Central serotonin and cardiovascular control

It has been reported that depletion of central serotonergic stores by pCPA causes hypertension in the rat (Ito and Schanberg, 1972). The authors' experiments consistently show the reverse, that depletion of central serotonin stores lowers arterial pressure in the rabbit. Intracisternal administration of 5,6 dihydroxytryptamine lowers resting arterial pressure in normal rabbits; it prevents and reverses neurogenic hypertension produced by section of the carotid sinus and aortic nerves. Intraperitoneal pCPA lowers the resting arterial pressure in the rabbit. Central serotonergic nerves participate in the regulation of the circulation and generally appear to exert a facilitatory effect on arterial pressure. Drugs that antagonize central serotonergic nerves may have a place in the treatment of hypertension.