Serotonin concentrations in brain and blood of scrapie-infected and normal hamsters and mice

Whole brains and bloods of scrapie-infected and control mice and hamsters were assayed for serotonin content. Late clinical scrapie-infected mice showed a 20% reduction in whole-brain serotonin concentrations but no change in blood concentrations relative to controls. Late clinical scrapie-infected hamsters showed no change in whole-brain serotonin concentrations but a 2.5-fold decrease in blood concentrations relative to controls.