Down-regulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine7 receptors by dexamethasone in rat frontocortical astrocytes

Astrocytes derived from rat frontal cortex contain 5-hydroxytryptamine7 (5-HT)7 receptors positively coupled to adenylyl cyclase. In the present study, we investigated the effects of glucocorticoids on adenylyl cyclase activity and 5-HT7 receptor gene expression in astrocytes. Addition of dexamethasone (0.01-100 nM, 12-72 h) to the culture medium decreased cyclic AMP formation induced by 5-HT in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Dexamethasone treatment (10 nM, 48 h) reduced maximum responses of cyclic AMP formation induced by 5-HT and 5-carboxamidotryptamine without alterations in the EC50 value. In contrast, treatment with the mineralocorticoid aldosterone (48 h) had no significant effects on 5-HT-induced cyclic AMP formation with concentrations up to 10 nM. It was observed that dexamethasone treatment (1-100 nM, 3-72 h) also decreased the expression of 5-HT7 receptor mRNA, using reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction analysis. A significant reduction in expression of 5-HT7 mRNA appeared at 3 h of dexamethasone treatment and reached a maximum at 6 h of treatment. On the other hand, dexamethasone treatment (10 nM, 48 h) did not affect basal levels of cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP synthesis stimulated by isoproterenol, N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine, cholera toxin, and forskolin. These results suggest that dexamethasone decreases the expression of the 5-HT7 receptor gene and, consequently, 5-HT7 receptor-mediated signal transduction in frontocortical astrocytes.