An analysis of the stimulant effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine on isolated, blood-perfused rat heart.

In rat isolated hearts perfused at a fixed low rate, single injections of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) (0.1--3 microgram) into the coronary perfusion produced dose-dependent increases in left ventricular (LV) dP/dt max and perfusion pressure (PP), but no clear changes in heart rate. The increases in the LVdP/dt max and PP were not significantly affected by treatment with propranolol, while they were abolished by methysergide. The present study indicates that the positive inotropic and vasoconstrictor responses of the rat heart to 5-HT are not mediated by endogenous catecholamine release, but are induced by a direct action on 5-HT receptors.