Implication of regional brain serotonergic neurons in dorsal and median Raphé nuclei in adaptation to water lacking in Gerbillus tarabuli

Implication of regional brain serotonergic neurons in dorsal and median Raphé nuclei in adaptation to water lacking in Gerbillus tarabuli.

Houari Boukersi (1) , Nemcha Lebaili (2) , Nathalie Samson-Desvignes (3) , Sylvie Granon (3)

1 Laboratoire d'écobiologie animale, école normale supérieure
2 UHBC - Université Hassiba Ben Bouali de Chlef
3 NeuroPSI - Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay

The objective of this work was to investigate the implication of serotonin (5-HT) produced in the dorsal and medial raphé nuclei (DRN and MRN) in water homeostasis in desert animal Gerbillus tarabuli. For that, we measured the density of 5-HT immunolabeled neurons in hydrated and dehydrated animals (over 1 and six months). In this work, 5-HT positive neurons showed some change in shape and colour intensity in dehydrated gerbils comparing with hydrated gerbils. Furthermore a differential increase of 5-HT neurons density was observed in DRN subregions and in MRN following 1 and 6 months of dehydration. This study suggested that neurons in DRN and MRN contain 5-HT in various amounts, thus allowing an adapted response to hydration status. These neurons could mediate one of the adaptation mechanisms of this animal to its desert biotope.

Mots clés: 5-HT; 5-hydroxytryptamine; Dehydratation; Dorsal raphe nucleus; Gerbillus tarabuli; Immunohistochemistry; Median raphe nucleus; Serotonin

Domaines: Neurobiologie; Psychologie et comportements; Sciences cognitives

Houari Boukersi, Nemcha Lebaili, Nathalie Samson-Desvignes, Sylvie Granon. Implication of regional brain serotonergic neurons in dorsal and median Raphé nuclei in adaptation to water lacking in Gerbillus tarabuli. Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, 2018, ⟨10.1016/j.jchemneu.2018.03.003⟩. ⟨hal-01828791⟩