Rat glomerulosa cells express functional 5-HT7 receptors

It has been previously demonstrated that serotonin (5-HT) is a potent stimulator of aldosterone secretion in amphibians and mammals. The aim of the present study was to characterize the type of serotonergic receptor involved in the action of 5-HT on rat glomerulosa cells. The effects of 10 serotonergic receptor agonists and 12 receptor antagonists on aldosterone secretion from perifused rat adrenocortical slices were investigated. Correlation analysis between the potencies of the different compounds in our model and those previously reported for transfected 5-HT receptors showed that the rat adrenal 5-HT receptor exhibits the pharmacological profile of the 5-HT7 receptor. RT-PCR amplification with specific primers for the 5-HT7 receptor confirmed the presence of 5-HT7 receptor mRNA in the adrenal cortex. Western blot analysis using antibodies against the 5-HT7 receptor revealed the occurrence of a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 66 kDa in the zona glomerulosa. In glomerulosa cells, 5-HT induced a concentration-dependent increase of cAMP formation. These data demonstrate that rat adrenal glomerulosa cells express functional 5-HT7 receptors positively coupled to adenylyl cyclase.