Serotonin receptors mediate stress

PITTSBURGH, Nov 16, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A University of Pittsburgh study indicates how we respond to stress might be due, in part, to cell-surface markers in the brain.

The difference in response to stressful situations and difficult times, the researchers say, could result from the dominance of one cell-surface marker over another in the region of the brain involved in regulating emotional responses and behaviors.

The two markers -- both receptors that determine what effect the neurotransmitter serotonin has on a neuron -- appear to be key intermediaries influencing emotional state and behavior during stress.

In a localized area of the prefrontal cortex, where thought and action are orchestrated, the number and ratio of serotonin receptors were correlated directly to the activity of the amygdala, an area critical for producing emotional states such as fear.

Ahmad Hariri, who led the research, says the findings bring focus to what might be a fundamental factor contributing to the development of risk for psychiatric disorders and a key molecular mechanism to target as new therapies are developed.

The research was presented at Neuroscience 2005, the 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, in Washington, D.C.

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