Carvalho F, Macêdo D, Bandeira I, Maldonado I, Salles L, Azevedo M F, Rocha M A, Fregoneze J B, De Castro-e-Silva E
Department of Physiology, Health Sciences Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.
Horm Metab Res. 2002 Feb;34(2):55-61. doi: 10.1055/s-2002-20525.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of central 5-HT3 receptors on the control of blood glucose in stressed and non-stressed rats in both fasted and fed states. Adult Wistar male rats had each their third ventricle cannulated 7 days before the experiments. Injections of m-CPBG, a selective 5-HT3 receptor agonist, induced a significant increase in blood glucose in non-stressed rats in both fasted and in fed states. The same procedure was unable to modify stress-induced hyperglycemia. The hyperglycemic effect of m-CPBG central administration was blocked by pretreatment with ondansetron, a specific 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, indicating that the effects here obtained with m-CPBG were a result of its interaction with 5-HT3 receptors. Third ventricle injections of ondansetron alone were not able to modify blood glucose in non-stressed animals and did not change the hyperglycemic responses observed after immobilization stress. We conclude that pharmacological activation of the central 5-HT3 receptor induces a hyperglycemic effect in non-stressed animals.
