title: Allosteric potentiation of the 5-HT3 receptor-mediated ion current in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells by 5-hydroxyindole and analogues.
abstract: Potentiation of the 5-HT3 receptor-mediated ion current in mouse N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells by 5-hydroxyindole (5-OHi) and three analogues (5-aminoindole, catechol and indole) was examined using whole-cell voltage clamp and single channel patch clamp techniques. The substances tested enhanced the amplitude of the maximum 5-HT-evoked ion current by 12-30%. The rank order (at 1 mM) to potentiate the 5-HT-induced current was: 5-OHi approximately 5-aminoindole approximately catechol > indole. The concentration-effect curve of 5-HT was shifted leftwards by 1 mM 5-OHi, resulting in a two-fold increase of the apparent affinity of 5-HT from 1.4 microM to 0.7 microM, without affecting the Hill coefficient. The time constant of reversal of activation of the 5-HT-induced ion current upon washout of the agonist was delayed by 1 mM 5-OHi from 4.0 sec to 12.8 sec. 5-HT3 receptor-gated single channel events in cell-attached patches in the presence and absence of 1 mM 5-OHi were indistinguishable, apart from a slight increase in the event frequency. The results suggest that 5-OHi and analogues potentiate the 5-HT3 receptor-mediated ion current by delaying agonist dissociation and thereby increase the probability of channel opening. From the increased apparent affinity of 5-HT and the non-surmountability of the potentiating effect, it is concluded that 5-OHi and analogues are allosteric modulators of 5-HT3 receptors.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Toxicology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: van Hooft
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van der Haar
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Vijverberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002396:Catechols / Q000494:pharmacology; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D002396:Catechols; D007211:Indoles; D007473:Ion Channels; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; C026785:5-hydroxyindole; C030374:indole; C034221:catechol