[Serotoninergic receptors and cardiovascular diseases].

The seronin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a biogenic amine involved in diverse physiologic and physiopathological processes in the cardiovascular system. 5-HT may lower the arterial blood pressure by an action on central 5-HT1A receptors, or may increase it by stimulation of 5-HT2 receptors located in vascular smooth muscle. It has been postulated that hypofunction of 5-HT1A receptors, or the exaggerated stimulation of 5-HT2 receptor may be associated with arterial hypertension and that agonists of the first type (indorenate or 8-OH-DPAT) or antagonists of the second type (ketanserin or pelanserin) allow the control of arterial hypertension. On the other land, ketanserin and pelanserin attenuated the hemodynamic manifestations in an experimental model of thromboembolism, suggesting that 5-HT is involved in such phenomenon. Finally, 5-HT could be related with the presence of angor pectoris during hypertension or atherosclerosis, diseases that are associated with a lesional of the vascular endothelium, a condition that favors the 5-HT induced vasoconstriction in coronary arteries.