Differential effects of amyloid-beta 1–40 and 1–42 fibrils on 5-HT1A serotonin receptors in rat brain

Evidence accumulates suggesting a complex interplay between neurodegenerative processes and serotonergic neurotransmission. We have previously reported an overexpression of serotonin 5-HT1A receptors (5-HT1AR) after intrahippocampal injections of amyloid-beta 1–40 (Aβ40) fibrils in rats. This serotonergic reactivity paralleled results from clinical positron emission tomography studies with [18F]MPPF revealing an overexpression of 5-HT1AR in the hippocampus of patients with mild cognitive impairment. Because Aβ40 and Aβ42 isoforms are found in amyloid plaques, we tested in this study the hypothesis of a peptide- and region-specific 5-HT1AR reactivity by injecting them, separately, into the hippocampus or striatum of rats. [18F]MPPF in vitro autoradiography revealed that Aβ40 fibrils, but not Aβ42, were triggering an overexpression of 5-HT1AR in the hippocampus and striatum of rat brains after 7 days. Immunohistochemical approaches targeting neuronal precursor cells, mature neurons, and astrocytes showed that Aβ42 fibrils caused more pathophysiological damages than Aβ40 fibrils. The mechanisms of Aβ40 fibrils–induced 5-HT1AR expression remains unknown, but hypotheses including neurogenesis, glial expression, and axonal sprouting are discussed.