A New Insight into the Role of CART Peptide in Serotonergic Function and Anxiety.

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptide has been implicated in stress-related behaviors that are regulated by central serotonergic (5-HT) systems in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Here, we aimed to investigate the interaction between CART and DRN 5-HTergic systems after initially observing CART axonal terminals in the DRN. We found that microinfusion of CART peptide into the DRN-induced anxiogenic effects in male C57BL/6J mice, while central administration of CART reduced c-Fos in 5-HT neurons.