Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of a Novel Fluoroprobe for Live Human Islet Cell Imaging of Serotonin 5-HT Receptor.

Mounting evidence suggests that the serotonin system serves in signal transmission to regulate insulin secretion in pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Among the 5-HT receptor subtype found in pancreatic islets, serotonin receptor 1A (5-HT ) demonstrates a unique ability to inhibit β-cell insulin secretion. We report the design, synthesis, and characterization of two novel fluorescent probes for the 5-HT receptor. The compounds were prepared by conjugating the scaffold of the 5-HT receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT with two fluorophores suitable for live-cell imaging. Compound 5a {5-(dimethylamino)-N-[5-[(8-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)(propyl)amino]pentyl]naphtalen-1-sulfonammide} showed high affinity for the 5-HT receptor (K =1.8 nM). Fluoroprobe 5a was able to label the 5-HT receptor in pancreatic islet cell cultures in a selective manner, as the fluorescence emission was significantly attenuated by co-administration of the 5-HT receptor antagonist WAY-100635. Thus, fluoroprobe 5a showed useful properties to further characterize this unique receptor's role.