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Many 5-HT1B/D receptor ligands have affinity for 5-HT1A receptors. In the present study, the intrinsic activity of a series of 5-HT1B/D ligands was investigated at human 5-HT1A (h 5-HT1A) receptors by measuring G-protein activation in recombinant C6-glial and HeLa membranes, using agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding. In these two membrane preparations, the density of h 5-HT1A receptors (i.e., 246 to 320 fmol mg(-1) protein) and of their G-proteins, and the receptor: G-protein density ratio (0.08 to 0.18) appeared to be similar. It was found that: (i) the maximal [35S]GTPgammaS binding responses induced by the 5-HT1B/D receptor ligands in the HeLa preparation at 30 microM GDP were comparable to that of the native agonist 5-HT; (ii) as compared to 5-HT (1.00), similar potencies but lower maximal responses were observed in the C6-glial preparation at 0.3 microM GDP for zolmitriptan (0.89), dihydroergotamine (0.81), rizatriptan (0.71), CP122638 (0.69), naratriptan (0.60) and sumatriptan (0.53); and that (iii) maximal [35S]GTPgammaS binding responses induced by 5-HT1B/D ligands in the C6-glial preparation were either unaffected or significantly enhanced by increasing the GDP concentration from 0.3 to 30 microM and higher concentrations. These features differ from those observed with 5-HT1A receptor agonists; the latter display the same rank order of potency and efficacy in both membrane preparations, and increasing the amount of GDP with C6-glial membranes results in an attenuation of both the agonist's maximal effect and the apparent potency of partial agonists. The differential regulation of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B/D agonist responses by GDP suggests that different G-protein subtypes are involved upon 5-HT1A receptor activation by 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B/D agonists.

1. The guinea-pig recombinant 5-hydroxytryptamine1B (gp 5-HT1B) receptor stably transfected in rat C6-glial cells was characterized by monitoring G-protein activation in a membrane preparation with agonist-stimulated [35S]-GTPgammaS binding. The intrinsic activity of 5-HT receptor ligands was compared with that determined previously at the human recombinant 5-HT1B (h 5-HT1B) receptor under similar experimental conditions. 2. Membrane preparations of C6-glial/gp 5-HT1B cells exhibited [3H]-5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) and [3H]-N-[4-methoxy-3,4-methylpiperazin-1-yl) phenyl]-3-methyl-4-(4-pyridinyl)benzamide (GR 125743) binding sites with a pKd of 9.62 to 9.85 and a Bmax between 2.1 to 6.4 fmol mg(-1) protein. The binding affinities of a series of 5-HT receptor ligands determined with [3H]-5-CT and [3H]-GR 125743 were similar. Ligand affinities were comparable to and correlated (r2: 0.74, P<0.001) with those determined at the recombinant h 5-HT1B receptor. 3. [35S]-GTPgammaS binding to membrane preparations of C6-glial/gp 5-HT1B cells was stimulated by the 5-HT receptor agonists that were being investigated. The maximal responses of naratriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, N-methyl-3-[pyrrolidin-2(R)-ylmethyl]-1H-indol-5-ylmethyl sulphonamide (CP 122638), rizatriptan and dihydroergotamine were between 0.76 and 0.85 compared to 5-HT. The potency of these agonists showed a positive correlation (r2: 0.72, P=0.015) with their potency at the recombinant h 5-HT1B receptor. 1-naphthylpiperazine, (+/-)-cyanopindolol and (2'-methyl-4'-(5-methyl[1,2,4] oxadiazole-3-yl)biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid [4-methoxy-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)phenyl]amide (GR 127935) elicited an even smaller response (Emax: 0.32 to 0.63). 4. The ligands 1'-methyl-5-(2'-methyl-4'-(5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole-3-yl) biphenyl-4-carbonyl)-2,3,6,7tetrahydrospiro [furo[2,3-f]indole-3-spiro-4'-piperidine] (SB224289), methiothepin and ritanserin displayed inhibition of basal [35S]-GTPgammaS binding at concentrations relevant to their binding affinity for the gp 5-HT1B receptor. Methiothepin and SB224289 behaved as competitive antagonists at gp 5-HT1B receptors; pA2 values were 9.74 and 8.73, respectively when 5-HT was used as an agonist. These estimates accorded with the potencies measured in antagonism of zolmitriptan-mediated inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP formation. Ketanserin acted as a weak antagonist (pK(B): 5.87) at gp 5-HT1B receptors. 5. In conclusion, the recombinant gp 5-HT1B receptor shares important pharmacological similarities with the recombinant h 5-HT1B receptor. The finding that negative activity occurs at these receptors further suggests that SB224289, methiothepin and ritanserin are likely to be inverse agonists.

The intrinsic activity of a series of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin, 5-HT) receptor ligands was analysed at recombinant h5-HT1B and h5-HT1D receptor sites using a [35S]GTP gamma S binding assay and membrane preparations of stably transfected C6-glial cell lines. Compounds either stimulated or inhibited [35S]GTP gamma S binding to a membrane preparation containing either h5-HT1B or h5-HT1D receptors. The potencies observed for most of the compounds at the h5-HT1B receptor subtype correlated with their potencies measured by inhibition of stimulated cAMP formation on intact cells. Apparent agonist potencies in the [35S]GTP gamma S binding assay to C6-glial/h5-HT1D membranes were, with the exception of 2-[5-[3-(4-methylsulphonylamino)benzyl-1 2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl]-1H-indol-3-yl] ethanamine (L694247), 5- to 13-times lower than in the cAMP assay on intact cells. This suggests that receptor coupling in the h5-HT1D membrane preparation is less efficient than that in the intact cell. It further appeared that 6-times more h5-HT1D than h5-HT1B binding sites were required to attain a similar, maximal (73%), 5-HT-stimulated [35S]GTP gamma S binding response: Hence, the h5-HT1B receptor in C6-glial cell membranes could be more efficiently coupled, even though some compounds more readily displayed intrinsic activity at h5-HT1D receptor sites [e.g. dihydroergotamine and (2'-methyl-4'-(5-methyl[1,2,4]oxadiazol-3-yl)biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid [4-methoxy-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)phenyl]amide (GR127935)]. Efficacy differences were apparent for most of the compounds (sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, rizatriptan, N-methyl-3-[pyrrolidin-2(R)-ylmethyl]-1H-indol-5-ylmethyl sulfonamide (CP122638), dihydroergotamine, naratriptan and GR127935) that stimulated [35S]GTP gamma S binding compared to the native agonist 5-HT. The observed maximal responses were different for the h5-HT1B and h5-HT1D receptor subtypes. Few compounds behaved as full agonists: L694247, zolmitriptan and sumatriptan did so at the h5-HT1B receptor and only L694247 at the h5-HT1D receptor. GR127935 (10 microM) exerted little effect on [35S]GTP gamma S binding via h5-HT1B receptors (10% stimulation), but potently (pA2: 9.11) antagonized h5-HT1B receptor-stimulated [35S]GTP gamma S binding. Ketanserin and methiothepin inhibited [35S]GTP gamma S binding (by 13-28%) in the absence of an agonist, but were potent and competitive antagonists in the presence of an agonist via h5-HT1B (methiothepin) and h5-HT1D (methiothepin and ketanserin) receptors. The results document the utility of using [35S]GTP gamma S binding studies to assess agonist efficacy, and to characterize 5-HT1B/D receptor ligands as apparently neutral antagonists and inverse agonists at the G-protein level.

This study was undertaken to investigate the pharmacology of human serotonin (5-HT)1D receptor sites by measuring two functional cellular responses, inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation and promotion of cell growth, using transfected rat C6-glial cell lines and a broad series of 5-HT receptor agonists. Stable and separate transfection of a pcDNA3 or pRcRSV plasmid, each containing a cloned human 5-HT1D receptor gene, in rat C6-glial cells was confirmed with RT-PCR of 5-HT1D receptor mRNA and radioligand binding with [3H] 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) and [3H] sumatriptan. The 5-HT1D receptor density was 350 and 1050 fmol/mg protein for the C6-glial/pcDNA3/5-HT1D and C6-glial/pRcRSV/5-HT1D cell line, and forskolin (100 microM)-induced cAMP formation was inhibited by 45 and 78% in the presence of 1 microM 5-HT, respectively. A comparison of the intrinsic agonist activities for sixteen 5-HT receptor ligands with their corresponding binding affinities for the human 5-HT1D receptor site showed similar results for both cell lines with the exception of the partial agonist m-trifluoro-phenyl-piperazine (TFMPP). Three classes of compounds were observed: 1) efficacious agonists, such as 5-CT, 5-methoxytryptamine, 5-HT, sumatriptan, bufotenine, 5-methoxy-3(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-4-pyridinyl)1H-indole (RU 24,969), tryptamine and 8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propilamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), with agonist potency close to their binding affinity; 2) the partial agonists metergoline, 7-trifluoromethyl-4(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-pyrolo-(1,2-a) quinoxaline (CGS 12066B), 1-naphthylpiperazine and 2'-methyl-4-(5-methyl-[1,2,4]oxadiazol-3-yl)-biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid [4-methoxy-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-phenyl]-amide (GR 127,935) with marked intrinsic agonist activity but at concentrations higher than their binding affinity; and 3) the silent antagonists ritanserin, ketanserin and methiothepin, apparently free of intrinsic agonist activity, with antagonist potency close to their binding affinity. The cAMP data were further supported by the observed promotion of cell growth by stimulation of both transfected cell lines with sumatriptan under serum-free conditions; half-maximal stimulation was obtained at 4.4 nM (C6-glial/pcDNA3/5-HT1D) fully in agreement with its EC50-value (5.7 nM) for inhibition of cAMP formation. This growth promoting effect was antagonised by 1 microM methiothepin and not observed in pcDNA3-plasmid-transfected and non-transfected C6-glial cells. A comparative study with a C6-glial/pcDNA3/5-HT1B cell line expressing a similar amount of cloned human 5-HT1B receptors (Bmax: 360 fmol/mg protein) showed almost no intrinsic agonist activity for metergoline, 1-naphtylpiperazine and GR 127,935. Together with the 5-HT1D receptor binding selectivity and antagonist activity of ketanserin and ritanserin, the findings define important pharmacological differences between cloned human 5-HT1D and 5-HT1B receptor sites.