5-Hydroxytryptamine-induced plasma extravasation in the rat knee joint is mediated by multiple prostaglandins

This study investigated whether prostaglandins (PGs) are involved in 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-induced synovial plasma extravasation.

Male Sprague-Dawley rat knee joints were perfused with 5-HT and synovial capillary Evans Blue dye leakage was measured using spectrophotometry. Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors and PG receptor subtype-selective antagonists were tested for the ability to reduce 5-HT-induced synovial plasma extravasation.

5-HT-induced plasma extravasation was inhibited by indomethacin. The COX-1 selective inhibitor SC-560 and the COX-2 selective inhibitor NS-398 were equally effective, indicating that both isoforms are involved. Antagonists selective for EP1, EP2 and DP receptor subtypes significantly attenuated the 5-HT-induced plasma extravasation. However, antagonists selective for FP, IP and TP subtypes failed to reduce 5-HT-induced plasma extravasation.

These results demonstrate that multiple, but selective, subtypes of PGs mediate synovial plasma extravasation produced by 5-HT, and suggest that PGs act downstream of 5-HT in the inflammatory cascade.