Inhibition by the serotonin1A agonist, 8-hydroxy-2- (di-n-propylamino)tetralin, of antidromically identified paraventricular nucleus neurons in the rat.

Experiments were performed using urethane-anesthetized rats to delineate the role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) receptors of the 5-HT1A subtype in the neural regulation of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) secretion. The activity of single paraventricular nucleus (PVN) neurons antidromically identified as projecting to the median eminence was recorded following injection of the 5-HT1A agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). Intraperitoneal administration of increasing doses of 8-OH-DPAT caused dose-dependent decreases in the spontaneous activity of all neurons tested. The data yielded an ED50 value of 0.19 mumol/kg for this effect. The decreases in PVN neuronal activity were accompanied by sustained decreases in mean arterial blood pressure, with an ED50 of 0.18 mumol/kg. These results provide evidence for an inhibitory role of 5-HT1A receptors in the regulation of PVN neuronal activity and support the suggestion that 5-HT may inhibit HPA secretory activity.