Involvement of Organic Cation Transporter-3 and Plasma Membrane Monoamine Transporter in Serotonin Uptake in Human Brain Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Rachel W. S. Li, Cui Yang, Y. W. Kwan, S. W. Chan, Simon M. Y. Lee, George P. H. Leung

The serotonin (5-HT) uptake system is supposed to play a crucial part in vascular functions by "fine-tuning" the local concentration of 5-HT in the vicinity of 5-HT(2) receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells. In this study, the mechanism of 5-HT uptake in human brain vascular smooth muscle cells (HBVSMCs) was investigated. [(3)H]5-HT uptake in HBVSMCs was Na(+)-independent. Kinetic analyses of [(3)H]5-HT uptake in HBVSMCs revealed a K(m) of 50.36 ± 10.2 mM and a V(max) of 1033.61 ± 98.86 pmol/mg protein/min. The specific serotonin re-uptake transporter (SERT) inhibitor citalopram, the specific norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor desipramine, and the dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibitor GBR12935 inhibited 5-HT uptake in HBVSMCs with IC(50) values of 97.03 ± 40.10, 10.49 ± 5.98, and 2.80 ± 1.04 μM, respectively. These IC(50) values were 100-fold higher than data reported by other authors, suggesting that those inhibitors were not blocking their corresponding transporters. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results demonstrated the presence of mRNA for organic cation transporter (OCT)-3 and plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT), but the absence of OCT-1, OCT-2, SERT, NET, and DAT. siRNA knockdown of OCT-3 and PMAT specifically attenuated 5-HT uptake in HBVSMCs. It is concluded that 5-HT uptake in HBVSMCs was mediated predominantly by a low-affinity and Na(+)-independent mechanism. The most probable candidates are OCT-3 and PMAT, but not the SERT.