Aliases: 5HT, 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (chemical name)
Drug targets involved: SERT (reuptake pump), 5HT-1 receptor family, 5HT-2 receptor family, 5HT-3 receptor, 5HT-4 receptor, 5-HT6/7 receptors, Monoamine Oxidase (MAO; breakdown enzyme)
Notoriety: Involved as a target in the most popular class of antidepressants (SSRIs; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors); also involved as a target in virtually all other antidepressants and many antipsychotics. Also the target of LSD, MDMA ("Ecstasy"; "X") and some types of magic mushrooms.
Trivia: Most serotonin (along with dopamine and norepinephrine) is located not in the brain, but in our gut. This may explain some of the stomach side effects of drugs that act on these neurotransmitters.
A candidate for the title of most well-known neurotransmitter (vying perhaps only with dopamine), the neurotransmitter serotonin, abbreviated as "5HT" (or "5-HT") is a derivative (i.e., is made in our bodies from) the amino acid tryptophan.
Perhaps serotonin's greatest claim to fame is the fact that it's an indirect target of the SSRI drug class. SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs include the infamous drug PROZAC (fluoxetine). SSRIs block the pump responsible for sucking excess serotonin out of the synapse, causing the synapse to flood with this neurotransmitter.
Serotonin can hit a myriad of receptors in us, and these receptors are located in our CNS as well as our peripheral nervous system (PNS; hehehehe I just said PNS). There is an amazing amount lore, mythology, and what have you, surrounding this particular little molecule.
On the next couple pages, I'm going to talk about the different receptors serotonin may hit, and what effects these receptors cause with respect to our neurology, psychology, and the rest of our bodies.
This page last updated 14 May 2008 (addition of links).
