Activation of islet 5-HT4 receptor regulates glycemic control through promoting insulin secretion

Mosapride, a gastrointestinal prokinetic drug, is an agonist of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor 4 that also reduces blood glucose. Whether 5-HT4 receptor is distributed in pancreatic islets and whether mosapride can directly stimulate insulin secretion is unclear. In the present study, the protein expression and cellular location of 5-HT4 receptor in pancreas was detected through western blotting and immunofluorescence. The acute effects of 5-HT4 receptor agonists, mosapride and prucalopride, on insulin secretion were investigated in vivo and in vitro in normal and alloxan-induced diabetes rats. The results indicated that 5-HT4 receptor immunoreactivity was co-existed in the islets insulin-immunoreactive cells of rat, mouse, pig and human. However the immunoreactive cells of insulin and 5-HT4 receptor and the protein expression of 5-HT4 receptor were significantly decreased in the pancreas of alloxan-induced diabetes rats. In normal rats, mosapride and prucalopride decreased blood glucose and increased insulin secretion during glucose tolerance test, in association with an increase in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, which was abolished by the 5-HT4 receptor antagonist GR113808. In diabetes rats, mosapride and prucalopride failed to improve blood glucose and insulin levels in the group of 180 mg/kg alloxan, but increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in the group of 120 mg/kg alloxan in vitro. We conclude that 5-HT4 receptor is distributed in the islet β cell. Activation of 5-HT4 receptor is able to stimulate insulin secretion directly, thereby reduce blood glucose. The study provides important experimental evidences for the 5-HT4 receptor regulating insulin secretion and acting as a potential drug target in diabetes treatment.