Influence of glucocorticoids on brain serotonin metabolism in rats

It has been suggested brain serotonin (5HT) plays a role in regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, although none of the experimental approaches so far reported has produced unequivocal results, mainly on account of the static tissue 5HT level or the known effects of drugs being employed in interpretation of their data. The present study in rats of the possible feedback influence of glucocorticoids on the brain 5HT was designed to analyze the dynamic turnover of its metabolism. Intracisternal injection of corticosterone (COR) caused no significant changes in 5HT content but increased its turnover dose-dependently in the cortex-cerebellum and the rostral brain stem including the hypothalamus, and lowered the serum COR level at doses less than 5.0 micrograms/kg, reducing its effect with increasing doses. Intracisternal or intraperitoneal administration of miliary doses of dexamethasone (DEX) decreased 5HT turnover in the same brain portions. The effects of glucocorticoids on the brain 5HT metabolism were more potent when injected intracisternally, especially onto the rostral brain stem. Although COR and DEX played controversial roles, the present results suggest that adrenal glucocorticoids may directly act on brain 5HT metabolism and there may be a feed-back relation between adrenal glucocorticoid and brain 5HT.