The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is enriched in several serotonin receptors, including 5-HT1A-R, 5-HT2A-R, and 5-HT3-R. These receptors modulate PFC activity due to their expression in large neuronal populations (5-HT1A-R, 5-HT2A-R) or in selected GABAergic populations (5-HT3-R). They are also relevant for antidepressant and antipsychotic drug action. Less is known about the localization of 5-HT2C-R, for which atypical antipsychotics show high affinity. Here, we report on the cellular distribution of 5-HT2C-R in rat PFC and striatum, using double in situ hybridization histochemistry. In PFC, 5-HT2C-R are expressed in pyramidal (VGLUT1-positive) and GABAergic (GAD-positive) neurons, including parvalbumin-positive neurons. There is a marked dorso-ventral gradient in the proportion of VGLUT1-positive cells expressing 5-HT2C-R (9% in the cingulate cortex, 61% in the tenia tecta and 66% in the piriform cortex), less marked for GABAergic neurons (13-27%). There is also a laminar gradient, with more cells expressing 5-HT2C-R in deep (V-VI) than in intermediate (II-III) layers. In common with 5-HT3-R, layer I GABAergic cells express 5-HT2C-R. The proportion of 5-HT2C-R-expressing striatal neurons was 23% (dorsolateral caudate-putamen), 37% (ventromedial caudate-putamen), 53% (nucleus accumbens-core), and 49% (nucleus accumbens-shell). These results help to better understand the serotonergic modulation of PFC-based networks, including basal ganglia circuits, and atypical antipsychotic drug action.
Keywords: 5-HT2C receptors; GABA interneurons; atypical antipsychotic drugs; prefrontal cortex; pyramidal neurons.
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