Decreased serotonin turnover in the dorsal hippocampus of rat brain shortly after adrenalectomy: selective normalization after corticosterone substitution.

Pargyline-induced accumulation of serotonin (5-HT) was used as an index of 5-HT turnover rate in the dorsal hippocampus. One hour after bilateral removal of the adrenals, 5-HT turnover was significantly reduced when compared to that of the sham-operated controls. A low dose of corticosterone given immediately after adrenalectomy restored the 5-HT response, while the same dose of dexamethasone was ineffective. Pretreatment with dexamethasone blocked the 5-HT response to corticosterone in the acutely adrenalectomized rat. The specificity of the 5-HT response in the hippocampus corresponds to the properties of the glucocorticoid receptor system in rat hippocampal neurons.