Serotonin-induced activation of the network for locomotion in adult spinal rats

✍ Scribed by Delphine Feraboli-Lohnherr; Jean-Yves Barthe; Didier Orsal

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 169 KB
• Volume: 55
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0360-4012
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4547(19990101)55:1<87::aid-jnr10>3.0.co;2-#

✦ Synopsis

The biogenic amine serotonin has been described in the literature as a powerful modulator of the spinal central pattern generator for locomotion. In the present study, we tested whether administration of serotonin or its agonist quipazine could restore motor activity in a model of paraplegia. One to three weeks after a complete transection of the spinal cord at a low thoracic level, rats were given either intrathecal injections of serotonin (5 mM, 15 L) or intraperitoneal injections of quipazine (400-600 g/kg). Both treatments allowed recovery of locomotor activity on a treadmill in response to tail pinching. As compared with the activity elicited before treatment, the locomotor activity produced by spinal animals was characterised by longer locomotor sequences with a larger number of successive steps, better body support, better interlimb coordination, and a higher amplitude of electromyographic bursts. These results suggest that serotonergic drugs could be used for the recovery of motor functions after lesions of the spinal cord.