5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT)-induced valvulopathy: compositional valvular alterations are associated with 5HT2B receptor and 5HT transporter transcript changes in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Several drugs have been linked to valvulopathy in humans, including therapeutic agents for obesity, Parkinson's disease and migraine. There is increasing evidence that the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2B receptor (5HT2BR) activation and/or increased circulating 5HT (5-hydroxytryptamine) may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of drug-induced valvulopathy. In the present study, we investigated whether 7-day 5HT subcutaneous injections led to structural and compositional abnormalities in conjunction with transcriptomic modulation of 5HT2BR and 5HT transporter (5HTT) genes in the aortic and mitral valves of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.