Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists01:23

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists

750
Serotonin, a crucial neurotransmitter synthesized by enterochromaffin cells, plays a cardinal role in regulating gastrointestinal (GI) motility. With over 90% of the body's total serotonin in the GI tract, its influence on digestive processes is profound. Serotonin is swiftly released upon various stimuli, such as food boluses or certain drugs, triggering intrinsic sensory neurons in the myenteric plexus and extrinsic vagal and spinal sensory neurons. This leads to the activation of the...
750
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists01:27

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists

490
5-HT3 receptor antagonists, such as dolasetron, granisetron (Kytril), ondansetron (Zofran), and palonosetron (Axoli), are crucial in managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and postoperative nausea. These drugs selectively block 5-HT3 receptors in the visceral vagal and spinal afferent nerves, chemoreceptor trigger zone, and the vomiting center. They have a rapid onset of action and can be given as a single dose before chemotherapy. Ondansetron and granisetron, in particular,...
490
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents01:23

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

663
Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...
663
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

378
Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
378
Antipsychotic Drugs: Therapeutic Uses and Side Effects01:21

Antipsychotic Drugs: Therapeutic Uses and Side Effects

587
Antipsychotic drugs primarily block dopamine and serotonin receptors and cholinergic, adrenergic, and histaminergic receptors, thereby reducing hallucinations and delusions in conditions like schizophrenia. However, they can trigger unwanted extrapyramidal effects such as dystonias, Parkinson-like symptoms, and tardive dyskinesia.
Despite these side effects, antipsychotics are used therapeutically for various purposes, including managing schizophrenia, preventing nausea and vomiting, curbing...
587
Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs01:28

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

1.1K
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), including Desipramine (Norpramin), Imipramine (Tofranil), Clomipramine (Anafranil), and Amitriptyline (Elavil), inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and also block other receptors. They are used for depression, pain conditions, and insomnia. Common adverse effects include anticholinergic effects, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and weight gain. They have a narrow therapeutic window and so require plasma-level monitoring. Abrupt discontinuation can...
1.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Structured Online Support to Inform and Assist Antidepressant Deprescribing in Primary Care: Protocol for a Pragmatic, Randomized Controlled Trial (The WiserAD Trial).

JMIR research protocols·2026
Same author

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2025/26: G protein-coupled receptors.

British journal of pharmacology·2025
Same author

PS19 mouse tauopathy is associated with sex-dependent sleep loss and hyperarousal, and predicts cognitive performance.

Neurobiology of aging·2025
Same author

Fulminant myocarditis: outcome predictors in an international cohort study.

European heart journal·2025
Same author

Rapid eye movement sleep: Who needs it? Creativity mechanisms and psychiatric applications of REM sleep enhancement.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2025
Same author

A systemic risk assessment methodological framework for the global polycrisis.

Nature communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 11, 2025

The Use of Pharmacological-challenge fMRI in Pre-clinical Research: Application to the 5-HT System
11:27

The Use of Pharmacological-challenge fMRI in Pre-clinical Research: Application to the 5-HT System

Published on: April 25, 2012

15.8K

Targeting the 5-HT system: Potential side effects.

Daniel Hoyer1

  • 1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia; The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.

Neuropharmacology
|August 18, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Targeting the serotonin (5-HT) system involves complex receptors and variants. Many drugs affect multiple 5-HT targets, leading to varied therapeutic effects and side effects like valvulopathies or constipation.

Keywords:
5-HT5-HT receptors5-HT syndrome5-HydroxytrypatmineAgranulocytosisConstipationHallucinationsIschemic heart diseaseNeurotoxicityPulmonary hypertensionSNRIs ergotismSSRIsSerotoninTransporterValvulopathies

More Related Videos

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome
08:49

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome

Published on: September 23, 2015

9.2K
Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI
14:55

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

14.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 11, 2025

The Use of Pharmacological-challenge fMRI in Pre-clinical Research: Application to the 5-HT System
11:27

The Use of Pharmacological-challenge fMRI in Pre-clinical Research: Application to the 5-HT System

Published on: April 25, 2012

15.8K
Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome
08:49

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome

Published on: September 23, 2015

9.2K
Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI
14:55

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

14.1K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The serotonin (5-HT) system comprises over 15 receptors, transporters, and enzymes, with numerous variants.
  • Receptor subtypes can form homo- and heteromers, adding complexity to 5-HT signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the challenges and complexities in targeting the serotonin system for therapeutic purposes.
  • To discuss drug selectivity, liabilities, and the evolution of drug development strategies for 5-HT targets.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of scientific articles and drug development history.
  • Analysis of known drug interactions with specific serotonin receptor subtypes and their associated liabilities.

Main Results:

  • Few drugs exhibit single-target selectivity due to receptor homology and historical drug discovery methods.
  • Many serotonin-acting drugs interact with multiple targets, contributing to both efficacy and adverse effects.
  • Specific receptor targets have well-defined liabilities, such as 5-HT2B agonists causing valvulopathies and 5-HT3 antagonists causing constipation.

Conclusions:

  • Developing selective drugs for the serotonin system remains challenging due to its complexity.
  • Understanding target liabilities is crucial for designing safer and more effective therapeutics.
  • Advances in knowledge have enabled more targeted drug design, contrasting with older multi-target compounds.