5-HT interaction with other neurotransmitters : an overview

Abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) biological functions are complex and multifaceted. It controls almost all central nervous system (CNS) regions from cell bodies confined in the brainstem. This means that the 5-HT system is able to interact mutually with most neurochemical systems in the CNS. The knowledge of these interactions is fundamental to better understand the mechanisms of action of antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, anti-convulsant, antiparkinsonian drugs leading to (i) correcting the side effects of these drugs, (ii) improving the efficacy of these drugs to enhance their beneficial response, and (iii) establishing new therapeutic strategies for all CNS diseases including those such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and drug addiction which are in need of new therapeutic approaches. The interaction of 5-HT with other neurochemical systems is specific to that given system, and it is the ambition of this collection, comprising two volumes to collect some authoritative reviews to highlight some of these important interactions. The first volume covers the interaction of 5-HT and its numerous receptors with the noradrenergic, GABAergic, endocannabinoid, and glial cell systems. The chapters encompass vast CNS territories and show the therapeutic relevance of targeting 5-HT/other neurotransmitter interaction for several neuropsychiatric diseases including addiction, mood disorders, aberrant food intake, epilepsy, and abnormal brain development.