Differential galanin receptor-1 and galanin expression by 5-HT neurons in dorsal raphé nucleus of rat and mouse: Evidence for species-dependent modulation of serotonin transmission

Abstract

Galanin and galanin receptors are widely expressed by neurons in rat brain that either synthesize/release and/or are responsive to, classical transmitters such as γ-aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine, noradrenaline, histamine, dopamine and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). The dorsal raphé nucleus (DRN) contains ≈50% of the 5-HT neurons in the rat brain and a high percentage of these cells coexpress galanin and are responsive to exogenous galanin in vitro. However, the precise identity of the galanin receptor(s) present on these 5-HT neurons has not been previously established. Thus, the current study used a polyclonal antibody for the galanin receptor-1 (GaIR1) to examine the possible ex..