serotonin (redirected from Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

serotonin (sĕr'ətō`nĭn), organic compound that was first recognized as a powerful vasoconstrictor occurring in blood serum. It was partially purified, crystallized, and named in 1948, and its structure was deduced a year later. Independent work indicated that serotonin was widely distributed in nature and occurred in tissues other than blood. It has been shown to be in many representatives of the animal kingdom, in wasp stings and scorpion venom, in various fruits, such as pineapples, bananas, and plums, and in various nuts. It has been estimated that an adult human contains about 5 to 10 mg of serotonin, 90% of which is in the intestine and the rest in blood platelets and the brain. One role of the compound is as a neurotransmitter (see acetylcholine) whose participation is being sought in diverse functions including learning, sleep, and control of mood. The structural similarity of serotonin to several drugs known to cause mental aberrations, such as LSD, has prompted much speculation as to the role of serotonin in naturally occurring mental disorders such as schizophrenia or depression. The function of serotonin in blood platelets is not clear; it seems to have no important role in the clotting mechanism. Its function in stings and venoms might be that of an irritant, since intravenous injections of serotonin in man produce pain at the site of injection, gasping, coughing, a general tingling and prickling sensation, nausea, cramps, and other unpleasant symptoms.

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serotonin

Chemical (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) derived from the amino acid tryptophan. It occurs in brain and intestinal tissue, platelets, and certain connective-tissue cells and is a component of many animal venoms (e.g., wasp, toad). A strong stimulator of blood-vessel constriction and a neurotransmitter, serotonin concentrates in certain brain areas, especially the midbrain and hypothalamus. Some cases of depression are apparently caused by reduced amounts or activity of serotonin in the brain; many antidepressants counteract that condition. Excessive brain serotonin activity may cause migraine headaches and nausea. LSD may act by inhibiting the action of serotonin.

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serotonin [‚sir·ə′tō·nən]

(biochemistry)

C₁₀H₁₂ON₂A compound derived from tryptophan which functions as a local vasoconstrictor, plays a role in neurotransmission, and has pharmacologic properties. Also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine.

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Serotonin

A compound, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), derived from tryptophan, an indole-containing amino acid. It is widely distributed in the animal and vegetable kingdoms. In mammals it is found in gastrointestinal enterochromaffin cells, in blood platelets, and in brain and nerve tissue. Serotonin is a local vasoconstrictor, plays a role in brain and nerve function and in regulation of gastric secretion and intestinal peristalsis, and has pharmacologic properties. It is inactivated by monoamine oxidases (MAO-A and -B), enzymes that also inactivate other neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine.

Serotonin is concentrated in certain areas of the brain; the hypothalamus and midbrain contain large amounts, while the cortex and cerebellum contain low concentrations. Like most neurotransmitters, it is stored in granules inside nerve endings, and is thus not exposed to inactivation by monoamine oxidases until it is released into the synaptic space between nerves. When a serotonin-containing nerve fires, serotonin is released and can bind to any one of a series of at least 14 distinct downstream serotonin receptors (5-HT receptors). Release of serotonin or other stored neurotransmitters can also be induced by alkaloids such as reserpine, which have been used as tranquilizing agents in the treatment of nervous and mental disorders. Although pharmacologic doses of serotonin produce a type of sedation and other depressant conditions of the nervous system, several types of clinically useful antidepressants, such as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), act by increasing the amount of active serotonin in nerve synapses in particular brain regions. Conversely, various conditions that lower serotonin levels are associated with depression, suggesting that normal to slightly elevated serotonin levels tend to elevate mood and prevent depression. See Affective disorders, Brain, Nervous system (vertebrate), Neurosecretion, Psychopharmacology