Related Experiment Videos
Serotonin and cardiac morphogenesis in the mouse embryo
M S Yavarone1, D L Shuey, H Tamir
1Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7090.
Teratology
|June 1, 1993
Summary
Serotonin (5-HT) influences cardiac development by affecting cell proliferation and migration during embryonic heart formation. This neurotransmitter plays a role in endocardial cushion development, crucial for heart morphogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Serotonin (5-HT) is a key neurotransmitter with diverse physiological roles.
- Its involvement in cardiac morphogenesis, particularly during endocardial cushion formation, remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of serotonin (5-HT) and its binding protein (SBP) in mouse cardiac morphogenesis.
- To determine the effects of 5-HT on cell proliferation and migration during embryonic heart development.
Main Methods:
- Mouse whole embryo culture from embryonic day 9 (E9) to E12.
- Immunocytochemistry for 5-HT, 3H-thymidine autoradiography for cell proliferation, and a cell migration assay.
- Treatment with 5-HT, monoamine oxidase inhibitor (nialamide), and reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, sertraline).
Main Results:
- 5-HT exposure increased myocardial 5-HT immunoreactivity, which was modulated by uptake inhibitors.
- Reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, sertraline) significantly inhibited proliferation of cardiac cells (mesenchyme, endocardium, myocardium).
- 5-HT demonstrated dose-dependent effects on the migration of outflow tract cells.
Conclusions:
- Serotonin (5-HT) signaling is implicated in cardiac morphogenesis, specifically during endocardial cushion formation.
- 5-HT influences cardiac cell proliferation and migration, suggesting a regulatory role in embryonic heart development.