F. Boujrad et al., CALCITONIN INCREASES 5-HT1A BINDING-SITE DENSITIES IN THE BRAIN OF ADRENALECTOMIZED RATS, Brain research, 812(1-2), 1998, pp. 279-282
Calcitonin is a peptide which acts in the brain to modulate behavior a
nd hormone release, possibly through an interaction with serotonergic
systems. We investigated the effects of chronic systemic injections of
salmon calcitonin on the [H-3]-8-OHDPAT binding to 5-HT1A receptors i
n the frontal cortex and hippocampus in adrenalectomized and intact (n
on adrenalectomized) rats. The results show that salmon calcitonin inc
reases the maximal density of 5-HT1A binding sites in both structures
in adrenalectomized animals (and decreases the affinity in the frontal
cortex only). Calcitonin does not alter this binding in intact rats.
These results demonstrate the existence of interactions between calcit
onin, serotonin and glucocorticoids, and raise the hypothesis of a neu
rotrophic effect of calcitonin on serotonergic neurons. (C) 1998 Elsev
ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.