux in raphe nuclei slices incubated with [3H]serotonin was completely external Ca(2+)-dependent, and omega-conotoxin GVIA and Cd2+, but not diltiazem, inhibited the tritium overflow. In raphe nuclei slices 4-aminopyridine enhanced the electrical stimulation-induced tritium release in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibition of tritium efflux by 8-OH-DPAT was abolished with 4-aminopyridine. Glibenclamide or tolbutamide proved to be ineffective. These data indicate that (1) different 5-HT receptor subtypes (5-HT1A and 5-HT1B) regulate dendritic and axon terminal 5-HT release; (2) serotonin release from the dendrites may be regulated by the voltage-sensitive N-type Ca2+ channels; (3) the 5-HT1A receptor-mediated inhibition of serotonin release may be due to opening of voltage-sensitive K+ channels.