Acute rise in corticosterone facilitates 5-HT(1A) receptor-mediated behavioural responses.

Corticosterone influences 5-HT1A receptor-mediated responses in the rat hippocampus in vitro: activation of the high affinity mineralocorticoid receptor suppresses 5-HT1A receptor-mediated hyperpolarization, while subsequent activation of lower affinity glucocorticoid receptors enhances the effect of 5-HT. We have tested whether a similar effect of corticosterone exists in vivo. In intact rats, a systemic injection of the specific 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT (8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin), led to increased locomotion and to a less persistent search strategy in the free swim trial of the Morris water maze test. Adrenalectomized rats with a corticosterone-pellet implanted as replacement received an injection of vehicle (predominant mineralocorticoid receptor occupation) or a high dose of corticosterone (both corticosteroid receptor types occupied) 1 h before injection of 8-OH-DPAT. The effect on search strategy, but not on locomotor activity, was less in animals with low corticosterone levels. The results suggest that hippocampal 5-HT1A receptor-mediated responses in vivo are attenuated during predominant activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor and increased after additional transient activation of the glucocorticoid receptor.