The Role of Central 5-HT2C Receptors in Stress-Induced Anxiety and the Anxiolytic Effects of Exercise
Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Stress-related mood disorders constitute some of the most common afflictions currently affecting public health. Despite past advances in clinical diagnostics, as well as the existence of pre-clinical animal models, new therapeutic discovery has been limited. Investigations into phenomena which reduce the incidence of stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as exercise, may reveal novel preventative and therapeutic options. While increasing evidence suggests a crucial role of the central serotonin (5-HT) system in the behavioral consequences of stress, a better understanding of the neurobiological substrates involved in the development and expression of anxiety and depression is necessary.\nOne relevant target in the etiology and treatment of stress-related mood disorders is the 5-HT2C receptor (5-HT2CR). The studies performed in this dissertation seek to elucidate the role of 5-HT2CR in stress-induced anxiety, as well as the anxiolytic effects of exercise. In chapter 2, we delineate the role 5-HT2CR in specific brain regions implicated in the expression of stress-induced anxiety behaviors. The results from these studies demonstrate that the involvement of 5-HT2CR activation in stress-induced, anxiety-like behaviors is regionally specific.\nIn chapter 3, we identify the 5-HT2CR a potential target for the anxiolytic effects of exercise. Physical activity has been associated with a reduction in the incidence and severity of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety. Similarly, voluntary wheel running can reduce anxiety-like behaviors in laboratory rats. The mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic properties of exercise, however, remain relatively unknown. We tested the hypothesis that voluntary wheel running prevents the behavioral consequences of 5-HT2CR activation in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and dorsal striatum (DS). We found that voluntary wheel running reduced the behavioral effects produced by 5-HT2CR activation and reduced levels of 5-HT2CR mRNA in the both the BLA and the DS.\nOverall, this dissertation extends previous work identifying the 5-HT2CR as a relevant target in the treatment of stress-related anxiety disorders and implicates 5-HT2CR in the anxiolytic effects of physical activity.
Author: Paul V. Strong
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2521602041