INDIAN SCIENTISTS ? SEROTONIN ODYSSEY

In 1940, Eraspamer reported first time that a chemical substance present in the rabbit gastric mucosa which inhibits gastric secretion and named it as “Enteramine” which was subsequently identified as 5-hydroxytryptamine. Later on, both 5-HT and its precursor 5-HTP were found to have gastric inhibitory activity on different experimental animals and in man. Cali and Cardova (1956) observed that intravenous administration of 5-HT stimulated the gastric acid secretion in Heidenhain’s pouch dogs. This observation indicates that for inhibitory response of 5-HT intact cholinergic pathway is essential. It was also observed that the stimulatory effect of food or histamine was inhibited by 5-HT.