Skip to main content
Log in

The enteric neural receptor for 5-hydroxytryptamine

  • Reviews
  • Published:
Experientia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

An enteric neural receptor for serotonin (5-HT) has been characterized. This receptor was assayed, using3H-5-HT as a radiologand, by rapid filtration of isolated enteric membranes and by radioautography. In addition, intracellular recordings were made from ganglion cells of the myenteric plexus. High affinity, saturable, reversible, and specific binding of3H-5-HT was demonstrated both to membranes of the dissected longitudinal muscle with adherent myenteric plexus and the mucosa-submucosa. Radioautographs showed these3H-5-HT binding sites to be in myenteric ganglia and in a broad unresolved band at the mucosal-submucosal interface. Antagonists active at receptors for other neurotransmitters than 5-HT, at either of the two known types of CNS 5-HT receptor, and at 5-HT uptake sites on serotonergic neurons failed to inhibit binding of3H-5-HT. The structural requirements of analogues for binding to the enteric 5-HT receptor matched the known pharmacology of M or neural 5-HT receptors. A novel 5-HT antagonist was found. This compound, N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptophyl-5-hydroxytryptophan amide (5-HTP-DP), antagonized the action of 5-HT on type II/AH cells of the myenteric plexus but did not affect the release or actions of acetylcholine (nicotinic or muscarinic) or substance P. 5-HTP-DP was also an equally potent displacer of3H-5-HT from its binding sites on enteric membranes. It is concluded that the sites responsible for specific binding of3H-5-HT are enteric M or neural 5-HT receptors. These receptors differ from those now known to be present in the CNS.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bennett, J. P., Jr, and Snyder, S. H., Serotonin and lysergic acid diethylamide binding in rat brain membranes relationship to postsynaptic serotonin receptors. Molec. Pharmac.12 (1976) 373–389.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Branchek, T., Kates, M., and Gershon, M. D., Enteric receptors for 5-Hydroxytryptamine. Brain Res.324 (1984) 107–118.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bülbring, E., and Crema, A., Observations concerning the action of 5-hydroxytryptamine on the peristaltic reflex. Br. J. Pharmacol.13 (1958) 444–457.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bülbring, E., and Lin, R. C. Y. The effect of intraluminal application of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptophan on peristalsis, the local production of 5-hydroxytryptamine and its release in relation to intraluminal pressure and propulsive activity. J. Physiol., Lond.140 (1958) 381–407.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Bülbring, E., and Gershon, M. D., 5-Hydroxytryptamine participation in the vagal inhibitory innervation of the stomach. J. Physiol., Lond.192 (1967) 823–846.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Cooke, H. J., Shonnard, K., Highson, G., and Wood, J. D., Effects of neurotransmitter release on mucosal transport in guinea pig ileum. Am. J. Physiol.245 (1983) G745–G750.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Costa, M., and Furness, J. B., The sites of action of 5-hydroxytryptamine in nerve-muscle preparations from the guinea pig small intestine and colon. Br. J. Pharmac.65 (1979) 237–248.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Costa, M., Furness, J. B., Cuello, A. C., Verhofstad, A. A. J., Steinbusch, H. W. M., and Elde, K. P., Neurons with 5-hydroxytryptamine-like immunoreactivity in the enteric nervous system: their visualization and reactions to drug treatment. Neuroscience7 (1982) 351–363.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Donowitz, M., Tai, Y.-H., and Aserkof, N., Effect of serotonin on active electrolyte transport in rabbit ileum, gall bladder and colon. Am. J. Physiol.239 (1980) G463–G472.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Drakontides, A. B., and Gershon, M. D., 5-HT receptors in the mouse duodenum. Br. J. Pharmac.33 (1968) 480–492.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dreyfus, C. F., Bornstein, M. B., and Gershon, M. D., Synthesis of serotonin by neurons of the myenteric plexus in situ and in organotypic tissue culture. Br. Res.128 (1977) 109–123.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Erspamer, V., Occurrence of indolealkylamines in nature, in: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol. 19, pp. 132–181. Ed. V. Erspamer. Springer, New York 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Feher, E., Effect of monoamine oxidase inhibitor on the nerve elements of the isolated cat ileum. Acta Morphol. Acad. Sci. Hung.22 (1974) 249–263.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Feher, E., Effects of monoamine inhibitor on the nerve elements of the isolated cat's ileum. Verh. Anat. Ges.69 (1975) 477–482.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Fozard, J. R., and Mobarok Ali, A. T. M., Receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine on the sympathetic nerves of the rabbit heart. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol.301 (1978) 224–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Gaddum, J. H., and Picarelli, Z. P., Two kinds of tryptamine receptor. Br. J. Pharmacol.12 (1957) 323–328.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Gaginella, T. S., Rimele, T. J., and Wietecha, M., Studies on rat intestinal epithelial cell receptors for serotonin and opiates. J. Physiol., Lond.335 (1983) 101–111.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Gershon, M. D., and Tamir, H., Release of endogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine from resting and stimulated enteric neurons. Neuroscience6 (1981) 2277–2286.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Gyermek, L., Drugs which antagonize 5-hydroxytryptamine and releated indolealkylamines, in: Handbuch der Experimentellar Pharmakologie, vol. XIX, pp. 471–528. Ed. V. Erspamer. Springer, New York 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hardcastle, J., Hardcastle, P. T., and Redfern, J. S., Action of 5-hydroxytryptamine on intestinal ion transport in the rat. J. Physiol.320 (1981) 41–55.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Holzer, P., Lembeck, F., and Donnerer, J., Caerolein, substance P, serotonin, and cholinomimetics induce rhythmic contractions of the circular muscle. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol.312 (1980) 131–137.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Humphrey, P. P. A., Pharmacological characterization of cardiovascular 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors, in: Proceedings of IV International Symposium on Vascular Neuroeffector Mechanisms, pp. 237–242. Eds. J. A. Bevan, R. A. Maxwell, S. Shibata, M. Fujiwara, K. Muhri and N. Toda. Raven Press, New York 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Humphrey, P. P. A., Feniuk, W., and Watts, A. D., Prejunctional effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine on noradrenergic nerves in the cardiovascular system. Fed. Proc.42 (1983) 218–222.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Johnson, S. M., Katayama, Y., and North, R. A., Multiple actions of 5-hydroxytryptamine on myenteric neurons of the guinea pig ileum. J. Physiol.304 (1980) 459–470.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Jonakait, G. M., Gintzler, A. R., and Gershon, M. D., Isolation of axonal varicosities (autonomic synaptosomes) from the enteric nervous system. J. Neurochem.32 (1979) 1387–1400.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Kamikawa, Y., and Shimo, Y., Indirect action of 5-hydroxytryptamine on the isolated muscularis mucosae of the guinea-pig oesophagus. Br. J. Pharmacol.78 (1983) 103–110.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Katayama, Y., North, R. A., and Williams, J. T., The action of substance P on neurons of the myenteric plexus of the guinea pig small intestine. Proc. R. Soc., Lond. B206 (1979) 191–208.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Meibach, R. C., A detailed protocol for the in vitro radioautographic visualization of serotonergic receptors. J. Histochem. Cytochem.30 (1982) 831–836.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Morita, K., North, R. A., and Tokimasa, T., Muscarinic agonists inactivate potassium conductance of guinea-pig myenteric neurons. J. Physiol., Lond.333 (1982) 125–139.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Morita, K., North, R. A., and Tokimasa, T., The calcium-activated potassium conductance in guinea-pig myenteric neurones. J. Physiol.329 (1982) 341–354.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Nishi, S., and North, R. A., Intracellular recording from the myenteric plexus of the guinea-pig ileum. J. Physiol., Lond.231 (1973) 471–491.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. North, R. A., Henderson, G., Katayma, Y., and Johnson, S. M., Electrophysiological evidence for presynaptic inhibition of acetylcholine release by 5-hydroxytryptamine in the enteric nervous system. Neuroscience5 (1980) 581–586.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Robinson, R., and Gershon, M. D., Synthesis and uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine by the myenteric plexus of the small intestine of the guinea pig. J. Pharmac. exp. Ther.179 (1971) 29–41.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Sakai, K., Shiraki, Y., Tatsumi, T., and Tsuji, K., The actions of 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine on the isolated ileum of the tree shrew. Br. J. Pharmac.66 (1979) 405–408.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Schaumann, W., Inhibition by morphine of the release of acetylcholine from the intestine of the guinea pig. Br. J. Pharmac.12 (1957) 115–118.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Takaki, M., Branchek, T., Tamir, H., and Gershon, M. D., Specific antagonism of enteric neural serotonin receptors by N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptophyl-5-hydroxytrypthophan amide (5-HTP-DP). Digest. Dis. Sci.29 (1984) 553.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Tamir, H., and Wilchek, M. 5-hydroxytryptophyl peptides: potent inhibitors of a storage component of serotonin. J. Neurochem.32 (1979) 593–598.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Tamir, H., Karpiak, S. E., Wajda, I. J., Wilchek, M., and Bodner, R. J., Analgesic effects of n-acetyl-5HTP amide are not directly related to brain serotonin levels. Life Sci.25 (1979) 655–664.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Vizi, V. A., Vizi, E. S., Direct evidence for acetylcholine releasing effect of serotonin in Auerbach's plexus. J. neural Transm.42 (1978) 127–138.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Wood, J. D., and Mayer, C. J., Serotonergic activation of tonic-type enteric neurons in guinea pig small bowel. J. Neurophys.42 (1967) 582–593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Wood, J. D., and Mayer, C. J., Intracellular study of electrical activity of Auerbach's plexus in guinea pig small intestine. Pflügers Arch.374 (1978) 265–275.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Wood, J. D., Neurophysiology of parasympathetic and enteric ganglia, in: Autonomic Ganglia, pp. 367–398. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., New York 1983.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gershon, M.D., Takaki, M., Tamir, H. et al. The enteric neural receptor for 5-hydroxytryptamine. Experientia 41, 863–868 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01970002

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01970002

Key words

Navigation