Cerebrovascular endothelial cell culture: metabolism and synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine.

The presence of 5-hydroxytryptamine was investigated in cultured and propagated cerebrovascular endothelium using immunohistochemistry and high pressure liquid chromatography. These studies demonstrate that the endothelium has the ability to take up and metabolize 5-hydroxytryptamine as well as to synthesize this amine from its precursor L-tryptophan, thus providing evidence for extraneural synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the central nervous system.