PUBLICATION

Distribution and chronotropic effects of serotonin in the zebrafish heart

Authors
Stoyek, M.R., Jonz, M.G., Smith, F.M., Croll, R.P.
ID
ZDB-PUB-170802-20
Date
2017
Source
Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical   206: 43-50 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Croll, Roger P., Jonz, Michael G.
Keywords
5-Hydroxytryptamine, Chronotropy, Heart, Intracardiac nervous system, Serotonin, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cardiovascular Agents/pharmacology
  • Electrocardiography
  • Heart/drug effects
  • Heart Rate/drug effects
  • Heart Rate/physiology
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Myocardium/cytology*
  • Myocardium/metabolism*
  • Neuroglia/cytology
  • Neuroglia/drug effects
  • Neuroglia/metabolism
  • Neurons/cytology
  • Neurons/drug effects
  • Neurons/metabolism
  • Serotonin/metabolism*
  • Serotonin Agents/pharmacology
  • Tissue Culture Techniques
  • Zebrafish/anatomy & histology*
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
PubMed
28757278 Full text @ Auton. Neurosci.
Abstract
Several lines of evidence suggest that serotonin (5-HT) has a regulatory role in cardiovascular function from embryogenesis through adulthood. However, the reported actions of 5-HT are often contradictory and include bradycardia or tachycardia, hypotension or hypertension, and vasodilation or vasoconstriction. Clarifying such cardiac effects requires further research and may benefit from utilizing a model simpler than the mammalian hearts traditionally used in these studies. In the present study, we describe the cardiac distribution and chronotropic responses of 5-HT in the zebrafish heart. A combined anatomical, electrophysiological, and pharmacological approach was used to investigate the involvement of 5-HT pathways, and to compare neural and direct myocardial pathways of biological action. Immunohistochemical methods revealed 5-HT in endocardial cells, glial-like cells, and intracardiac neurons in the atrium. Electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings combined with the administration of pharmacological agents demonstrated that 5-HT acted predominantly through direct myocardial pathways resulting in a reduction of heart rate. Overall, the results of this study contribute significant advances in the establishment of the zebrafish as a new model for studies of the role of 5-HT in autonomic cardiac control.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping