Serotonin deficiency implicated in rheumatoid arthritis

(Elsevier Health Sciences) For the first time, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has been directly implicated in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A report in The American Journal of Pathology shows that experimentally-induced RA in serotonin-deficient mice is worse than disease reported in controls and that some effects of RA can be reduced by serotonin or its agonists (compounds that activate serotonin receptors).
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news