Activity of 5-HT1A receptor is involved in neuronal apoptosis of the amygdala in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Evidence suggests that the volume of the amygdala is significantly reduced in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that this may be related to neuronal apoptosis. However, the precise molecular mechanism of this decrease in amygdala volume during PTSD remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the activity of the 5-HT1A receptor and amygdala neuronal apoptosis. Rats were exposed to a single-prolonged stress (SPS) procedure to create a PTSD rat model, with or without prior treatment with WAY100635, a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist. The expression of Bax, a pro-apoptotic protein, and Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein, was examined by Western Blotting. TUNEL staining and flow cytometry (FCM) were employed for the detection of apoptotic cells in the amygdala. Our results indicate that SPS induces amygdala neuronal apoptosis, which was partially inhibited by WAY100635, and suggest that this apoptosis may be related to the activity of the 5-HT1A receptor.