Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Int Rev Neurobiol. 2012;106:105-26. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-407178-0.00005-3.
The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) plays multiple roles in the enteric, peripheral, and central nervous systems (CNS). Although its most prominent biological function is as a signal transmission messenger from pre- to postsynaptic neurons, other roles such as shaping brain development and regulating neurite growth have also been described. Here, we review the less well-studied role of 5-HT as a modulator of neurite growth. 5-HT has been shown to regulate neurite growth in multiple systems and species, including in the mammalian CNS. 5-HT predominantly appears to suppress neurite growth, but depending on the model system and 5-HT receptor subtype, in rare cases, it may promote neurite outgrowth and elongation. Failure of axon regeneration in the adult mammalian CNS is a major problem in multiple diseases, and understanding how 5-HT receptors signal opposing effects on neurite growth may lead to novel neuroregenerative therapies, by targeting either 5-HT receptors or their downstream signaling pathways.
神经递质 5-羟色胺（5-hydroxytryptamine，5-HT）在肠神经系统、外周神经系统和中枢神经系统（CNS）中发挥多种作用。尽管其最突出的生物学功能是作为前突触神经元到后突触神经元的信号传递信使，但也描述了其他作用，如塑造大脑发育和调节神经突生长。在这里，我们回顾了 5-HT 作为神经突生长调节剂的研究较少的作用。5-HT 已被证明可调节多种系统和物种的神经突生长，包括哺乳动物的 CNS。5-HT 主要似乎抑制神经突生长，但根据模型系统和 5-HT 受体亚型，在极少数情况下，它可能促进神经突的生长和伸长。成年哺乳动物 CNS 中的轴突再生失败是多种疾病中的一个主要问题，了解 5-HT 受体如何对神经突生长产生相反的信号可能会导致新的神经再生疗法，通过靶向 5-HT 受体或其下游信号通路。
