Specific uptake of serotonin by murine lymphoid cells

Recently the authors confirmed and extended earlier observations that serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) can influence immune function. Both 5HT and its precursor, 5-hydroxytryptophan inhibit the primary, in vivo antibody response to sheep red blood cells, in mice. Here, the authors report specific in vitro association of this amine with mouse splenocytes. Spleen cells from 6-8 week old CBA/J mice incorporated /sup 3/H-5HT(10/sup -8/ to 2.5 x 10/sup -6/M) in a saturable manner, at 37/sup 0/C. Specificity of uptake was indicated by competition with excess (10/sup -5/M) unlabelled 5HT and with 10/sup -5/M fluoxetine, a selective inhibitor of active 5HT reuptake in rat brain. The 5HT receptor antagonists, methysergide and cyproheptadine, also blocked 5HT uptake. Cell lysis and displacement studies revealed largely intracellular accumulation of /sup 3/H-5HT with little membrane association, in splenocytes. Hofstee analysis of uptake kinetics yielded an apparent Km of 0.82 +/- 0.22 x 10/sup -7/M and Vmax of 501 +/- 108 pM/3 x 10/sup 6/ cells/10 min. Spleen cells fractionated on Sephadex G10 showed virtually no specific 5HT uptake while peritoneal exudate cells from thioglycollate treated mice displayed 5HT uptake kinetics similar to those of splenocytes. The site of specific /sup 3/H-5HT incorporation within a population of spleenmore » cells and the functional significance of this phenomenon to immunomodulation by 5HT remain to be elucidated.« less