Serotonin Transporter Mechanisms and Cardiac Disease

Signaling pathways in mitral valve degeneration

“…34 Serotonin activity is terminated by cellular uptake of serotonin by the serotonin transporter (SERT) where it is subsequently metabolized by monoamine oxidase or stored (platelets). 31,35 It is well known that high circulating serotonin or serotonergic drugs can induce valvulopathy in humans and rats. In carcinoid syndrome (functional neoplasia of enterochromaffin cells), patients with the highest levels of plasma serotonin are at greatest risk to develop valvulopathy.…”

Benfluorex (Mediator®) et atteintes valvulaires

“…Le risque de valvulopathie pourrait ainsi être dépisté à un stade précoce du développement de médicaments potentiellement à risque. Un rôle des transporteurs membranaires de sérotonine (5-HTT) qui permettent le transfert intracellulaire de la sérotonine et sa dégradation est également évoqué pour expliquer le dévelop-pement de ces atteintes valvulaires médicamenteuses fibreuses [10]. Une étude expérimentale a ainsi montré que l'inactivation du gène du transporteur 5-HTT chez la souris conduit au développement de lésions valvulaires [11].…”

Beyond a neurotransmitter: The role of serotonin in plants

“…Interestingly, this ancient molecule along with its biosynthetic product melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) originated in the first prokaryotic life forms on Earth, where it likely functioned as a protective molecule [1][2][3][4] . Serotonin was first isolated in the enterochromaffin cells of the mammalian gut, in the 1930's, for its location it was initially named enteramine [5] , though later the name was changed to serotonin as the compound had been discovered and investigated separately during the 1940's [6,7] .…”